The American Dream Portrayed in the Great Gatsby In the Great Gatsby, a historical fictional novel created by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character and subject of the book Jay Gatsby has gone from rags to riches. However, his peers, who have equally as much money as Gatsby himself reject him, because his wealth is acquired, not handed down. Through his decision to set the Great Gatsby in the roaring 20’s, where wealth hit an all time high, the author highlights the theme that the American Dream is an achievable accomplishment, despite how high one must rise to get there, despite the underlying mess that is often present. The American Dream is the idea that Americans can achieve anything they want, starting from any distance, as long as they work for it. One symbol, present in chapter 1, is the green light. “Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock” (Fitzgerald 152). The green light symbolizes that Gatsby always wanted more, even when he had everything he wanted. A green light for Gatsby was Daisy, the woman he had wanted to be with for a long time. The quote, “Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was …show more content…
These traits are not often directly described in the American Dream, but more often than not are present. For example, as Daisy is introduced in the middle of the book, Gatsby describes a perfect idea of Daisy and made several expensive arrangements in order for her to be at her best interest in him. Despite the effort Gatsby went through, he still did not get Daisy. Fitzgerald made a clear point here that money does not equal happiness. Many of the characters were shallow and disloyal, as a parallel to the money and so-seemed happiness that was displayed throughout the