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The Great Gatsby Research Paper

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The American Dream From Thes Eyes of Fitzgerald Is prosperity the key to the American Dream, or is it a deceptive illusion? As the ambition of achieving prosperity in life remains a controversial topic for many. While some believe that financial success is the ultimate goal, others argue that it’s not the only factor that contributes to the American Dream. Fitzgerald’s perspective on the American Dream reveals a corrupt and illusory nature that spreads throughout the lives of his characters. The characters Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, and Nick represent different aspects of pursuing wealth and status. Gatsby expresses the endless quest for love and success, while Nick serves as a voice of reason and decency throughout the Novel. The Great Gatsby portrays the American Dream as a corrupt and illusory …show more content…

As its portrayed by one of the characters, “Gatsby” from one of the lines stating “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes from before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning-- So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”(Fitzgerald, Chapter 9, p.180). The character, Gatsby's belief in the green light, which represents the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us, highlights the unattainable nature of the American Dream. Gatsby's desire for wealth and status leads him to pursue Daisy, who represents the ultimate symbol of wealth and status. However, this pursuit ultimately leads to his downfall, as he is unable to attain the happiness and fulfillment he seeks. Gatsby's belief in the green light and his desire for wealth and status represent the emptiness and moral decay that underlies the pursuit of the American Dream. As Gatsby says, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (p. 180), highlighting the futility of the pursuit of the

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