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The Great Gatsby Ambition

915 Words4 Pages

In the novel, The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, the theme of the American dream is very significant. Throughout the novel, it is demonstrated that this dream is driven by corruption, ambition, and hope for happiness. Sometimes a craving for something can cause others to try to be someone who they are not. The American Dream is defined as an equal opportunity for Americans to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. The characters Daisy, Gatsby, and Tom in the novel wanted money, wealth and happiness and would do anything in their power to achieve it. Throughout the book, Daisy demonstrates the theme of the American dream in many different ways. From a young age, Daisy was exposed to the American …show more content…

Gatsby was not always wealthy, he went from rags to riches. When Gatsby was a young boy, he lived with his poor family on a farm. Time passed and one day, Gatsby decided to move away from the farm and started working very hard until he eventually started making lots of money. Even though Gatsby was a humble man his love for Daisy took over his entire life. Gatsby had lots of ambition, and felt the need to live up to the American dream in order to accomplish his life dream which was to be with Daisy. "He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths--so he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden."(Fitzgerald, 63) Daisy had always been rich and Gatsby thought that in order to get Daisy back, he needed to have money so that he would be able to give Daisy everything she wanted. Another example of how Gatsby looks up to the American dream is that he supports the dream because he believes that in order for him to fit he needs to become his own point of view of a perfect man. “We both looked down at the grass – there was a sharp line where my ragged lawn ended and the darker, well-kept expanse of his began. I suspected he meant my grass." (Fitzgerald, 80) Gatsby wishes that everything to appear organized and enjoyable for when he meets up with Daisy for the first time after five long years. Gatsby is very excited because he has been waiting for five years and wants everything to be perfect for when they finally see each

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