The Great Gatsby
Imagine a world of money hungry men and women, willing to risk it all for a popular title. Well this world was America in the 1920’s. It may be hard to picture, or else it makes perfect sense. Either way, a picturesque scene of this greedy world is displayed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most well known book. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is corrupt, the people who pursue it are selfish, and the pursuit is ultimately useless.
First, F. Scott Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is corrupt. Jordan displays poor manners when nick visited Daisy’s home for the first time. She also is described by Nick as “incurably dishonest”. Jordan Baker is the prime example of the American Dream. She is popular, beautiful, and has old money. Baker is also rude, dishonest, and unethical. Every character holds a facade that they have obtained their dreams. Behind this mask they are truly unhappy ill-intentioned people. Daisy’s
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Scott Fitzgerald implies that the people who pursue the American Dream are selfish. “It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” This excerpt from The Great Gatsby demonstrates the traits upheld by Daisy and Tom, careless, selfish, and gluttonous. Fitzgerald very clearly states his thoughts of the lost generation. “He spoke as if Daisy’s reaction was the only thing that mattered” (Pg. 143, Fitzgerald). Nick is stating that Gatsby is not taking into account that a woman just died due to Daisy’s negligent actions. He sees that gatsby's first priority was Daisy, not the condition of the woman. Daisy is Gatsby's dream, so he is being very selfish. The Buchanans and Gatsby have similar personality traits, they are all self motivated by personal