Archetypes In The Great Gatsby

915 Words4 Pages

The American dream is an opportunity to start a new life for oneself and others. American Dream is important for our American culture today because for one to dream and succeed is a proud moment. In our society today an American dream is a literary trope due to its a repeated allegory with recurring images or figure of speech. For example a feature that makes the American dream a literary trope is by symbolism, such as in the video “ American Oxygen” of flags, liberty, soldiers,etc, idealing the greatness of America and different types of the American dream. Following in the article by John Steinbeck stating “ No one can define it or point to anyone person who lives it, but it is very real nevertheless,perhaps more real than that equally remote dream…”, illustrating The American dream is free for all as long as we work for it but some might consider The American dream as a disillusion. Through the use of archetypes and symbolism F. Scott Fitzgerald communicate the …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald illustrate the protagonist as Gatsby having a hero archetype but slowly at the end a scapegoat archetype. Gatsby represents as a hero archetype in the beginning on the book, “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.‘Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” representing the hero life he did and the inspiration of his father growing old to think before he says something. At the end of the story Gatsby was a scapegoat by saying “ Yes,” he said after a moment, but of course I”ll say I was, illustrating that he would take the blame because he loves Daisy that much. Gasty archetypes represent the American Dream that we are all heros in the beginning and can succeed but when we grow older and things get harder we blame others so we can succeed and have the American Dream we