Examples Of Sacrifice In The Great Gatsby

The majority of people put their lives on the line to achieve the American Dream.

As if without having to have the American Dream come true, their life would seem meaningless.

However, little do they know the sacrifices they would face in their pursuit of this idolized lifestyle. These sacrifices and their impact on the lives of those who chase it has been showcased in this social satirical novel The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald uses the character Jay Gatsby as a representation of people striving to accomplish the American Dream in his novel. Through his character, he reveals that despite the American Dream's promise of success and happiness, the pursuit of wealth and power often leads to corruption, alienation, and

In chapter four when Jordan Baker says, “ Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay”(78). Gatsby is portrayed as someone who is willing to do anything to reach his unattainable goal: to have Daisy. Before Nick had ever met Gatsby, he saw him standing alone on the dock gazing at the green light. Nick describes the scene as, “And distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far way that might have been at the end of the dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished”(21). The green light which symbolizes hope and ambition also serves as a reminder of how far away Daisy is from Gatsby's grasp. Gatsby develops a sense of loneliness in knowing that not even his riches can shorten the gap between them. Through Daisy and the green light, Fitzgerald displays how the American Dream is simultaneously desirable and

While it may seem that he was almost achieving his dream but in reality, it is way out of his reach. To further illustrate, at the end of the novel Nick finishes by saying, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then but that’s no matter -tomorrow we will run faster,stretch out our arms farther.. And then one fine morning—So we beat on, boats against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past”(180). Gatsby believed in doing everything he could for Daisy, including taking the fall for a murder that she committed. In return, he is left as dead because not every aspect of the American Dream can be met in reality. Hence, Gatsby failed to accomplish his goal that once seemed achievable but the actuality of the world leaves him in