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The Great Gatsby Essay

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The Great Gatsby explores Fitzgerald’s critique of the American Dream through the doomed relationships of its characters. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald shows how the American Dream is purely fiction and that it is not what it seems. Gatsby's obsession with gaining a big fortune and achieving elite social status shows the shallowness of his idea of the American dream. His lavish parties, flashy mansion, and extensive wardrobe reveal his belief that true success is equal to materialistic displays of wealth. However, the novel shows this as a hollow, superficial corruption of the dreams of ideas of self-reliance, hard work, and moral adversity. Gatsby's shady business dealings and bootlegging further undermine his pursuit as being rooted in …show more content…

His misguided obsession shows the dream's distortion into dense materialism and superficial status-seeking. Gatsby's large fortune comes from bootlegging and other illicit underworld things, exposing the immoral way he got it. Rather than getting his riches through honest, hard work, his criminal dealings reveal a willingness to abandon ethical principles to satisfy his greed and status obsession. Ultimately, the tainted way that Gatsby built his empire shows the lack of human decency motivating a materialistic quest. Also, Gatsby's idealized love for Daisy can be seen as an empty pursuit of materialism. He believes that by gaining wealth and luxury, he can win her over. He sees Daisy as a symbol of the American dream, and thinks that through material success he can gain happiness and fulfillment in life. However, in reality, his love for Daisy is based on an illusion, and the pursuit of material possessions ends up leaving him empty and unfulfilled. It shows the hollowness of the American Dream and the dangers of pushing too much importance on material …show more content…

It’s not just about gaining wealth, it’s also about what you do with it, and how you treat others. These actions, especially her carelessness, show how the pursuit of wealth can corrupt a person's values and ethics. Daisy’s choice to stick with Tom’s money over Gatsby really shows the flaws in the American Dream. It’s like she’s choosing the safe, safe thing over true love, showing that the dream is more about money and comfort than real happiness. Gatsby‘s money isn’t enough because it’s new money, and in their time, old money wins. It’s a harsh look at how status and material things are valued over deeper, more meaningful aspects of life. Her decision is a clear indication that the American Dream is broken. It promises happiness, but delivers emptiness. Gatsby's tragic, and the way everyone did you see him, really shows the shallowness of the American Dream. He had a lot of money, through the biggest parties, and yet, in the end, no one was there for him. He shows that the relationships he thought he had were just as superficial as the dreams he was chasing. People were attracted to his money and glamour, but not to him as a

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