Why Is Gatsby American Ideal

The novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is as proven by countless reviewers a great American novel which voices the dreams and hopes of the entire nation. The novel provides insight into the lives of each character allowing readers to view their aspirations and histories while remaining abstract enough to be generalized for anyone. A quote from Maureen Corrigan sums up the novel excellently, “it nails who we want to be as Americans. Not who we are; who we want to be”(Prompt Sheet). The novel allows any person of any social or economic background to step into the story and come to the same conclusions as anyone else due to the succinct writing of the shorter story and the relatable aspirations of the characters. This novel is by far

Whether it be the old money Buchanans, relatively middle class Nick, or even the new money Gatsby himself the readers are exposed to the different lives each character leads. However it is Gatsby’s story that holds the reader throughout the novel, either the typical love story he leads or his rise to fame. Gatsby remains the American ideal through his ability to come to a new place with nothing and work his way to the top where he became wealthy and influential in his community. Gatsby came from a poor family out West before his came to the East and made his fun to fame. His father accurately depicts how much Gatsby had accomplished, “If he’d lived , he’d of been a great man. A man like James J. Hill. He’d of helped build up the country”(168). Gatsby rose from nothing with a single minded goal of attaining riches and acquiring the girl who held his heart for five years. The novel makes every reader yearn to be more, to become more in order to achieve the dream before it becomes to late as it did for Gatsby. Gatsby achieved his dream before he even knew it himself, “his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind