The Great Gatsby American Dream Is Not Always Perfect

Throughout the 1920’s, when F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby took place, everyone wanted to follow the American Dream. The characters in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, Gatsby, Tom and Daisy Buchanan all search for what they believe to be the American Dream. The American Dream is where someone can come from nothing, but with effort and perseverance gain wealth and success. the American dream is being seeked, reached, and missed, showing hope, devastation, or happiness. Some get lucky and reach the dream, but others fall short.

It is revealed that Gatsby has come into fortune through his connections with Meyer Wolfsheim and the illegal bootlegging industry. Throughout the novel, it appears that Gatsby is well liked and is very popular in the city. This is shown through his parties as the narrator talks about them. It says, “People were not invited... They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door” (Fitzgerald 41).

The American Dream is defined as: “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” In theory, if someone were to genuinely follow through by working hard, being determined, and having initiative, such a dream could be obtainable. A majority, of the time, however, people lose sight of these ideals; which results in the purity of the American Dream being marred. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the decline in the authenticity of the American Dream is best shown by Fitzgerald’s characterization of Jay Gatsby, specifically in Gatsby’s pilgrimage into wealthy prosperity, how his unrestrained desires surpassed moral goals, and

The idea of the American Dream is where individuality of hard work and enthusiasm are shown. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates many themes; however the most noteworthy one relates to the breach of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone who is preliminary on the economic rank, and sticking it out until they achieve full prosperity. By having money, cars, houses, nice clothes and a happy family this illustrates the American dream. This dream also stands for that public no matter who he or she is, can surface into someone thriving in life by his or her own commission. The desire to tackle for what one wants can be proficient if they work hard as much as necessary. The dream is corresponded by the ideas of an autonomous man or woman, who works hard to attain a goal to become triumphant. The Great Gatsby shows what The American Dream comes about to be in the 1920’s, which is a time period when the dream becomes tarnished for countless reasons. The American dream not only causes corruption but has caused destruction. Myrtle, Gatsby and Daisy have all been tainted and damaged by the dream.

Aims, goals, and aspirations are considered the driving force in human life. Pursuing one’s dreams and accomplishing them is an astonishing feat that is only dared to be carried out by some. The American dream is still a major source of inspiration for the fledglings which still have their hopes in the air without worry. Despite this, lack of hope in the American dream is a snowball that increases exponentially in size as it rolls down a mountain, as it is portrayed in the American classic, The Great Gatsby. The American dream is demonstrated as a corrupted ideal which in turn ruins the lives of those who chase it as they are blinded by promises of having a high social status, oceans of riches, and their morals then become twisted as a result. While the book may have seemed as just a simple tragic tale, it delves deep into this concept of the dream and explores various parts of the bottomless abyss.

In the early 1920’s a new opportunity for many started arising and it was called the American dream, this idea was the idea that with a little hard work and determination you can start from the bottom and make your way to the top of any business you were in, but a few of these chasers get lost in the prosperity and achievements of what their chasing. This idea was portrayed in a the novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, As a character named Jay Gatsby was climbing the ladder of wealth faster than anyone else to have it all be ripped away from him by Daisy Buchanan with her golden girl appearance which made Gatsby question at first then change his American dream to satisfy her, in turn leading to his final fall, his death. Unaware

In the roaring years of the 1920’s, America encountered a dramatic, (yet, exciting) social, cultural, and politic change. The restrictions of the country's Victorian past were no longer a part of its society and the rise of a consumer culture, the upsurge of mass entertainment, and the so-called "revolution in morals and manners" became the new description of America. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby reflected on this decade, illustrating the ambition of one man trying to upscale in his life in order to reach the “American Dream” and his despair of losing it.

The American dream is one of success. The vision differs from person to person and is affected by many things according to circumstance. Someone’s upbringing, who influenced them, their capabilities, gender, and more tie into the creation of their “American Dream.” In The Great Gatsby, wealth seemed to define the” American Dream” for most of the characters.

Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in the town of Saint Paul, Minnesota to a small struggling family. By the age of 24 he published his first novel, This Side of Paradise which quickly became a famous novel, selling over 40,000 copies in one year. In 1924 Fitzgerald made the decision to move to France with the hopes of a new land inspiring fresh ideas for his novels. One year after moving, he published his most famous work, The Great Gatsby.

The American dream is a common idea in America that all individuals are equal and can achieve their dreams and ambitions are by working hard. The American dream also enshrines the idea that regardless of social class and financial status, any individual who is hardworking and persevering can achieve anything. The pursuit of this dream has led many to success and many also to failure as a lot of people go to all lengths to achieve this dream. In the 1920s the symbol of the American dream was wealth and opulence, which a lot of people in the upper-class had achieved and people in the lower class desired and pursued. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby the character ‘Gatsby’ represented the American dream in many ways.

To begin, The Great Gatsby idealizes the theme that being rich and powerful is not the same as being happy in life. Within this story of love, hate, and money, are many instances that show just how tedious a life in wealth can be. On page 45, it states, “The bar, where we glanced first, was crowded, but Gatsby was not there. She couldn’t find him from the top of the steps, and he wasn’t on the veranda.” This small yet important phrase in the story is stating how people rarely see Gatsby as his own parties. He always seems to be lingering around on the outside, never making any contact with his guests. Basically, Gatsby has no friends, even though he has all the money and all the whiskey in the world, he still can’t seem to make friends or even find love for that matter. Sven Birkerts states in an article about Gatsby, “Gatsby unfolds over the course of a long summer and follows the logic of a dream” Basically, Gatsby has always has a dream of redeeming his past with his lover Daisy. But he will soon find out that his riches and success will play not part in his love life.

We read the news, go to work, meet with friends, and all we hear about is how difficult life is today. Years ago, when immigrating from overseas, all people had was a small suitcase full of clothes, $10 in their pocket, and hope in their heart. When asked why these immigrants had chosen to risk it all for a new life in America, they would respond “for better opportunity.” These immigrants have a “dream of America,” a vision that they will become successful, and all it takes is the right amount of work and determination. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, he uses Jay Gatsby to illustrate that the American Dream can never be accomplished and Americans will never be satisfied because the dream entails striving for something more than what we already have. The Great Gatsby emphasizes the superficiality of the dream, and the idleness of so many Americans, including Gatsby.

The “American Dream” can be portrayed within different aspects of what a person strives for in their life. The “American Dream”, can exemplify a person’s want regarding the perfect home with a family or living in a small apartment alone, it all determines on what the person truly wants. To achieve the “American Dream”, one has to be determined, strong, and willing to go through anything to fulfill their dream. In the novel, The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, shows the representation of the “American Dream” through themes within the character, Gatsby. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald represents what happens to the “American Dream” when it destroys your whole mindset. Furthermore, showing the American dream can never be achieved through bad intentions and wrong doings as shown by Gatsby.

The pursuit of wealth is a common motif in the book, as all of the characters try to live the high life and people are separated by social status. The man Gatsby is today the result of someone who is already poor and vulnerable, losing his beloved. Jay came across Meyer Wolfsheim, a gambler who, “...raised him up out of nothing…” and turns him into a bootlegger (Fitzgerald 179). Gatsby understands that this way of quick money is wrong and illegal, but the only way to make a mark in the world of the 1920s was through showing off the big bucks. The corrupt justice system allows Gatsby to undergo risky jobs only, because he is able to put his money where his mouth is and get away with the illegal activity. It is obviously very easy and common to be in

In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to demonstrate the decline of the American Dream. Gatsby's life is tested as he attempts to live in a society that is designed for people with old money. The American Dream is "the belief in America as a land of opportunity, expectation of progress, and faith in individualism" (Beers 747). Gatsby pursues his American Dream, in trying to get the woman of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan. The novel is an example of the decline in the American Dream and its effects on Gatsby and other characters.