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How Does Fitzgerald Present The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

617 Words3 Pages

Because Fitzgerald wanted to depict the concept of a failed American Dream, he uses both positively and negatively connotated word choices and color imagery in order to portray Gatsby’s embodiment of the modernist ideals--the belief that America is comprised of three aspects: independence that is created with self-reliance, an optimistic view of the future, and the bountiful of promises yet to be fulfilled--and his illusion of personal and economic success as he metaphorically reveals his true identity. His final night in New York, Nick begins with “And I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world”. After Gatsby's death, Nick is an eloquent and reflective mood, as if it’s a eulogy for Gatsby. Nick refers to the deep unhappy past as he describes …show more content…

The metaphor portrays Daisy as the ‘people’ and Gatsby as the ‘government' while “under the night” is the disappearance into darkness-- which evidently is Gatsby. Nick finalizes the book with “so we beat on boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. Fitzgerald expresses the paradox of personal growth through the metaphor of the boat (rowing against the current). Nick’s first-person narrative positively bolts down that humans carry and move on. Like the boats on the current, to achieve the American Dream, there will be low tides, high tides, and even storms. Nick employs “against” to emphasizes the rivalry and hardship in achieving personal success, instead of with-which indicates a smooth and proportional journey towards an achievement. The use of alliterative language depicts the attempt to move forward to realize the purpose of life and success. However, Nick projects that the past endured is endless, therefore by being restricted in the past defines the identity of who you are. Just like Gatsby, it is impossible to let go the

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