Definition Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich once stated that "The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches – with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone – was once at the core of the American Dream." Reich defined the American Dream as the ability for anyone, no matter the background, to achieve wealth with hard work. However, his use of the word "once" suggests that this definition may not be entirely true, or that the American Dream itself no longer holds true to this definition. Similarly, author F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the definition of the American Dream in his novel "The Great Gatsby." In his book, he employs the contrast between the East and West Eggs to warn that despite any sacrifices made in its pursuit,

At the end of the book, as Nick imagines America as it was discovered by the very first explorers, he thinks about how "Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby’s house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams" (152). The trees, the very same objects that gave the continent the hopeful green glow like the green light that represented Gatsby's dream, now ironically have been destroyed to make way for the lavish lifestyle of the west. Their destruction suggests that just like the green light lost its magic, the hope for the American dream has been lost, emphasizing how what they once symbolized is now destroyed and unreachable. Furthermore, Nick continues to think about Gatsby and his green light, and how he "did not know that [his dream] was already behind him" (152). The fact that Gatsby missed out on his dream is another part of the illusion – that although it may seem like it can be attained, it actually is unreachable and provides only false hope. Just like the razed trees, this serves to imply that Gatsby had never had any chance to achieve his dream in the first place. Then, Nick comments that "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us… to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…" (152). Year by year, the green light, or Gatsby's dream that he chases, stays ahead of him, and no matter how far he stretches out his arms like he did at the beginning of the novel, towards Daisy's dock, it remains one step ahead of him. Finally, Nick ends the book with a final thought: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (152). The future that the characters are trying to chase, one where they attain the same level of success and prestige as those from aristocratic