ipl-logo

What Is The American Dream In Chapter 4 Of The Great Gatsby

475 Words2 Pages

In the story, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character named Jay Gatsby reached the American dream after he returned from the war, and he would start achieving everything else. The American dream is owning a house, a car, having a good paying job, and having a family. Gatsby is an example of reaching the American dream and having everything he wants. Jay Gatsby symbolizes the American dream by achieving all the necessary things, such as owning a house, a car, and having anything he wishes for. Gatsby reached the American dream after he returned from the war. The American dream can be reached by anyone that works hard enough and crosses through tough challenges. In chapter 4, page 65, the text states, “I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West- all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors were educated there for many years.” Gatsby was raised poor and was brought to America for the chance to have the American dream. Gatsby had to work hard to reach what he used to have and keep on working to maintain his wealth and reputation. …show more content…

In chapter 4, page 61, the text states, “Once I wrote down on the empty spaces of a timetable the names of those who came to Gatsby’s house that summer.” Every time Gatsby has a party, he waits for Daisy to come, but she never does. Daisy’s name was not shown in the timetable the whole summer. Gatsby will not be able to start a family with Daisy because she doesn’t care about him anymore ever since she married

Show More
Related

Significance Of The Green Lantern In The Great Gatsby

1422 Words | 6 Pages

The American Dream is something which almost every American is familiar with, but it also is unattainable for the vast majority of Americans, something which F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates with his acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby covers the story of Nick, an all around average man who is thrust into the lives of both the ultra wealthy and the aspiring-to-be wealthy when he moves to New York. He meets his nextdoor neighbor, Gatsby, who owns an extravagant mansion which Nick finds out to be purchased with money of questionable background, and owned by an ever increasingly strange and dubious man. Over the course of the novel, different characters all chase their own goals - some want love, some want power, almost everyone

Read More

Examples Of Greed In The Great Gatsby

1357 Words | 6 Pages

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald embodies the American Dream in a sense where it shows the way that the concept had been twisted by greed, self-satisfaction and near or full obsession. No one in The Great Gatsby ever truly obtains the “American Dream” as it is a fantasy- never having been a dream but more of a name for the failure of so many that try to better their lives but wind up making it worse. Dreams are unattainable and, though for a moment, it might seem one has grasped the dream, no one truly holds onto it. Jay Gatsby takes the American Dream as it is, a warped sense of self-improvement in one's life, and twists it further in a way that better exposes that the “American Dream” is just that – a dream. Greed is a seed of destruction

Read More

Similarities Between Gatsby And Tom Buchanan

714 Words | 3 Pages

he American Dream is the ideal that every United States citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity, however they see fit. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American Dream is portrayed through Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. Even though Gatsby and Mr. Buchanan are exceedingly different for many reasons, they both are trying to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream does not have a single, universal definition, but is instead the interpretation of success and prosperity by the individual hoping to achieve it. Gatsby is trying to achieve the American Dream through becoming rich, throwing parties, and trying to win back his longtime love, Daisy; whereas Mr. Buchanan is trying to achieve the American

Read More

How Is Jay Gatsby Unattainable

1160 Words | 5 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby the Character of Jay Gatsby conveys the theme that the American dream is unattainable. Gatsby is initially a part of the lower class, and because of that he cannot have Daisy Buchanan. When Nick talks about Gatsby's parents he says that they “were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” (Fitzgerald 98).  Gatsby didn’t inherit from his parents

Read More

What Does The Green Light Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

1397 Words | 6 Pages

The American dream is thought to be the idealized goal for all Americans and motivates people to pursue wealth, success, and happiness. However, the American dream is oftentimes just an unrealistic concept that drives people to take immoral and corrupt steps in pursuit of this romanticized life. Jay Gatsby is a prime example of a man willing to risk it all for the American dream. Gatsby comes from a humble farming background and reinvents himself as a wealthy businessman. Gatsby is first inspired by Dan Cody, a mining mogul who achieved major success and wealth.

Read More

How Did Gatsby Achieve The American Dream

841 Words | 4 Pages

The American dream is having a wife and kids with a nice big house and a nice car. Jay Gatsby has achieved the American Dream, but he was missing one crucial aspect which was Daisy. Jay Gatsby has achieved the American Dream by working hard to the point where he started his life all over from scratch. Everyone has stated that the American Dream is achievable if work is done. When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the Great Gatsby, he showed that the American Dream isn’t always achievable when Gatsby did everything necessary and was close to achieve it.

