In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the reader is exposed to the extravagant and superficial lifestyles of the elite during the roaring twenties. The protagonist in the story, Jay Gatsby, constantly throws lavish parties to impress those around him but desire for his love Daisy leads him to a downward spiral that either money or fame can't fix. Gatsby gives off the illusion of living the American dream, but underneath it all, Gatsby desires for more ends tragically. The Great Gatsby is an example that shows how the American dream ultimately acts as a destructive force because it drives Americans to compete for status, it makes Americans greedy for more money, and it is a false reality because once they obtain the American dream they …show more content…
Daisy values the fancy shirts owned by Gatsby more than valuing meaningful connections with him. While Gatsby is trying to win Daisy back he states; “She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me.” (Fitzgerald 81). When Gatsby says this, it shows he thinks Daisy wants money and his love. This means that Daisy is greedy because money is clearly a big part of her relationship with any person she is interested in. Greed takes away from genuine connections and values given to the American dream. The American dream seems like an amazing goal everyone is chasing because it's about working hard and earning money. But for Gatsby, the American dream did not go as planned and he was never truly satisfied. Nick states, “And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.”(Fitzgerald