Nate Eggleston Ms. Jesky English 300 March 6 2024 Gatsby’s American Dream The American dream is a personalized concept. Meaning that despite having a few similarities between definitions, every single person has a different and personalized idea of what it means. The Great Gatsby tackles these themes of the American Dream, how it is different for different people, how people strive for it, how people lose it, and at the center of this story and these concepts, is Jay Gatsby himself. James Gatsby is someone who gains an idea of his dream throughout the story, takes the path required to achieve his dreams, yet loses it due to his hyperfixation on a certain aspect. His life experiences, choices, and obsessions all played a large role in the trajectory …show more content…
Within the story, Gatsby’s parents are described as “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people—his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all” (Fitzgerald 62). This shows that Gatsby's desire for success stems from a longing to escape his humble beginnings and to distance himself from his family's lack of achievement. Additionally, one of Gatsby's first recorded experiences was when he first met Meyer Wolfsheim, upon said meeting Wolfsheim describes Gatsby as, “A young major just out of the army and covered over with medals he got in the war.” and that because of this, Gatsby's financial situation was, "So hard he had to keep on wearing his uniform because he couldn’t buy some regular clothes” (Fitzgerald 104). Because of this difficult situation, paired with Gatsby’s challenging upbringing, Gatsby was determined to attain a level of success that would allow him the privilege of never having to face such hardships again. These early experiences shape his relentless pursuit of wealth and status as he strives to redefine himself and ascend the economic