Theme Of Inequality In The Great Gatsby

False Illusions

"For many the American Dream has become a nightmare." These words of Bernie Sanders are accurate to an extent. The American Dream is the idea that anyone, with enough resolve and determination, can climb the economic ladder, regardless of where they start in life. It is called the American Dream because the United States is depicted as the greatest nation in the world, that offers the most opportunity and freedom to achieve upward mobility in society. However, many people attach themselves too much to the hope of achieving this dream that they fail to realize the inequalities that take place in front of their own faces, which are the factors that are hampering them from this illusion. While many people believe it

For example in the book, *The Great Gatsby, by *Scott Fitzgerald, depicts how these inequalities happen through its main character Gatsby. Throughout the 1920's people focused on getting rich instead of striving for equality as shown in The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald shows that people are yet not treated fairly and that social discrimination still exists. For example, in Chapter 2, Tom goes to see Wilson, a poor mechanic worker. He tells him he is going to sell him his old car, but his purpose is to distract Wilson so he can have an affair with his(wilson's) wife, Myrtle. On page 37 Tom says " Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive."(Source C) Tom is talking about meeting up secretly with Myrtle and this shows that Tom feels superior to Wilson and degrades him because of his economic status. Gatsby on the other hand is an important character that shows the American Dream can only be reached by cheating, which supports their is economic and political inequalities. For example, Gatsby was a really poor child of some unsuccessful parents. He left them to pursue a better life, he was an ambitious man. Throughout most of the book people are curious about where Gatsby got his money. In chapter 7 page 118, Tom says to Gatsby " You're one of that bunch that hangs around Meyer Wolfsheim- that much I happen to know. I've made a little investigation into your affairs... I found out what your 'drug stores' were... He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter...I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasn't far wrong."(Source C). This reveals that Gatsby cheated his way to the top in order to become filthy rich, however even despite that he does not reach his true American Dream which is to live and marry Daisy. He dies an abrupt end