The Great Gatsby Obstacles

The American Dream is a cultural challenge that is achieved by hard work and determination. It encompasses the ideals of opportunity and the pursuit of happiness, serving as a driving force for individuals to strive for a better life in the United States.“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel set in the 1920s, narrated by Nick Carraway, who becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and his cousin Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy because of their past relationship that ended due to Jay serving in the war. Gatsby tries to impress Daisy, married to Tom Buchanan, through lavish parties. The novel explores themes of the American Dream, ultimately culminating in Gatsby’s demise. In the novel, “The

At the very beginning of the novel, Nick's father is giving Nick life advice, “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one. . . just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1). This shows that characters in this novel will use their advantages, in this case money, to gain the upper hand. This also supports how the American dream can be harder to achieve if you are not privileged. Nick was asking Tom about his conversation with Wilson and it is revealed that he lied to Jekat 2 about him. In response, Nick explains: “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed things up and. . . then retreated back into their money.

Fitzgerald illustrates this when Tom has just realized that Gatsby was Daisy’s secret lover and Tom is angry. Nick tells Gatsby she loves him and her voice is full of it and Gatsby goes, “Her voice is full of money” (120). This shows that Gatsby is really only in love with her for the money because that is his idea of the American dream. This also supports the idea that the American dream can look different for each person. Tom and Gatsby were arguing over Daisy when Gatsby blurted, “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me” (130). This also shows that Daisy is also only in love with Tom & Gatsby because they have money. This further supports the idea of different American dreams, but in this case it’s Daisy’s goal. Some people may say that this relationship tells us that love has no limits and can be with whomever. However, it shows love is based on different motives to each person's American