The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Ashlyn Merrill English 11 6 May, 2024 Anchor Text Literary Analysis Ryan Williams The American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a novel that expressed many different views and goals of society and how everyone struggles to gain the same thing, the American Dream. The Great Gatsby is that novel; describing and explaining all sides, from the lower class to the upper class and how they struggled and persevered for their version of the American Dream. This novel comes to the conclusion that the American Dream is just that, it is a dream, it is not achievable. The novel takes place in 1920’s New York. It tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and how he pursues his childhood love, Daisy. Nick Caraway, the narrator, explains the characters throughout the

Jay Gatsby has a fixation on the green light across the bay, which serves as a powerful symbol for his unrelenting pursuit of an idealized future. The quote, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther” (Fitzgerald), captures Gatsby's relentless optimism and determination to be able to overcome obstacles in his quest for love and success. The green light, which sits at the end of Daisy’s dock, symbolizes Gatsby's dreams and unattainability. The orgastic future represents the eluding happiness that the American Dream promises, but the more you work for it, the further it gets. Overall, the American Dream is different for everyone. For Gatsby, it is to gain wealth and status and to marry Daisy, for Tom, it is to be wealthy and to be with Myrtle. They are all different dreams, and are always changing. The American dream is an elusive fantasy, encouraging people like Gatsby and Tom to pursue their own dreams, despite the challenges and the unattainableness of their