The Great Gatsby Research Paper

This is not your grandparents' America, and because of this the American dream is often debated about its existence and if it is still possible today. Although this topic will forever be debated, the 1920’s was a very different time; many people were on a high from the war win and the stock markets were leeming for prosperity. In this essay, we are going to explore the essence of the American dream. In the book, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the true meaning of the American dream through a series of characters like Nick the narrator or the Buchanons. Although everyone goes through their own thing in the story, one character remains more prominent than others and this would be Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a WWI survivor and came back

It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (Fitzgerald 50). This quote by Nick shows how Gatsby was able to create connections with the people around him, and was able to climb the ladder and grow his wealth. This shows the American dream as Gatsby is able to create connections with people and have the ability to use them to his advantage and gain wealth or power from them. Another example of Gatsby’s networking skills and his social mobility would be with Wolfsheim. Gatsby is able to use Wolfsheim in the beginning as he takes advantage of Wolfsheim’s connections and illegal trade to create his first lump sum of money. Gatsby is able to use Wolfsheim’s operations to run his own circuits. In the story it is stated that Gatsby and Wolfsheim would create many illegal businesses that would provide Gatsby with money like this example where the book reads, “"He and Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one of his little