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Gatsby American Dream Flaws

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Many people who chase after the stereotypical American dream are faced with the harsh reality of inequality and disappointment. The “American Dream” refers to how anyone can become successful in society, regardless of their race, class, or gender. However, hard work does not always guarantee success and happiness. This is evident in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where he explores the idea of the American dream and whether or not it is attainable. While the American dream promises happiness and success, it is more likely to destroy us because it dismisses the unfair treatment of marginalized groups, the corrupt influence of wealth and material possessions, and promotes an unrealistic definition of success, which encourages …show more content…

Tom Buchanan specifically embodies the careless and selfish nature that is associated with the rich, since he would manipulate others for his own needs. For example, he manipulated Myrtle, giving her false hope for a better future, but was only using her for his own pleasure, and George, making him think that Gatsby killed Myrtle in order to get rid of him. Moreover, people resort to unethical ways when they are desperate for money. For example, Gatsby became wealthy through illegal ways, which is shown when Tom says "He and this Wolfshiem brought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter” (136). This shows how Gatsby turned to crime in order to achieve the American dream since he associates himself with Wolfshiem, a gambler who sells alcohol, which was illegal at the time due to prohibition. Furthermore, in photo 4, it shows Gatsby’s gold toilet, which could symbolize the moral decay behind Gatsby’s wealth and fancy parties, since he was so desperate to be with Daisy that he became a criminal to obtain the American dream. Thus, the desire for wealth and status causes people to become desperate and act carelessly towards

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