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What Does The American Dream Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

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The novel “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald symbolizes the corruption of the American Dream. The dream is represented by the ideas of independent man and women trying to accomplish their goals. The most corrupt characters are Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom. Gatsby’s desires has been isolated. His love and chasing for Daisy took over his whole life. He feels like he has to manage to the American Dream to accomplish his dreams, Daisy. Daisy was already rich and Gatsby wanted to get her back to give her anything she wanted. The green light where Daisy lived was a sign for Gatsby it was his goal or dream. It was a symbol representing Gatsby’s dream of having Daisy. Trying not live the fantasy life where he would never achieve it. It empowers the American Dream because it symbolizes hope, money, and jealously. In the other hand, Gatsby by following the American Dream for him would be like desiring and achieving for Daisy. But, he didn’t get what he wanted. Also, in the novel you can see that it talks about appearance versus reality on how Gatsby wants everything to look good for Daisy. Gatsby was blinded by the American Dream, as a …show more content…

Daisy finds out that Tom is hiding something from her. Tom and Daisy didn’t have a ideal relationship. Tom seems to abuse her nor seems to not care about her. She has everything wealth, love, and happiness tieing to the American Dream. Later on, discovering that she had nothing and she was corrupt for the dream. She has a child but doesn’t seem to care about her. “I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’d be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful fool” (22). The baby has to be a beautiful fool to be happy and successful. Daisy thought she loved Tom but it came to an end, she was only with him for the money. The chase for the American Dream and ideal man to be with destroyed Daisy’s

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The American Dream is a symbol of hope and opportunity inspiring people to pursue their dreams and become successful in America. This is a topic that was talked about in both books, “The Great Gatsby” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” Not everyone is able to achieve this dream. In the book, “The Great Gatsby” Gatsby tries to achieve his dream by becoming wealthy to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. He throws parties and surrounds himself with luxury all to impress Daisy.

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Daisy believes women are worth more, when they play the dutiful wife role. She says this about her daughter, " I hope she'll be a fool - that's the best thing a women can be in this world, a beautiful little fool. " Chapter 1, Page 17.

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The American Dream suggests that every American citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. One of the major ways that Fitzgerald portrays this is by alluding to outside events or works of literature specifically from that time period. Another major relationship that develops in The Great Gatsby is between Tom and Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald alludes to things such as the World’s Fair and “The Love Nest” to display the eventual dismantling of Tom and Daisy’s relationship. Both of these separate plots consolidate under the idea of Gatsby trying to become the epitome of the American Dream, as seen through his strive for a “perfect life.”

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1415 Words | 6 Pages

According to Source A, Gatsby is in pursuit of the American Dream; however, his dream is the personification of the love of his life, Daisy. This reveals that Gatsby had all the wealth he could ask for and therefore he only dreamed of obtaining the unobtainable. Source A states, “Gatsby fails to win over Daisy, he also fails to achieve his version of the American Dream.” In other words, the portrayal of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby proves that despite putting in all the effort, a vast majority of people do not always achieve their American Dream.

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702 Words | 3 Pages

F.Scott Fitzgerald is an American novelist and a short story writer. He is the author of the famous novel “ The Great Gatsby”, which is written in the 1920’s. The period of the 1920’s is well known as the roaring twenties due to lack of morales and the lowering of standards and expectations, people intended just to have a good time not caring about the outcomes of their and how they will effect their lives. Fitzgerald wants to prove in his novel the death of “The American Dream” it’s just a myth. The author of this novel shows the death of the american dream through the events surrounding Gatsby, and Daisy.

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548 Words | 3 Pages

Tom's search for happiness never seems to be in his grasp. Daisy is a smart character whose hunt for happiness is shown by her behavior and lifestyle. She finds contentment n her life when she first meets Gatsby. After Jay leaves for the war Daisy needs someone else to make her happy so she marries Tom. At first Tom is a dream, but he turns out to be too wild for

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601 Words | 3 Pages

Daisy is an ignorant woman, she destroys Gatsby’s dream and felt no guilt in leaving him. She feels safe as long as she had her money. She uses her money to cover up her wrong doings. Her ignorance and carelessness cause her to not understand the hard work behind the American

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783 Words | 4 Pages

"The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream." In this quote, by Azar Nafisi, it explains how dreaming can be tainted by reality, and it that if you don 't compromise you may suffer. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American Dream is one the many themes in this book. The American Dream that most people in this book obtains to have is wealth, statist, a fun social life, and someone to lust. It is the life we all strive to have until we obtain it and see it 's meaningless composure.

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This indicates that Gatsby was a man who believed in the “orgastic future” and a world that was superior to the one he found himself in. Furthermore, Gatsby 's attempt to pursue the American Dream is seen through his struggle to reach for the “green light” which symbolizes Gatsby 's dream of being with Daisy, This is demonstrated when: He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward—and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness (5).

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1062 Words | 5 Pages

In the present time, Daisy is moved on and married, with a child in a beautiful grand home. Her relationship with Tom can be speculated to be based on her wanting to gain his finances or that he can support her like no one else can. Daisy portrays an idealistic vision of herself, and , throughout the story, shows a selfish and narcissistic persona at times. Daisy and Gatsby

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660 Words | 3 Pages

Unfortunately, she can never be genuinely happy. Why? Daisy finds out that the man she married was the wrong one. Tom, her husband, is keeping secrets from her. At dinner time, Tom got a call from some woman and Jordan, Daisy’s good friend, claims that the woman is who Tom is sleeping with.

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1034 Words | 5 Pages

The Facade of the American Dream The American Dream is the opportunity for all Americans to live a life of personal happiness and material comfort, but is it actually achievable? F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is a story of characters working hard to achieve the American Dream, but ultimately they are unable to ever realize their perfect life. The novel makes a strong naturalism argument about the rigid class system in society and the disillusionment of the American Dream.

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1133 Words | 5 Pages

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is a reflection of the American Dream. Written in 1925, the book tells the story of a man named Jay Gatsby, whose main driving force in life is the pursuit of a woman called Daisy Buchanan. The narrator is Gatsby’s observant next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway, who offers a fresh, outsider’s perspective on the events; the action takes place in New York during the so-called Roaring Twenties. By 1922, when The Great Gatsby takes place, the American Dream had little to do with Providence divine and a great deal to do with feelings organized around style and personal changed – and above all, with the unexamined self .

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884 Words | 4 Pages

Gatsby has the American Dream of being successful and wanting to marry the girl of his dreams. However, Fitzgerald argues that The American Dream is a paradox because dreams aren’t supposed to be achieved, and are better off to remain in one’s imagination. For example, Gatsby wants to marry the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. Sadly Gatsby sets such a high standard for her that she will never be able to live up to. Gatsby envisions Daisy as the golden girl, and once he put his plan into action, he realizes

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723 Words | 3 Pages

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how Jay Gatsby tries to fulfill the ideals of the American Dream. When Gatsby was young, he set goals and worked hard to improve. He pursued the typical American dream of gaining wealth, finding a companion, and being admired by others. Gatsby thought it was best to try and change everything about himself. He wears a thick mask of lies throughout the story, hiding his past, changing his name, suppressing his emotions, and even adapting his word choice.

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