The Great Gatsby Research Paper

An American writer and historian, James Adams, claimed the American Dream is “ a life that should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.” The American Dream is an ideal and belief that a person can achieve success and power if they work hard enough. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby, the author explores the American dream through the use of relationships and unrealistic expectations. He shows how the American Dream can become an illusion for many and can corrupt and destroy lives. The book takes place in the 1920s where people are motivated by the pursuit of the American Dream. But sadly in that pursuit, many characters in The Great Gatsby betray their

"Why of course you can!" (Fitzgerald 110). This shows his delusion. Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy is based upon false deceptions. He disregards the fact that she is married to another man and has a child. Daisy tells Gatsby, "I did love him (Tom) once—but I loved you too " (Fitzgerald 132). Daisy cannot faithfully commit to a man. She is incapable of returning the love Gatsby was looking for. Gatsby gets so caught up in the American Dream and his obsession of recreating the past with Daisy, it makes him loose sight of what is actually real.

While in pursuit of the American Dream, Daisy’s priorities become material things, status and wealth. When Gatsby shows off his wealth to Daisy by presenting his many-colored shirts, we see Daisy’s shallowness over material things. She becomes emotional over a senseless display of shirts. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such, such beautiful shirts before ” (Fitzgerald 92). She shows little emotion when she sees Gatsby after almost five years, yet becomes emotional over silly shirts. This speaks to her materialism. She also is reluctant to give up her place in society. If Daisy were to be with Gatsby, this would mean giving up her status as the wife of a man with inherited money instead of being the wife of someone who gets his money most likely from bootlegging. If Daisy wasn’t so caught up in the chase of the American dream and the wealth she wants to have, she could