Preview

Essay About The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
814 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Essay About The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
The idea of the American dream brings tremendous promise and opportunity, however it also brings heartbreaking failure. A character like Jay Gatsby seems to have achieved the American dream with his wealth, power, and lifestyle; however, he is restless and is constantly searching for something more. One is never truly happy, when they are chasing after the unattainable. In this case, Gatsby has been living his life with the hope that one day, he and Daisy could return to the times that they had been together all those years ago. The failure of Gatsby in achieving the elusive American Dream is a symbol for the difficulties in obtaining true happiness. Jay Gatsby is a puzzling character to comprehend. One may wonder how it is possible he has not achieved his dream. He lives the most wealthy lifestyle imaginable and throws parties that are the talk of the town. The reason Gatsby has not achieved his dream is because he is not truly happy. Before he went to war, he was in love with Daisy; however, while he was away he received the news that Daisy was marrying Tom Buchannan. After this, Gatsby’s entire life is …show more content…
He begins to see things as they are, and not just for Daisy. For example, had he seen a flower before, he might have associated it with Daisy. Now, however, he would just see it as it is: a nice flower. When Nick is visiting Gatsby in the morning, Gatsby mentions to Nick that: “‘I’ve never used that pool all summer.’” This is a symbol that he has changed in this last portion of the novel (Fitzgerald 153). He is going to go for a swim for the first time all summer. While he is in the pool, he realizes that he has wasted his life on Daisy. In this moment, Gatsby can finally see clearly. It is impossible to know what Gatsby was thinking as he was shot, however one may speculate that he was ready to die. His entire dream was destroyed and he knew there was no way to salvage
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between George Wilson And The Great Gatsby
    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Similarities Between George Wilson And The Great Gatsby

    Once, the American Dream was a strong possibility and something that all Americans strived for; now it seems to be a lost dream that is only discussed when studying literature. The character of James Gatz, alternatively known as Jay Gatsby, is a prime example of the American Dream and could be considered an exact definition of what the American Dream represents. He starts out with his innocent dream of wanting to be worthy enough of Daisy’s love; but in doing so becomes involved in some illegal activities in order to achieve what Daisy requires of someone she loves, wealth. Gatsby goes from a young military officer, who is extremely poor and has essentially no money and works his way up to become an extremely rich man, living in a mansion and able to throw the most extravagant of parties. Gatsby achieves his fortunes, but not without losing all…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Representation Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Representation Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    The Great Gatsby is a book published in 1925 that revolves around the life of Nick Carraway and his experiences of moving to the east. The story, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is focused on showing the American Dream. Which is the notion that there is “a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone.” Though how do the characters in the book represent the notion of the American Dream? Fitzgerald uses Gatsby to represent the American Dream and that people will go to great lengths to achieve it.…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Significance Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Significance Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    In the Book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there is a topic that always seems to come up, that topic is the American dream. This book makes you wonder whether this dream is actually realistic and achievable, or if it is just some made up thing that most are not able to achieve. It soon becomes clear that F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the American dream as something that is unreal and it is pretty much impossible to accomplish. Fitzgerald uses many things to represent the corruption of the American dream, these things include the green light, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg, and the geography in general.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The American Dream And The Pursuit Of Happiness In The Great Gatsby
    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The American Dream And The Pursuit Of Happiness In The Great Gatsby

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (United States Declaration of Independence). In much the same way as the authors of the founding fathers, the American Dream can be defined simply as the pursuit and the achievement of happiness. Clarifications, like not needing to use underhanded means, are not necessary because it is readily apparent that these means do not provide happiness nor liberty. In other words, the American Dream is attainable through hard work, determination, and the fruits of honest labor, even though it is embodied negatively in literary contexts and positively in historical terms.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay
    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Is The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay

    Over the course of time, the term “The American Dream” has changed. Although the goal for many who come to America has remained the same. That goal is to make their mark on these great lands and better themselves in away that could not be accomplished in their home land. To live a life that is filled with many opportunities for the user to succeed.…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The Great Gatsby The American Dream
    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On The Great Gatsby The American Dream

    Even though we call the american American, is it really american? In the book The Great Gatsby, many of these characters are not American, but they are still living the American dream. While some characters are living the American others are not and what set them apart will astonish you.…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    The novel the great Gatsby tells a story about Gatsby’s " American dream "is a dream out of experience and its tragic ending. The root of the tragedy is that Gatsby didn't realize his dream, also did not see Daisy's true nature. Many people see gates than dream as the bursting of the "American dream", in fact, Gatsby’s dream and not a real "American dream".…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby Achieving The American Dream
    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Great Gatsby Achieving The American Dream

    What my essay is going to be about is how the economy was back then to how it is now. I’m also going to talk about how "The Great Gatsby" has to relate to The American Dream. I believe that The American Dream includes success, money, and the opportunities that we now have.…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Great Gatsby and the American Dream
    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Great Gatsby and the American Dream

