Destruction Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Set in the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby is a comprehensive reflection of what had developed into a lifestyle that is universally known as the American Dream. The American Dream is a set of ideals that argues each American is entitled to rights, freedom, and an equal opportunity to become successful and sow the seeds of prosperity through hard work and ambition. Although the American Dream played a large role in the culture of the 1920s, moral values began to decay when individuals became distracted by the idea of opulence instead of striving for something more idealistic. This ultimately results in failure because inequality destroys the illusion of the American Dream. Set in this excessively lavish era of glitz and glamour, The Great Gatsby manages to define and condemn this set of ideals as well as examine how the 1920s culture affected the collapse of the American Dream. Through the assistance of various symbols, motifs, and characters, this classic portrays the demise of the American Dream. For instance, the protagonist in this novel, Jay Gatsby, is a symbol of the idea of self-made success and the ethos of

The protagonist embodies various fundamental aspects of American Dream. Gatsby is the epitome of the primary American ideal of self-made success. Essentially, he worked hard to escape from his penurious past and became remarkably prosperous. “He was content to be alone – he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and as far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light" (Fitzgerald 24). In the distance, Gatsby sees a green light shining from of Daisy Buchanan’s deck. The green light symbolizes the American Dream. Regardless of Gatsby’s excessive wealth and lavish lifestyle, Gatsby never achieves his dream and ends up happiness, which is