Read More

Why Is Money Important In The Great Gatsby

813 Words | 4 Pages

Gatsby’s rise and fall can contribute to the idea of the American Dream. The idea of the American dream is displayed throughout the novel as the idea that the characters, no matter what social status, can achieve their dreams by working hard and being determined. The novel shows that wealth and status will not insure one’s happiness

Read More

The Ultimate Goal Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

848 Words | 4 Pages

He was a wealthy man, but he let the wealth consume his ideas of life and what daisy wanted; whom he thought for 5 years that was his true love. Though he thought, Daisy would be impressed and fall in love with his mansion etc., which she was impressed, but she was not in love with him anymore. Gatsby focused for five years trying to make his life better by wealth, but it did not give him what he truly wanted which was daisy. Another example of

Read More

What Is The American Dream Real In The Great Gatsby

878 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby shows that the American dream is perceived by the characters as living with lots of money, however in reality there is a deeper dream inside everyone. In the story of Gatsby, Jay learns from a friend that the rich life is the way to live. In the book it says “He was left with his singularly appropriate education; the vague contour of Jay Gatsby had filled out to the substantiality of a man. ”(Fitzgerald 101).

Read More

Why Is The American Dream Important In The Great Gatsby

498 Words | 2 Pages

In reality, Gatsby started out like many others doing any job he could to survive like salmon fisher and clam digger. He came from very humble beginnings as his dad had to keep reminding him, “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Great Gatsby, #2). However, Gatsby grew to become one of the few richer men after his work with millionaire Dan Cody. This life of the rich also isn’t everything the American dream is hyped up to be as even the wealthiest weren’t happy. “You see, I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad thing that happened to me” (Great Gastby, # 51).

Read More

The Great Gatsby American Dream Essay

416 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the idea of the American dream in the 1920’s is portrayed by all of the characters. The American dream is defined as the hope that anyone can earn success if they work hard enough. One character that illustrates the pro of the American dream is Jay Gatsby, and Nick Carraway shows the con. For many people the idea of achieving the American dream gives them the motivation to work hard so that they can succeed at their goals.

Read More

Gatsby American Dream Failure

873 Words | 4 Pages

The American Dream can be defined as the belief that anyone that works hard to achieve success in America can achieve it. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby the American dream is highlighted through the main character Jay Gatsby. Jay comes from a poor upbringing and meets the love of his life Daisy; but she does not marry him because he lacks wealth to provide for her. After the war he managed to acquire millions of dollars through bootlegging and bond schemes. He buys a massive house across the bay from her and throws extravagant parties to try to attract her attention, but he ultimately fails and is unable to rekindle the flame they once had.

Read More

Role Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

537 Words | 3 Pages

Whilst it is true that Gatsby did achieve immense wealth, he most certainly did not do this through honest means, and in the end, his shining light and guide, Daisy, rejected him. So it’s clear that some people can achieve some wealth and some success through hard work, this cannot be considered as universally true. The Great Gatsby has proven to be

Read More

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay

1133 Words | 5 Pages

Fitzgerald focused on the shift in the American Dream - from being the idea of self-fulfillment, dignity and comfort that is achieved through hard work, to being equated with the pursuit of wealth and power, and identifying happiness with having money. The novel depicts the rise and fall of the concept and describes the causes of its decay. The downfall of the American Dream is most accurately shown through the main protagonist of the story – Jay Gatsby. To reiterate, the American Dream is the concept that anyone can achieve a better life and become self-fulfilled, if they put enough effort to it and make the most of their abilities.

Read More

The Theme Of American Dream In The Great Gatsby

1569 Words | 7 Pages

There are many themes exist in the novel of The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. The most significant theme in this novel is the American dream. The meaning of the American Dream is someone who starting low on the social level or economic, which then working hard and try their best towards wealth and fame. In other word, it stand for one’s independence to strive in order to achieve desired wealth and fame with hard work, but it ends up being more about selfish and materialism pursuit of pleasure. American dream is achieve when a person having a car, money, big house, happy family and nice clothes.

Read More

More about What Is The American Dream In Chapter 4 Of The Great Gatsby

Open Document