    There is really no set definition of what the American Dream is, everyone has different views on what they see it as. The main idea of the American Dream is pretty much making it big and being successful in life, having everything you need, wealth, prosperity, love and happiness. Jay Gatsby portrays the American Dream in some senses but not to its full potential. Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby the American Dream isn’t shown in its positive light but, more of the opposite of that: more of the downfall or failure of it.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby And The American Dream
    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Great Gatsby And The American Dream

    The American Dream-an opportunity to start a new life with promising freedom. This idea seems to still go on today, in this century. Many people don’t think about what the aspects of the American Dream is, or what it is completely. Those who think about it, define it as kind of like a fresh start. Today, America still provides access to the American Dream as stated in The Great Gatsby, “The New Colossus,” and “Looking toward the future.”…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby American Dream Analysis
    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Great Gatsby American Dream Analysis

    For instance, attaining Daisy’s affection means everything to Gatsby. Nick’s first sighting of Gatsby is at the end of the first chapter, where Gatsby stands with his arms stretched out longingly toward the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. As Nick learns of Gatsby and Daisy’s past relationship, he arranges for Gatsby to reconvene with Daisy, where Gatsby is “…consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity” (Fitzgerald 92). Gatsby has longed for his past with Daisy due to her beauty, grace, and easily obtained wealth for an extensive five years, and now that they are reunited, he wishes to spend the rest of his life with her. Gatsby’s true devotion to Daisy is evident after Myrtle is killed. Gatsby…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analysis Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    Do you believe in the American Dream? What is the American Dream, really? F. Scott Fitzgerald has a pretty good idea of what that dream might be. In his book, The Great Gatsby, all the characters are attempting to become happier with their lives. The characters in the novel are divided into two groups: the rich upper class and the poorer lower class (West Egg and East Egg). Though the main characters only try to make their lives better, the American Dream they are all trying to achieve is eventually ruined by the harsh reality of life.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Gatsby And The American Dream Essay
    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Great Gatsby And The American Dream Essay

    For decades people have had American Dreams they dedicate their lives, giving it their all for the goals that they have set up for themselves. However, while seeming to be a good motivating factor for Americans, most of the time these dreams are unsuccessful or unattainable for the people that work so hard toward them. Since there is more often failure in achieving an American Dream, many people have negative opinions toward the concept itself. The best description of this ideology is reflected by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who viewed the American Dream as something not possible and could not be fully achieved no matter what a person does, despite how each dream is different. In order to demonstrate his opinion on the American Dream, he uses plot and conflict to show how character’s actions for their dreams,…

    • 1250 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The American Dream in the Great Gatsby
    • 2127 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The American Dream in the Great Gatsby

    It has been said that “people are so busy dreaming the American Dream, fantasizing about what they could be or have a right to be, that they’re all asleep at the switch, [the American man has lost his focus]” <www.thinkexist.com>. What exists behind the vision of the American Dream is a paralleled unreality. Humans are dreamers, and desires often create beliefs in people’s minds that lead them to strongly believe in a successful outcome. Unfortunately, these driving desires take individuals from reality. They are then led place false hope in destructive factors. It is hard to see that dream does not actually exist, and the truth that it is not real. For that reason individuals pursuing the dream eventually destroy themselves. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the spirited main character, Jay Gatsby is corrupted in his pursuit of the ‘American Dream’. The Great Gatsby is set to illustrate the roaring 20s, a period in which young men and women pursued a freer lifestyle. Fitzgerald attempts to exhibit the crisis that most of these individuals faced: they were chasing the ‘American Dream’. The ‘American Dream’ is a common aspiration shared between many young individuals who pursued a life of self-made wealth and true love. Corruption of the society by destructive factors, such as bootlegging and other felonious acts, resulted in an end to an intoxicating era, and eventually an end to the ‘American Dream’. Being deprived of ‘the good life’, impressionable Jay Gatsby is corrupted by men who persuade him, with their self-made image, to partake in illegal activities. Once a self made man, Gatsby transitions into high-class society, and his idea of respect is lost as he discovers the dark nature of the privileged society. Furthermore, Gatsby’s memories of an old love corrupt his mind when he sees that she embodies the unachievable ‘American Dream’.…

    • 2127 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Great Gatsby and the American Dream
    • 1413 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Great Gatsby and the American Dream

    Since its institution, the United States has been revered as the ultimate land of ceaseless opportunity. People all around the world immigrated to America to seek quick wealth, which was predominately seen in the new Modern era. Beginning in the late 1800's to the early 1900's, the period introduced progressive ideas into society and the arts. Accompanying these ideas was a loss of faith in the American Dream and the promise America once guaranteed, especially after World War I. One of the renowned writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, emerged during this period and put together The Great Gatsby “embodying…the fluid polarities of American experience: success and failure, illusion and disillusion, dream and nightmare”, which criticizes the American Dream and society (Callahan Online). In his novel, Fitzgerald condemns the concept of the American Dream and its advocates through his disillusioned characters and symbols.…

    • 1413 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More