Examples Of Faith In The Great Gatsby

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald skillfully highlights Gatsby's ultimate failure in achieving the American Dream, underscored by the illusion he creates and his misplaced faith in this dream. Driven by an insatiable desire for wealth and social status, Gatsby constructs an elaborate facade in a desperate attempt to win back Daisy Buchanan, the woman he loves. However, this grand illusion of success and happiness eventually crumbles, exposing the profound emptiness and moral decay that lie beneath its surface. As the novel's narrator, Nick Carraway, keenly observes, "There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality …show more content…

Lieberman further asserts that Gatsby's dream is a tragic illusion, as he relentlessly endeavors to recreate the past and attain the unattainable (Lieberman, 112). It can be inferred that Fitzgerald's intention was to offer a scathing critique of the shallow values prevalent during the Jazz Age and to expose the hollow pursuit of material wealth. The consequences of Gatsby's unwavering pursuit of the American Dream prove devastating as he meets his tragic demise. His misguided faith in the dream blinds him to the true meaning of happiness and fulfillment, rendering him a mere pawn in his own grand delusion. The Great Gatsby serves as a cautionary tale, an unequivocal reminder of the destructive outcomes that await those who chase illusions and place their faith in an unattainable dream. It serves as a powerful testament that genuine happiness does not reside within the relentless pursuit of material wealth, but rather in the cultivation of authentic human connections and the discovery of one's true self. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely stated, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be," urging us to prioritize authenticity and inner fulfillment over the seductive illusions of external