What Does The American Dream Represent In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby: a Symbolic Depiction of the American Dream During the tumultuous era of the Roaring Twenties, the American Dream embodied not just a pursuit but a spectacle of ambition, excess, and shattered illusions. In the tragedy, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American Dream of the Roaring Twenties is vividly encapsulated. The American Dream is the belief that individuals can acquire their own terms of success in American society. Its symbol of hope for success and a better life emerged as prominent in the Roaring Twenties, because the era after WWI experienced rapid growth in technology and industry, leading focuses on individual achievement and consumerism. While certain individuals of the era felt a new sense of freedom and possibility and thus, supported the American Dream, others believed that they would be …show more content…

He writes how Gatsby chases the praise of others, doesn’t acquire his beloved for himself, and ultimately dies at the end of the story. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to thoroughly embody and critique the American Dream by writing how Gatsby chases the praise of others. Jay Gatsby's relentless pursuit of the American Dream is portrayed vividly in his desire for praise and admiration from Daisy Buchanan, his beloved. Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and parties serve as outward representations of his pursuit for validation and acceptance into elite society. Fitzgerald’s conveyal of Jay Gatsby in this manner shows readers how shallow and materialistic in nature he (Fitzgerald) believes the American Dream truly is. In Chapter 4, Jordan tells Nick that Gatsby “half expected her [Daisy] to wander into one of his parties, some night” (Fitzgerald 79). This excerpt from the text shows how Gatsby hoped to acquire the praise and acceptance from Daisy through his wealth and seemingly financially stable lifestyle, showcased at his