Tristan DeLucia Miss Katz Honors English 2 18 January 2023 Shoot For The Stars: The Importance of the American Dream The American Dream is an elusive goal that many strive to achieve, from Gatsby to Havarrd students the chase for success is constant. The term American Dream is thrown around all the time nowadays but it was actually first invented by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his most iconic novel. The Great Gatsby (1921) by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel about a young man who moves to West Egg, NY, named Nick. He has an extravagant neighbor named Gasby who hosts large parties in hopes of attracting a girl Daisy who happens to be Nick's cousin. She begins to see Gatsby although she has a husband and at the climax of the book Gatsby is killed …show more content…
Nick Carraway observes incredulously as Gatsby invites Daisy to tea,"he had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths—so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden” (Fitzgerald page 78). This quote from the Great Gatsby represents Jay Gatsby's devotion to Daisy and the extentents he will go to inorder to achieve his desires. Gatsby spent much of his time and money “dispensing starlight '' all to achieve his goal of seeing Daisy without a second glance. Even after he became ultra successful Gatsby's obsession over Daisy withstood his wealth as he throws portions of it away through parties with guests he has no interest in, all for his long lost love. In parallel this shows he is not a heartless moneyed man but in fact just a young dreamer who even after becoming immensely successful is still focused on his goals. In the article The Great Gatsby. Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream, Anne Marie describes Gatsby as a “poor dreamer [who] becomes financially successful, vitally attached to a romantic dream”. This quote demonstrates the desperation but also beautiful perseverance in the fact that through the numerous distractions of affluence Gatsby is still willing to waste his time and money on courting Daisy Buchanan, a married woman. The use of the word poor also …show more content…
Nick reveals that he has “left my young man's illusions long behind me”...“I decided to go east and learn the bond business. Everybody I knew was in the bond business, so I supposed it could support one more single man" (Fitzgerald 3). Nick's decision to move to New York to pursue success in a growing market is a great example of the American Dream in action. He is chasing entrepreneurship in a new business attempting to become an independent rich man (like Gatsby) which is most likely a kindling to their bond as friends. However “left my young man's illusions long behind me” suggests that he was disillusioned in his blind chase for money and now has a more realistic view of the world, meaning he shot for the stars but did not make it which is also a major fact of the American Dream is not everybody is going to make it which is why many will warn you away from it. Sometimes loved ones and friends don't understand the appeal of chasing the American Dream. Anne Marie describes how Nick is “from the "Middle West. [and] After graduating from Yale, Nick decided to go east and learn the bond business, with the "grave, hesitant" approval of his "aunts and uncles" and the financial support of his father”. This quote from the article highlights how one must do things despite the opinions of others in order to be successful and achieve one's goals.