Comparing The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And The Social Network

The American Dream is a dream that is truly American, in the sense that this aspiration is naturally flawed and open to a person's own free will. These flaws and successes are depicted in the characters of many American works, such as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Both characters achieve great riches in the pursuit of the American Dream. In Gatsby's case, he has a rags-to-riches tale; through the use of the American Dream, Gatsby is able to reinvent himself and woo the love of his life. Similarly, in Mark’s case, he was able to become the youngest billionaire ever and to receive notoriety in his field as a social networking pioneer. However, all of these accomplishments did not come easy. Gatsby’s pursuit of the American Dream led him to live a lie; Gatsby tricked himself into believing that a life with a married woman was accomplishable with great wealth.

Jay Gatsby and Mark Zuckerberg are very similar, as their sacrifices in the pursuit of the American Dream led them to both great success and tragic defeat. The American Dream appeals to many people who follow it because it seems like fair trade. Americans are expected to work very hard in order to receive the fruits of their labor. This is the case with both Jay Gatsby and Mark Zuckerberg, both of whom built their wealth from the bottom up. Gatsby came from humble beginnings, but worked on himself to become wealthy and powerful. Gatsby’s hard-working mindset is described by his father when he says, “Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolve like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind?” (Fitzgerald 133) Gatsby’s father reveals that, at a young age, Gatsby always worked hard to better himself to leave the situation his family was