The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, published nearly one hundred years ago, describes the ideal “American Dream” for a wealthy class in New York during the roaring twenties. Romance, betrayal, and greed are consistent themes in The Great Gatsby, but there is a pattern demonstrating how the past never changes over time. The majority of Fitzgeralds' themes are seen in today’s societies through worldwide wars, cyberbullying, and social stratification. This timeless novel also developed characters that readers either fell in love with or despised. Portrayed through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, it is extremely evident which characters can be categorized as admirable or despicable characters. The narrator himself along with Jay Gatsby

Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, tells his story of the summer he spent in New York where he observed loved ones that constantly depended on him, enduring heartache. He grew and consistently looked out for his friends and family, even though nobody returned the favor. Gatsby took Nick under his wing, and described his past to Nick, swearing it was authentic and genuine. Gatsby told Nick that he was the child of “...wealthy people in the Middle West - all dead now. I was brought up in America, but educated in Oxford because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years” (Fitzgerald 65) which was later proven to be entirely false. When realizing Gatsby had lied to him about his past, Nick claimed, “I wanted to get up and slap him in the back. I had one of those renewals of complete faith in him that I’d experienced before”. (Fitzgerald 130). He is further betrayed by Jordan, his previous love interest, because she sides with Tom and Daisy after Daisy admits her love for Gatsby, knowing how wrong it is. Gatsby and Daisy admitted to their authentic love for each other, but once Daisy killed Myrtle, she

Tom is a selfish man who hurts and manipulates the people he cares most about. Married to Daisy, he also becomes intertwined with other women throughout the women. He proclaims his love to Daisy by saying, “...Once in awhile I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time.” (Fitzgerald 132), proving that Tom shares his love for Daisy with multiple other women and manipulates her into thinking that he has changed for the better. Tom was also “...God knows where” (Fitzgerald 17) when his own child was born and Daisy complains to Nick that she is surviving, not thriving when she is spending any time with Tom. Furthermore, not only does Tom treat his wife wrong, but also his mistress, Myrtle Wilson. Both Myrtle and Daisy were aware of the situation they became wrapped up in, so when Myrtle was teasing Tom about his wife, tensions rose and, “...Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.” (Fitzgerald 37). It is evident that Tom, a grown man, is not able to handle complex relationships or feelings. His ability to treat others in a respectful manner is prevented because of his detrimental mental health. He portrays racist qualities such as when he proclaimed, “Civiliation’s going to pieces. I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things…The idea is if we don’t look