How Is The Great Gatsby Understanding The American Dream

Helen Molina

Mrs. Stele

AP English language and composition

March 6, 2023

When understanding the American Dream what comes to mind is wealth and being successful. However, this also connects to the American Dream in the Great Gatsby; therefore, was also wealthy and successful. Fitzgerald obviously viewed the American Dream and wanted the audience to understand the American Dream as somewhere an individual could be at one point. As a result, Nick’s “American Dream” was one day to become as successful as Gatsby. The American Dream nowadays has been kept the same due to the desires and hopes of achieving something in this life. As well as understanding the noticeable way to a better life and a better decision of life. Fitzgerald’s vision

Based on the Great Gatsby, Nick explains “At Yale, I’d dreamed of being a writer.” Revealing that at Yale Nick wanted that opportunity of becoming a writer. Which also connects to the American Dream in The Great Gatsby of having that dream of an opportunity. According to a mother the American Dream is “To have a better life for your children. I want that for my daughter, a better education and a better job for her. But you have to work hard. My mother does and I do and I want to make sure my daughter does.” This proves that the American dream now connects to having opportunities in life and being able to surpass all difficulties. This hinders that the ideal American Dream relates to The Great Gatsby because of the desire of having an opportunity. Some may argue that having an opportunity is not the American Dream, but having an opportunity is not something that easily comes to everyone. All in all an opportunity creates the American Dream due to the fact that many need that opportunity such as Nick and individuals in

Society believes that the American Dream is “Work hard and live free. Anyone can succeed and be free here if they are willing to work. My grandparents came from Syria escaping prosecution. They came through Ellis Island to Arkansas. And built this store with their own hands.” This shows that the American Dream is being given the liberty to do things in their lives such as a job and being able to build up from where an individual started. This matters because of how the American Dream is viewed, how the liberty of the American Dream connects to the Great Gatsby. Based on The Great Gatsby, Gatsby viewed his life as having the liberty of reaching Daisy’s love in any way possible. Proving that liberty in The Great Gatsby was being able to reach something that seemed impossible because Daisy was married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby wanted that liberty to be able to move away anything that got in the way of his love with Daisy. This leads to the way liberty was in The Great Gatsby and how it connects to how liberty is now in the same of the American Dream. Some may claim that the American dream is not having liberty, but many individuals see the American Dream as being able to have liberty in every aspect of their lives in order to reach goals or dreams in