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How Does The American Dream Exist In The Great Gatsby

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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 …show more content…

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 …show more content…

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

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487 Words | 2 Pages

Myrtle having an affair on her husband with Tom shows she dreams of having money and being a part of the upper class social group. Myrtle wants the life that Daisy has with Tom, this is clear when they are at the apartment that Tom keeps. Fitzgerald shows Myrtle as being jealous of Daisy because when Tom gives her a puppy as a gift she talks about Daisy, Tom says sternly never mention my wife again.

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875 Words | 4 Pages

They are really low class that is why Myrtle wants Tom’s money, power, and class. George is a repairman that works at his shop below his apartment he lives in with Myrtle in Queens, New York. He is a very honest man and loves Myrtle. He was even planning to move out West with her and sell his repair shop. Myrtle says this about her relationship with George "I married him because I thought he was a gentleman," she said finally.

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637 Words | 3 Pages

She wasn’t happy with him and he was trying to do whatever he could to keep her. He needed her more than she needed him. In chapter 7 it talks about how Myrtle wanted to leave. George was trying to do everything in his power to get the money so they could leave together. George locked his wife upstairs just so she wouldn't leave without him.

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1143 Words | 5 Pages

He bought her a dog, and even expensive accessories for the dog. The author believes George’s escape to a better life, is through his business and work (Wulick). He wants to have people come to his shop so that he makes money, but he never really succeeded. In the article is goes on to note, “Both are disempowered due to the lack of money at their own disposal” (Wulick). This meaning that neither George or Myrtle have any status because they don’t have the most brilliant ideas of achieving the American Dream and escaping their own personal problems with

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951 Words | 4 Pages

Francis Scott Fitzgerald once stated, “The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart and all they can do is stare blankly.” Throughout his famous work, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrayed the American Dream. Contrary to the ideology of the “Roaring Twenties” society, he described the American Dream as a delusion. People of the era focused on materialism in order to boost their wealth and status and forgot the importance of their relationships. Several characters within the novel sought to gain a higher status in society.

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601 Words | 3 Pages

The view of the American Dream is different for everyone. The Epic Journey, by James Truslow Adams, views the American Dream as a dream of attaining one’s fullest stature regardless of one’s social status. Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s American Dream relates to Adam’s dream but limited to materialistic wealth- a dream that seeks for motor cars, higher wages, and to impress the people of high status. Both Adams and Gatsby believe that everyone has an equal chance of achieving their dream. Adams says “The dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”.

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783 Words | 4 Pages

As a result of an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in its overall cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. The character Jay Gatsby is the best character to show the American Dream and its awful outcome. Gatsby’s American Dream is the life he strived to have and obtained for himself. When growing up he wasn’t born rich like most of the upper class.

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1756 Words | 8 Pages

The Corruption of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald illustrates society in the 1920’s and the desire for the people with in it to achieve the American Dream, which embodies the hope that one can achieve power, love and a higher economic/social status through one’s commitment and effort. The novel develops the story of a man named Jay Gatsby and his dream of marrying what he describes as his “golden girl”, also known as, Daisy Buchanan, his former lover. Fitzgerald explores the corruption of the American dream through the Characters; Myrtle, Gatsby and Daisy.

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1706 Words | 7 Pages

The American Dream has always been extremely sought after, which is a topic F. Scott Fitzgerald covers in his novel, The Great Gatsby. The characters wish they had the Dream; wealth, security, fame, and love. The most significant characters who desire the American Dream, Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and George Wilson, all die at the end. Despite background and amount of affluence, all characters live harrowing and unsuccessful lives. Fitzgerald uses symbol and character to build his theme of money does not guarantee people 's perceptions or dreams.

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660 Words | 3 Pages

The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitz Gerald embodies many themes. A major in the story is the pursuit of can be labelled the American Dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolizes the American dream. The Great Gatsby shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, which is a time period when the dreams became corrupted for many reasons.

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1034 Words | 5 Pages

The Facade of the American Dream The American Dream is the opportunity for all Americans to live a life of personal happiness and material comfort, but is it actually achievable? F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is a story of characters working hard to achieve the American Dream, but ultimately they are unable to ever realize their perfect life. The novel makes a strong naturalism argument about the rigid class system in society and the disillusionment of the American Dream.

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1140 Words | 5 Pages

The American dream stands as a symbol for hope, prosperity, and happiness. But F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby, examines the American dream from a different perspective, one that sheds light on those who contort these principles to their own selfish fantasies. Fitzgerald renders Jay Gatsby as a man who takes the Dream too far, and becomes unable to distinguish his false life of riches from reality. This 'unique ' American novel describes how humanity 's insatiable desires for wealth and power subvert the idyllic principles of the American vision. Jay Gatsby is the personification of limitless wealth and prestige, a shining beacon for the aspiring rich.

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1133 Words | 5 Pages

Fitzgerald focused on the shift in the American Dream - from being the idea of self-fulfillment, dignity and comfort that is achieved through hard work, to being equated with the pursuit of wealth and power, and identifying happiness with having money. The novel depicts the rise and fall of the concept and describes the causes of its decay. The downfall of the American Dream is most accurately shown through the main protagonist of the story – Jay Gatsby. To reiterate, the American Dream is the concept that anyone can achieve a better life and become self-fulfilled, if they put enough effort to it and make the most of their abilities.

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637 Words | 3 Pages

The Disillusionment of the American Dream is evident in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The main characters that exhibit this through their lives are; Daisy Buchanan, Myrtle Wilson and Mr. Jay Gatsby. All of these characters hold on to their dream, but all of these characters are somehow let down. The first character, Daisy Buchanan, has the dream of love. She grew up in a very wealthy home.

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1149 Words | 5 Pages

Just like Daisy, Myrtle chooses money over love. She cheats on her husband George with Tom. Myrtle was a woman from the lower class who desired to be a part of the higher class. Tom spoiled Myrtle and gave her the lifestyle she always wanted. She belittles her husband and talk bad about him because he is not at the top of the social ladder where Tom is.

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