“Boom”. George Wilson’s revolver releases a bullet that flies straight into the heart of Jay Gatsby, killing him. Seven years later, another “boom” is heard in the real world on October 29th 1929, as the stock market crashes, solidifying the death of a concept that has been a foundation of this country since Colonial times. In its purest form the American Dream is the notion that any man can earn prosperity, economic security, and, respect in their community through hard, honest work. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is often associated as being the American Dream. By building himself up from his humble beginnings and dedicating the better part of his life to acquiring his fortune, at first glance Gatsby is living the American …show more content…
Daisy, like the flower for which she is named, is innocent and “perfect” when she is young, much like the original American Dream. However, once the flower blooms it becomes tainted, withered, and, eventually dies. This process is reflected in Daisy’s character development in The Great Gatsby as well as in real 1920’s America. Literary critic Richard Lehan examines parallels of the zeitgeist of the 1920s in The Great Gatsby in his book Gatsby: The Limits of Wonder: …The Great Gatsby, a novel that evoked both the romance and the sadness of that strange and fascinating era we call the twenties”(Lehan 2). Daisy is introduced as an incorruptible angel, the epitome of beauty and charm, and essentially a “victim” of the lifestyle in which she was born into. One could almost feel sympathetic toward such a character. However, as the novel progresses, Daisy’s obsession with the stability of old money becomes evident as she falls off of the pedestal of perfection on which Gatsby has placed her, contradicting any preconceived notion. Daisy’s moral decline starts prior to the novel, with her decision to marry Tom Buchanan due to his socioeconomic