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The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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Baz Luhrmann’s film, The Great Gatsby, reveals a world where people have no hope of improving their situation in life, for though the American Dream promises great opportunities, there are few chances for the characters to realise their ambition. However, the decadence of the 1920s makes for a world where the hope for a better life sustains people as they endure lives of greed, frustration and shattered dreams.

The era of the roaring twenties created an illusion for many people that they could create a better life for themselves. Luhrmann affirms this through flashbacks of Gatsby’s life who before he met Daisy, was working-class and “dirt poor” but never accepted his life, as he believed he was “destined for future glory”. Luhrmann explores …show more content…

Luhrmann confirms this through Myrtle who lives a double life, one which in reality is with George in the “grotesque” Valley of Ashes and the life she desires in the “hidden flat Tom kept for [her]”. The audience sees how Myrtle longs to be like Daisy, a part of the upper class, with her scarlet clothing and vibrant makeup, which make her appear as though she is dressing up, just like a little girl. The pearl necklace Tom gives Myrtle symbolises the fragility of her connection to Tom and the allure of his wealthy lifestyle. Through the mid-shot of the bright headlights on Gatsby’s car, Luhrmann shows the peril of Myrtle’s last moments before her death, which only occurred because she was running to her new life with Tom. Also attempting to pursue the American Dream is Nick, who as one of the many “young and ambitious” people in New York starts a job as a broker, a profession that ironically involves chasing money instead of his dream to be a writer. Nick makes connections with rich people like Tom and Gatsby, dressing the part in suits, but by the end of the film, all of this crashes down around Nick and he sees the “carelessness” of this decadence in his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom, who choose their own selfishness over honesty. Luhrmann shows the viewer that though it is possible to reach the American Dream

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Nick meets the great Gatsby and later learns that Gatsby once loved Daisy years prior but did not have enough money for them to get married. Now, five years later Gatsby has become rich, bought a mansion and thrown legendary parties in hopes that he could win back Daisy. Nick invites Daisy over for tea and after Daisy meets Gatsby the love from five years ago is revived and they begin to see each other. All seems good until one day when Tom figures out that Gatsby in madly in love with Daisy. Even though Tom is having his own affair he is infuriated by this and he reveals that Gatsby made his money in organized crime.

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She is the wife to Wilson, a poor auto mechanic, they live between the city and West Egg in a area described as “a valley of ashes”. Myrtle is having an affair with Tom, who is the opposite of her husband. Tom is wealthy, well dressed, educated, and can give things to Myrtle that Wilson cannot. Tom buys Myrtle countless things to feed into her dream of having a rich life, such as an apartment in the city, a dog and magazines. All these things are not as glamorous as they seem.

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Even when Nick first stops over their house after coming to the East, Tom exhibits his dissatisfaction with the emotions he showed during the visit. Just like the West Eggers, “East Eggers have not obtained the American Dream either. Tom is rich and has a beautiful wife and on the outside, it looks like he has the perfect life. The only problem is that he cheats on his wife with Myrtle” (Taylor 23). This exemplifies even though he might seem perfect in actuality it is not, and it shows that the American Dream is unattainable.

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F.Scott Fitzgerald is an American novelist and a short story writer. He is the author of the famous novel “ The Great Gatsby”, which is written in the 1920’s. The period of the 1920’s is well known as the roaring twenties due to lack of morales and the lowering of standards and expectations, people intended just to have a good time not caring about the outcomes of their and how they will effect their lives. Fitzgerald wants to prove in his novel the death of “The American Dream” it’s just a myth. The author of this novel shows the death of the american dream through the events surrounding Gatsby, and Daisy.

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Claire Stocks illustrates: “ it is only Nick (whose inherited wealth is on the decline and who identifies with Gatsby's desire to improve his social standing) who wants to believe that such a transformation as Gatsby's is possible.” (All Men Are [Not] Created Equal). Nick’s blindness that there’s only one way to live life augmented his desire to mirror Gatsby, which drove his loss of purpose at the end of the novel. Nick began to grapple with existentialism when he realized his honesty was a front, as he wasn’t true to himself. Nick states: “After Gatsby’s death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes’ power of correction…

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In the first passage, Fitzgerald explores the unattainability of the American dream through the portrayal of the elites, including Gatsby, and their wealthy lifestyle. Gatsby’s privilege is depicted when he wased a ‘white card from his wallet’ in front of a policeman to escape the consequences of his reckless driving. This exemplifies how the elites’ wealth and power allow them to be reckless without worrying about the consequences. This is highlighetd through Daisy and Tom’s careless and destructive nature, who retreat back into their wealth ‘let other people clean up’ their mess. As they leave New York, they leave behind the dead bodies of Tom’s mistress, the husband of mistress and Daisy’s ex-lover.

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Just as the American Dream- the pursuit of happiness- has degenerated into a quest for more wealth, Gatsby’s powerful dream of happiness with Daisy has become the motivation for lavish excess and criminal activities. He used his dream to escape from his past, but then was stuck on hold for when he lost Daisy the only part of the dream he really cared for. Gatsby made a dream just for Daisy so she could be apart of his, but saw the meaningless of it when she didn’t choose him in the end. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther….

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