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The Significance Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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America the beautiful. With its spacious skies and amber waves of grain swaying in the breeze. Some may believe that's still ideal, but by comparing the American Dream over time seems to be a repeating cycle.The idea of the American Dream can be traced back from when our Founding Fathers declared their independence from England, because of their belief of unalienable rights. They morphed our country into a place where people could break free despite the circumstances of their birth. However, in time Americans have changed the meaning of the American Dream, and not for the better.

In today's contemporary society, the American Dream can be bought buy the swipe of a credit card and paid off later. The ideal being to conform to what our society determines to be success. This being money, materialism, and status replaced what used to family values and hard work. To further this point, take The Great Gatsby, a novel written by Scot Fitzgerald. The main character, Jay Gatsby lives in a big house, owns an expensive car, and wears fashionable imported clothing. He possesses the material he does in hope to one day swoon the love of his life, Daisy back into his arms. …show more content…

This shines through in real life and also in The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby had all he ever wanted, except for Daisy. He tried everything he could no matter what the risk to win her back. This went too far, when Daisy being upset in the car with Gatsby swerved and hit Myrtle, her husband's lover, with Gatsby's car. In the end Gatsby never won back his girl, because Myrtle's husband shot Gatsby in the heart and proceeded to take his own life. The American Dream, and use of money and materialistic items killed Gatsby when he took it too

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