Isolationism In The Great Gatsby

America is like a carnival whose inhabitants are in a constant search for fun, opportunity, and their very own popcorn – the “American Dream”. The American Dream motivates people to achieve success, wealth, and happiness through hard work, regardless of social status. However, in reality, this motivation only turns into a lifestyle for the top one percent. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this in his novel, The Great Gatsby, where Jay Gatsby is faced with the challenge of winning over his lifelong romantic interest, Daisy Fay. Gatsby is meant to embody the American dream, rising up from a poor background and making a name for himself. He attempts to win Daisy over with this new wealth and status, but his efforts are useless and his pursuit ends

Many will make this argument under the idea that everyone has equal opportunity under the law, and while it might be more challenging for others, it is surely possible for all. Before the 1920s this statement could have been correct. However, after World War 1, people favored isolationism, which in turn made them more narcissistic. With this came the rise of the “self-made man”, and suddenly everyone was searching for wealth within a corrupt and distorted system. Fitzgerald's portrayal of the American Dream reflects this sort of chagrin and showcases how, “The American Dream started to lose its innocence and simplicity and became equated with social status and money because it brought about a sharp socio-economic change which not only bankrupted people financially but also morally” (Mostafa 15). The American Dream with its promise of success and upward mobility, has always been a central idea of American society. Gatsby manages to work his way from a poor family to a rich and luxurious life, however this fails to fulfill him entirely. In order for him to feel complete, Gatsby feels entitled to chase after the woman he could never get: Daisy Fay. Even with his hard work and devotion, he is unable to convince Daisy to be with him. The American Dream drives people into a constant pursuit of money and they “consider [their] happiness to be concealed inside [it] without which life is incomplete. This time period became complete with all those people, who had so many things to show off. It was all about money, jazz and alcohol instead of hard work, determination, honesty” (Mostafa 19). Gatsby is in love with the idea of having Daisy – of having an upper class, sophisticated woman as his partner. Through this, Fitzgerald shows that all the characters in his novel love each other for some reason that centers around personal benefit rather than true connection. Many of the