Gatsby American Dream Failure

The American Dream can be defined as the belief that anyone that works hard to achieve success in America can achieve it. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby the American dream is highlighted through the main character Jay Gatsby. Jay comes from a poor upbringing and meets the love of his life Daisy; but she does not marry him because he lacks wealth to provide for her. After the war he managed to acquire millions of dollars through bootlegging and bond schemes. He buys a massive house across the bay from her and throws extravagant parties to try to attract her attention, but he ultimately fails and is unable to rekindle the flame they once had. But the green light at the end of her dock that he sees every night gives him a sense of hope,

Social status was very important to gatsby; apart from the reason he wanted Daisy was for her social value, many men loved her so she was more valuable to him. A part of the American dream to gatsby was higher social status from the poor North Dakota farmer he began with. One of the reasons he left his family was because he did not want to be associated with his poor beginnings. But Tom in his argument with Gatsby highlights how even though he is as rich as him he is not equal to him, “She’s not leaving me! Tom’s words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. Certainly not for a common swindler who’d have to steal the ring he put on her finger”(100). Tom here highlights his point of Gatsby's shadowy origins as a swindler, putting him below him and inferior to his social class. Although America at the time was built upon the rags to riches story it is never fully possible to complete the dream. People like Gatsby who moved in great lengths in social classes would never be fully accepted by the high class. Ultimately proves that the entire American Dream is impossible to achieve. You can have the money like Gatsby but it does not mean higher society will accept you. He comes so close to higher society and the woman of his dreams but just like the green light he is just out of reach. If not for his death he would have pushed on day by day, year by year, to hopefully reach acceptance into those who were born into wealth and acceptance and love from