How Does The American Dream Exist In The Great Gatsby

What is the American dream? Why does it even exist? All because no one in reality is actually happy with the way they are living or are setting themselves up to live. Jay Gatsby is one who one would think is living the American Dream, but in his mind it is not quite living up to the dream. In common with the characters in Gatsby we all have our perception of how we want to end up living as adults, but in the end every version of the American dream all seem to be the same in some way. Everybody’s dream is to have money, love, be happy, have a decent paying job they enjoy, and so much more. At the top of everyone’s ‘dream list’ can be guaranteed as money. Everyone always wants the colossal mansion, the sporty car, anything that could

Another guarantee to someone’s dream is love, yes money is important, but almost everyone sees their lives with a husband/wife and some kids. The characters in The Great Gatsby also agree with this point to the list, married with a daughter, Tom and Daisy have the money situation figured out and even a bit of the love despite their old lovers or affairs. Even with Tom’s affair he still seems to love Daisy and their baby girl, he might not show it while out and about or with Myrtle, but who would not love their own child? George and Myrtle are another couple to seem to have the love, again, despite affairs. In the beginning of the novel, it shows how George does not have any suspicions about Myrtle’s affair because she hides it with ‘love’ and George does not find out about the affair until later. George does quite a bit for Myrtle and wants her to be happy, but has to be happy with him. He does not want her cheating, nor does he enjoy the thought of

Another issue destroying the American Dream is money problems. Let us face it, being a problem in today’s society, money is the leading cause of divorce and they show up in The Great Gatsby. George and Myrtle together live in the upstairs to George’s car garage he built. There he owns his own business and his number one customer being Tom, receives some decent income, but still struggles to make ends meet. One cannot have a car garage and only fix a couple cars a month, it is unrealistic. This causes a strain in the marriage of George and Myrtle because in those days, women wanted money and though George made money in the past, he is not now and pushes Myrtle to have an affair and want to leave