In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the characterization of Myrtle and Gatsby to illustrate the fact that the American Dream is unachievable and corruption influenced in the 1920s. Jay Gatsby’s determination to repeat the past and be with an idealized version of Daisy leads to the unfulfillment of his American Dream. Nick portrays Gatsby as a hardworking character who truly believes that America is the land of equal opportunity as Gatsby has “come a long way to this blue lawn”. Gatsby’s “blue lawn” refers to his wealth and his spending in the effort to maintain a good appearance to attract Daisy. Nick reflects how Gatsby’s dream appeared to be so near that “he could hardly fail to grasp it” but in the end Gatsby’s American Dream of reuniting with Daisy and repeat the past was “already …show more content…
The phrases of “hardly fail to grasp it” emphasize the close range between Gatsby and his dream, and how effortless it would be to achieve success because of Gatsby’s determination. The concrete diction in “already behind him” shows the certain knowledge that Gatsby’s dream ended a while ago in the “vast obscurity beyond the city”. The vague diction in the phrase, “vast obscurity” confirms that Gatsby’s American Dream is lost somewhere in his past and could not be achievable as it was already lost. Not only was his American Dream lost in the past, but when Gatsby pursues his dream, the future “recedes before us.” The use of “us” demonstrates how Nick relates Gatsby’s unachievable dream to represent Americans’ dream. The tide, or the future, “recedes” illustrating the fact that as Gatsby pursues his dream, the future will constantly be out of reach and move further away. Nick states the fact that “that’s no matter” as Americans will always “run faster” and “stretch out [their] arms farther” towards the goal with full effort. Eventually, Nick