The Great Gatsby Research Paper

148 Words1 Pages
The American Dream is an illusion and is shown in the novel, The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is a man of big dreams and is always trying to make his dreams attainable. However, Gatsby is always just a little short of his dreams. After Gatsby's death, Nick reflects on Gatsby's dreams, "(they) 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 the vast obscurity beyond the city." (Fitzgerald 180) he was just a few steps behind. Since he was always behind his dreams, the American Dream was never reachable for him. Gatsby was either trying to slow down, playing catch up, or wishing for the past. The American Dream is about attaining your dreams and goals in the present, not