It is often said that this country was built upon basic principles that form the American Dream. These principles revolve around life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Maya Lin once said about the American Dream,“To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom.” Though these ideals existed throughout the country, many people still didn’t have nor did they ever get to experience the true american dream. But, reality, it revolves around your circumstances and your standards of life. Even though the american dream is exemplified by opportunity, not everyone has the equal opportunity to pursue it. This is exemplified in the book The Great Gatsby through the character, Myrtle. Though she is far from the main character, the audience follows Myrtle as she struggles with individualism and attempts her own version of the american dream. Myrtle’s …show more content…
One of the more obvious events in this book is the affair between Myrtle and Tom. It is no secret that Tom and Myrlte have been seeing eachother for a very long time. In a scene near the end of the book, Myrlte is seen looking out her window to a car with both Tom and Jordan. Nick assumed that she was staring at Tom but by further studying her face, he realized that, “with jealous terror,” her eyes were fixed on Jordan, “whom she took to be [Tom’s] wife”(130). Myrtle had been looking at the woman who got everything that she herself had desired. Some may say that this cheating on Mr.Wilson is a rather selfish thing to do. But in my opinion, it is Myrtle exercising the value of individuality. Myrtle is unhappy with where she is and who she is with. So, she attempts to change it by getting what she wants, despite the fact that society obviously would not agree to