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The Great Gatsby American Dream Essay

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In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the idea of the American dream in the 1920’s is portrayed by all of the characters. The American dream is defined as the hope that anyone can earn success if they work hard enough. One character that illustrates the pro of the American dream is Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway shows the con. For many people the idea of achieving the American dream gives them the motivation to work hard so that they can succeed at their goals. Jay Gatbsy is shown as a character who benefited from the American dream. His dream is to lead a future with the woman he loves, Daisy. His desire to impress Daisy gives him the determination to become one of the most prosperous people in Long Island. Jay Gatsby comes from a poor family, meanwhile, Daisy’s husband Tom comes from extremely wealthy roots. Due to this, Gatsby gets the motivation he needed to become extremely successful and wealthy. He becomes the richest man in the West Egg, and continues to rise up in social status. He owns a big mansion, and every weekend Gatsby throws extensive and luxury parties. This conveys that Jay Gatbsby is a character that profited from the American dream, and that he symbolizes the pro of the …show more content…

Nick Carraway is a character that has an American dream but couldn't achieve it. Nick moved from Minnesota to the West Egg to become a rich, upper class, successful man like the rest of the characters. He graduates from Yale and becomes a bond salesman. Nick works really hard to try and reach his dream. He becomes friends with Gatsby, hoping he could help him attain his goal, but in the process, he ends up becoming obsessed with him and almost forgets about his own goals and dreams which causes him to reach his goal. This indicates that Nick Carraway’s goal of becoming a wealthy man was unachievable, he symbolizes the con on the American

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Writing About The Great Gatsby Throughout Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the pursuit of the American Dream is a dominant theme, the characters and their actions especially illustrate the superficiality of the 1920s. The narrator Nick Carraway, initially appears to be a foil to the materialistic society as he is a reliable narrator. His strengths such as his honest and humble nature set him apart from others. However, as the story unfolds, his true colors are revealed.

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Over the course of the novel The Great Gatsby, the main character James Gatz, more commonly known as Jay Gatsby, lives the American Dream. Gatsby's life is filled with large- lavish parties, beautiful cars, and an enormous mansion on the Sound. Gatsby worked for this lifestyle by following his dream to better himself. This dream leads Gatsby to become corrupt. But Gatsby's American Dream has become corrupted because of a lack of reality.

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F. Scott Fitzgeral is able to illustrate Gatsby’s wealth and freedom through his words in a way that encapsulates Nick’s thoughts of what the American dream should be. With this being said, it should be obvious that Nick who has seen nothing but the horrors of war for many years would be mesmerized by the lifestyle Gatsby has built for himself. Keeping this in mind, Nick allowing Gatsby to use him throughout the novel is justified when you remember that Gatsby’s world seems to be Nick’s idea of the American Dream. Therefore, Nick would want to be as close to the ventures of Gatsby as possible so that he can have a taste of the life of a man who seems to have it all. To summarize, Nick carraway seems to have an idealized view of the American Dream which he recognizes in the lifestyle Gatsby portrays, and it becomes obvious that Nick would do anything for Gatsby in the hopes of getting closer to a man who seems to have achieved all he could have ever

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