Why Is The American Dream Possible In The Great Gatsby

The American dream is every US citizen's goal. To choose your own career path and be successful in it. Sometimes people will try to take shortcuts to achieve the American dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby is a captivating story about corruption, power and love during the roaring twenties. Jay Gatsby is a powerful man that shows that the American dream is possible but it is not easy to obtain. He proves that the American is possible through his life, his extravagant parties and the shirts that he showed to Daisy. Mr. Gatsby was one of the most powerful and wealthy men in West Egg. He showed that he achieved the American dream through his lifestyle. He owned a colossal mansion that was always lit up and packed with people. Everyone loved Gatsby and his wealth, but very few actually knew how he got so much money. Most people thought that he was a shady person because of the sudden fortune he built. One example is when Tom Buchanan said, “ Who is this Gatsby anyhow?, demanded Tom suddenly. Some sort of bootlegger?” (Fitzgerald 68) This shows that most residents in Long Island thought that Jay obtained his money in an illegal way. Tom assumed that Mr. Gatsby was a bootlegger before he even met him.

Jay Gatsby also proved that the American dream is possible through the lavish parties that he threw almost every week. Many powerful and famous figures of the roaring twenties attended these banquets. The parties that Jay threw were very popular. He allowed anyone to attend without invitation which made his parties large. Crowds from all over New York traveled to Mr. Gatsby’s house to attend giant gatherings. An example of this is when Nick said, “ I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited – they went there…” ( Fitzgerald 32) Gatsby had a reason for letting anyone into his parties. He wanted his lost love Daisy Buchanan to go to one of his