The Great Gatsby Research Paper

The American Nightmare During the 1920s, America experienced a time of postwar excitement, a poorly enforced prohibition, and a party culture filled with the surge of jazz music and the rising role model of flappers. During this,America had begun to go through major changes with its current social and societal values, and with this revolutionary change in the economy and culture began the idea for what was later to become the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea that has been around since the early twentieth century, beginning when Truslow Adams fully defined it in 1931. This concept has been given new meanings by authors and poets who have tackled the subject even before it was fully defined. One of these authors includes

As her character is developed through her reactions towards Gatsby and all of the actions he has made towards her, it is discovered that Daisy’s American Dream is the pursuit of and desire of money. As Gatsby tries to win over Daisy by buying the extravagant house and throwing the large parties, Daisy gains interest in Gatsby along with all of his nice things, especially when she starts crying over his nice shirts, and Gatsby eventually recognizes her dream as well. This can be seen while Gatsby, Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan are all preparing to head out and go to town, and Tom, Daisy and Jordan are all inside preparing to leave while Nick and Jay are outside talking. During their private conversation, Gatsby mentions to Nick, “‘Her voice is full of money,’ he said suddenly. That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it….” (Pg. 120). The dream that Daisy has pursued for years has been money, and this can be seen in her marriage with Tom and her admiration with the pearls and expensive objects he had bought her. This is also seen as she suddenly regains interest in Gatsby over her husband due to Gatsby’s sudden and extensive wealth. Money has

Scott Fitzgerald’s character development in which he uses in his novel The Great Gatsby, he has been able to successfully accomplish the true idea behind the American Dream and its value as seen in the nineteen-twenties. Through the character use of Jay Gatsby, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan, Fitzgerald has accomplished the statement that there are multiple different types of American Dreams that people have, with the major ones that are presented in the novel being the pursuit of the past, success, and money. However as each different dream is further developed, it is seen that the pursuit for each of these dreams has caused more harm that good. No matter what dream is pursued, whether it’s money, successful talent, or reliving past experiences, they have all caused poor outcomes for those with the dreams and the people around them. It is with the help of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald that are able to show the true meanings behind the American Dream and the poor things in which its pursuit does to other people. With all things considered, the American Dream is a concept that is presented as having no good outcomes, which then doesn’t make it a dream, but a