Examples Of Failure In The Great Gatsby

The American Dream: An Inherent Failure The 1920’s was a time of prosperity in the United States. The economy was booming, and everyone believed that they could become wealthy. Everyone also believed that they could be anything they wanted. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald many characters strive for wealth and status but fail, and those with wealth lead unfulfilling lives. This is because social class barriers are insurmountable. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to escape poverty when no opportunities to escape are presented. Finally, those who belong to the upper-class exhibit carelessness and subsequently lead empty lives. Although the American Dream has great ideals and is amazing in theory, it ultimately fails when put to the test as exhibited

To begin, social class barriers are insurmountable. This is shown several times throughout the novel, when it is made obvious that Gatsby does not posses the innate social graces seen in those from East Egg. To illustrate, when Tom, Jordan, and Nick all end up in Gatsby’s car on their way to New York, they have a conversation about Gatsby. During the conversation Tom reveals that “‘[He’d] been making a small investigation of [Gatsby’s] past.’ ‘And you found he was an Oxford man,’ said Jordan helpfully. ‘An Oxford man!’ [Tom] was incredulous. ‘Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit’” (Fitzgerald 122). Gatsby not being an Oxford man shows how he has no higher education and therefore lacks the sophistication and the prestige that comes with attending such a school. This lack of sophistication and education makes it impossible for Gatsby to be a member of the upper class as he does not fit in. Gatsby lacks the refinement of those who are in the upper class. Where their displays of wealth are more reserved, Gatsby displays his to the world with grandiose parties and his pink suit. The pink suit as Tom points out is not the mark of someone who