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Destruction Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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A major theme in the book ‘The Great Gatsby’ is the American Dream. The American Dream is the ideal in which equal opportunity is available to all Americans and that aspirations and goals can be achieved no matter the status you are born into. The Great Gatsby perfectly represents this ideal and two characters in particular portray different perspectives on it. Jay Gatsby who seemingly supports it and Tom Buchanan who is against it. HOW I’LL PROVE IT.

The Great Gatsby is centred around the decline of social values. Throughout the novel, it becomes more and more obvious that greed and materialistic desires have taken over the characters involved and the pure ideals of the American Dream is crumbling around them. Gatsby’s extravagant parties are a perfect example of the pursuit of social status and material gain that inevitably led to the destruction of the American Dream. …show more content…

He was born into a family with nothing and made his way to the top. His rags-to-riches story makes him a living embodiment of the American Dream. After Jimmy Gatz evolved into Jay Gatsby, his entire purpose in life was to win over the newfound love of his life Daisy through money and extravagance. However, despite his pure intentions, Gatsby did not earn his money through honest means and instead through organized crime. Almost everything Gatsby has done in his life has been a means to an end, to win over Daisy through wealth. And although the idea is true to the American Dream, the way he achieves all this is not what the dream embodies. While Gatsby believes whole heartedly in the American Dream, Tom Buchanan on the other hand is completely against the very idea of

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