In our favorite childhood stories, there is always a superficial, happy ending. Nine times out of ten, the prince marries the princess, and they run off into the sunset to live happily ever after in a beautiful castle, in a land far, far away. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby provides an alternative ending to this classic tale. Jay Gatsby’s surge in wealth and popularity but subsequent defeat from the aristocratic branch of society represents how the American Dream is an ideal that cannot be reached realistically.
The American Dream can be defined as the national ethos in the United States; that every person is entitled of achieving social and economical success through hard work. In his first inaugural speech, President Ronald Reagan
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As part of his obsessive love, he begins to see Daisy as the epitome of a wife and woman. His fascination with her prospers even as they spend years apart. Despite promising to wait for Gatsby, Daisy chooses to marry Tom Buchanan, an aristocratic man. Rejected again by the superior class, Gatsby begins to work even harder towards his dream towards Daisy. Gatsby devotes years of his life to purchase a glorious mansion, in which the throws luxurious parties in attempt to catch Daisy’s attention, because she depends on parties to develop her social life. Even after Daisy’s and Gatsby’s reconnection, Daisy chooses her husband, Tom, to spend the remainder of her life with. Even though Daisy is not completely satisfied with Tom’s marital priorities, she is satisfied with his money and class. While eating a dinner consisting of cold fried chicken and ginger ale, Nick interprets that “they weren’t happy, and neither of them had touched the chicken or the ale-- and yet they weren't unhappy either” (Fitzgerald 145). Evidently, Tom and Daisy’s marriage was not based off of true love, but rather money. Even so, Daisy chooses Tom over Gatsby. Rejected once more by Daisy (the aristocrats), Gatsby becomes furious that he worked so hard to impress Daisy but could not succeed, and that she chose a marriage based off of money rather than