ipl-logo

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

728 Words3 Pages

What is your American dream? Ideally the American dream is the belief that life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, The story of a man by the name of Jay Gatsby is narrated by one of his closest friends, Nick as Gatsby sets out to win back his first love, Daisy Buchannan despite already having a new life and family in her husband tom and their daughter. Daisy had her own personal dream, which is to find love in a wealthy man that can take care of her and in the end, Daisy succeeds in achieving her overall dream. Daisy's dream was the cause of the conflict between Gatsby and her husband Tom throughout the novel. She is torn between both the men and what they can provide her. Tom resented Gatsby because he was trying to steal his wife from him. ¨ He wanted nothing less of daisy than she should go to to tom and say ¨I never loved you¨¨(Fitzgerald 116) With Tom in the way of Gatsby getting his love back, there is tension between the two, as Tom's ego and Gatsby's …show more content…

No matter which man she ended up with she could still love the life she wanted, being taken care of and having wealth. Tom was a wealthy East Egg man, all of the people in East egg had a great amount of wealth that is the side where the ¨new money¨ was located. Gatsby, on the other hand, despite being from West Egg the less wealthy side, still had a great deal of money and was able to live a lavish life with a nice house and servants that tend to his everyday household tasks. In fact, Gatsby had enough money to not only provide his lifestyle but also a home for his father back home. ¨He came out to see me two years ago and bought me the house I live in now.¨ (Fitzgerald 181) with two wealthy men, Daisy had a great deal of options to succeed in achieving her

Show More
Related
501 Words | 3 Pages

The underlying question is; Why did Daisy choose Tom over Gatsby? Even though Gatsby had everything; a large mansion and new money, Daisy still chose the egotistical Tom over him as he represents old money and has a high social and economic status. One can infer that Daisy finds Gatsby too demanding as he forcefully insists that she makes an announcement that she never loved Tom. As a result, she decides to stay with Tom to maintain her status quo. I feel that this was a very selfish move, as she did not take Gatsby’s feelings into consideration.

Read More
1070 Words | 5 Pages

Daisy “wanted her life shaped now, immediately-and the decision must be made by some force-of love, of money, or unquestionable practicality-that was close at hand” (151). Tom provides security when it came to money and he fit the status quo. Daisy is more concerned about her social status than love. She would rather be  high end and classy instead of waiting for someone she loves. Eventually Daisy and Gatsby reunite, but this relationship does not last.

Read More
1767 Words | 8 Pages

She briefly forgot about all of her best memories with Gatsby and their tremendous love for each other. When Gatsby returns from the war, all of those feelings and emotions come back to her and she is left to choose between him and Tom. Liamarie Snyder tells us that, “Gatsby buys into the ideas of money buys happiness because he yet again he thinks that he can buy Daisy’s love” (Snyder 6). Many characters in this novel are caught up in a love affair and are choosing two companions, instead of one which only complicates everything

Read More
967 Words | 4 Pages

After Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy never loved him, she tells Gatsby to stop and that she loved him as well as Tom. “She turned to her husband,” (Fitzgerald 133). Daisy returns to what is familiar and what is comfortable when faced with reality and hardship. She stays with Tom for his money and status even though he ignores her and treats her poorly. Daisy’s money and class has the ability to get her out of many situations.

Read More
1257 Words | 6 Pages

Daisy loves both men but she doesn’t know who she is happier and better with. With Tom, she has a family and a beautiful little girl which she doesn’t want to ruin. With Gatsby, she just has nice expensive things and a luxurious lifestyle. Both men are lying to her but she doesn’t know who to pick. Daisy went through a tough situation where she fell for one guy then he left so she distracted her feelings with another guy.

