“The term “American Dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the U.S. can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life.” (McMahon). The American Dream, according to Google, is everybody can achieve wealth and through hard work, determination, and good fortune. For most people, the American Dream is for lower class people trying to climb the social ladder to be considered upper class. Many people don’t know that the gain of social status, wealth, and materialistic things can lead to the destruction of the American Dream. Also, the American Dream shows that people would do anything to have this said dream. In The Great Gatsby, there are many examples of the American Dream declining. In the book, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals that the American Dream is …show more content…
Myrtle is not happy with her life and tries to escape it to pursue her dream of being wealthy. When she is able to have an affair with Tom she sees this as a way to gain wealth and social status. But Myrtle will never be the only women in Tom’s life. An example of this is when Tom tells Daisy that he would always come back to her, “‘ And what’s more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.’” (117). Thus saying, that even if Tom and Myrtle are together, he will always go back to Daisy at the end of the day. So Myrtle and Tom wouldn’t be able to have a future together. At the end of the book, Myrtle wouldn’t be able to pursue her American Dream anyway because unfortunately, she dies. Some say that she couldn’t stand that she wasn’t going to live the lifestyle she wanted so she walked in front of the car. Others say that it was a complete accident, but whether it was on purpose or not this proves that Myrtle is an example of the American