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The Great Gatsby Research Paper

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The American Dream in The Great Gatsby: The Illusion of Prosperity The 1920s, or more commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, was a period in American history defined by its burst of economic prosperity and social change with indulgence in new styles of dancing and dressing while rejecting many traditional and societal norms. With the rise of Flappers and Jazz, hedonism became prominent in this era. These qualities that distinguished the 1920s are notable in the memoir of Jay Gatsby, a fabulously and mysterious self-made millionaire who has grandiose dreams for the future. Specifically, he wants to win the love of the girl of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan, his former flame from his past who is now married. Gatsby seeks to win her heart through throwing lavish parties at his …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses his characters to critique the American Dream through their moral choices. Specifically, the character of Jay Gatsby suggests that the American Dream is unattainable through inequality of opportunity and the corrupting influence of wealth. To establish, Gatsby demonstrates the inequality of opportunity of the American Dream from his acclimation of wealth. Gatsby had to work and earn his fortune while people like the East Egg inhabitants inherited their wealth. For instance, Nick now having learned the truth about Gatsby’s early life, recounting how “his parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” and how “[Gatsby] never really accepted them as his parents at all,” thus the figure of Jay Gatsby “sprang from his conception of himself.” (Fitzgerald 98). His poor background shows how much he had to do to earn his status as an affluent. Gatsby’s desertion of his former life had to be done to reach his goal of becoming rich. He reinvented himself out of his “conception of himself” to earn his fortune, unlike most who inherited, showing inequality of opportunity to most people trying to achieve the American

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