Read More
1329 Words | 6 Pages

Daisy rejected Gatsby’s true love for Tom’s abusive love because she values money over genuineness. All Daisy really cared about was the fact that Tom would be able to provide for her and give her the life she aspired to have. Although she promised Gatsby she would wait for him, Daisy knew all along that it wouldn’t be the case. Daisy is a wealth-obsessed person who makes empty promises that she knows can’t be

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

“Neither of them can stand the person they’re married to. What I say is, why go on living with them if they can’t stand them? If I was them, I’d get a divorce and get married to each other right away” (Fitzgerald 33). Daisy's decision to remain with Tom despite expressing her love for Gatsby reveals her hypocrisy. She wants the excitement and passion of an affair with Gatsby, yet is unwilling to give up the security and social standing that Tom’s wealth gives

Read More
782 Words | 4 Pages

Gatsby gives her a richness both monetary and in experience. Daisy also has a past with Gatsby that permits a love much deeper than with Tom. Daisy says “I did love him once-but I loved you too.” (132). Daisy loves both men in vastly different ways, she loves both of them now and she loved both of them but she doesn’t know who she will

Read More
882 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, in the book, Tom is described as the “old” rich, and she prefers him over Gatsby, as he is considered the “new” rich. Her need for wealth, status, and security greatly impacts Gatsby because he changes his life drastically just for her, which doesn’t end well for him. This quote supports my answer because it shows that Daisy marries for wealth and security rather than for that deeper meaning of love. This overall shows the great difference between Daisy’s and Gatsby’s views on love. Ultimately, Tom Buchanan’s way of displaying his love for others tends to become controlling and possessive of his partner or partners...

Read More
926 Words | 4 Pages

No matter what he believes, he couldn’t get rid of the years Daisy spent with Tom instead of him with money. The author states, “Gatsby's continuous pursuit of his pure dream - repeating his love with Daisy - is in sharp contrast with Tom's infidelity” (Xiangqi). Daisy is not looking specifically to be in love with Gatsby or for a relationship with him. She is searching for what is missing from her marriage with Tom. She believes she can get this from Gatsby.

Read More
1357 Words | 6 Pages

(Fitzgerald 59). Although she began to develop romantic attraction towards Tom during their marriage, Daisy’s outburst at the prospect of marrying Tom demonstrates her lack of love for Tom. However, her materialistic nature overrode her lack of love for Tom— her family demanded her to marry Tom to keep her social influence and wealth. The past event is reminiscent of the events noted in The Great Gatsby— once she discovers the instability of Gatsby's economic and social status, she immediately chooses Tom again. Nick recounts, “It passed, and [Gatsby] began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

While Gatsby was away at war Daisy moved on and married Tom. Gatsby already has so much but still wants more he wants Daisy to come live with him now that he is rich he found her and is trying to win her love back even though she is married to Tom now. But Gatsby believes that Daisy never loved Tom at all and that she only married him for his money and because she was

Read More
943 Words | 4 Pages

It was unfortunate knowing she only has love for expensive things, love for a rich life, love for someone who can do everything for her while being rich. Which was something Gatsby did not have at the time. And so, she did not wait for him, and ran off to Tom, and that rich house. The other thing that needs to be taken into perspective is when Daisy is at Gatsby’s place. Fitzgerald writes, “They’re beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds, “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful shirts.

Read More
796 Words | 4 Pages

Fitzgerald hints at the fact that they might actually be soulmates that can’t be together, because while Daisy seems to have real feelings, and is actually happy for once, she wouldn’t leave Tom because she expects and knows she can get money from him and he can keep her safe in that way. The fact that Daisy allows this factor of money to get in the way of her feelings shows that she is not in love with neither Tom nor Gatsby. If she was truly in love with Gatsby, she would be with him and not let other influences get to her. Gatsby is perhaps the most controversial character when it comes to love. He gets so twisted up on the idea of love that he thinks in order for someone to love him, he needs to be rich.

Read More
953 Words | 4 Pages

Gatsby expended the best and last years of his life working to impress a woman that already had her whole life set and likely forgot about him. Gatsby sacrificed his time, money, and ultimately his life for Daisy, that is love. Gatsby tried to win over Daisy the only way he knew how, with money. It almost worked too, Gatsby wooed Daisy with his extravagant array of expensive possessions yet, when the time came to choose between Gatsby and Tom Daisy simply couldn’t commit to Gatsby. Daisy wished to stay with Tom likely due to the security Tom provided her with financially for she wished to live a life of ease and

Read More

More about The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document