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Corruption Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream is still alive and well in the 21st century, but it’s not an easy question to answer especially in our current times full of uncertainty in our work and in our lives. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, focuses on the corruption of the American Dream. The novel is set in 1922, and it depicts the American Dream--and its downfall--through the use of symbols and literary devices. Although The American Dream is much different now than in the 1920s, it still has some traits left. All of the people that want to achieve The American Dream just go and look at recent history and facts about how it's dead. I believe the American Dream is achieved by your determination and drive to try and achieve the dream. Facing the big gap in the US wealth distribution, people don't see how they could ever possibly achieve the promised success or climb up the ladder. …show more content…

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby was a motif; one motif is geography as represented by East and West Egg. One symbolic way in which he shows he’s disillusioned with the "American Dream" is his stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots. West Egg is where the "new rich" live, those who have made a lot of money by being criminals or entrepreneurial in the years after WW1 ended. Jay Gatsby is on the West Egg. East Egg is filled with those who have always had money; old money. Tom and Daisy both have affairs, Jordan Baker is a cheat, Daisy kills a woman and lets someone else take the blame, and many of the East Eggers who come to Gatsby's parties bring their mistresses and act agnostic while they are there. The clear message by F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to be that wealth causes

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