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The American Dream In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream
The American dream can be interpreted in multiple ways. I believe that the American Dream can be viewed as the belief that anyone, through hard work and dedication, could achieve their goal of wealth and happiness. Everyone chases the American dream as it catches everybody 's eye, but very few can actually achieve it. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, several characters are trying to reach the so called American dream. Some of the characters include Gatsby, George, and Myrtle. On the contrary, there are those who are just given the blessing of having money and being already in the wealthy life such as Tom and Daisy.
Jay Gatsby is on the pedestal of the American dream. He was a living example of the American dream. Gatsby was born into a farmer 's family. They did not have much growing up. His parents had to live by paycheck to paycheck. Gatsby had to earn all of his money by doing whatever it is he had to do. He may not have been very honest while doing it but he got it done. He made connections that ultimately led him to being one of the most wealthy men in the West Egg. Gatsby also achieved the American dream in the sense that he found the love of …show more content…

The American Dream can be interpreted in many ways but, in the end, not everyone can achieve what every person dreams of. In The Great Gatsby, there are protagonists and antagonists of the American dream. Both parties are crucial for the development of the story. This is because they are both, in a way, trying to reach the American dream. One side of the scale is just more fortunate and had a head start to reaching the goal because of their families past. The most accurate representation of the american dream in the novel’ The Great Gatsby, is Jay Gatsby. He contains the attributes of all of the characters combines. He Is in pursuit of love. The money is just pouring in for him, and on top of everything, he considered himself to be happy although he does not have completely everything that he wishes

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After the unsettling times of World War I, people lost most of their faith in the government and society. Shortly afterward, the Modernist era emerged and took over literature as a response to how our country was greatly changed. By cause of this loss of faith, modernist literature displayed many variations of disillusionment. When one is disillusioned, one must recognize that their previous belief is now untrue, contrary to what many people may believe. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, the theme of disillusionment is represented through the use of narrator Nick Carraway who shows the disillusions of “the American Dream”, the upper class and their marriages become apparent to the reader.

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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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