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Why Is The Great Gatsby Unattainable

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The Great Gatsby is frequently split between East Egg, West Egg, and Valley Of Ashes. East Egg represents the old money, West Egg represents new money, and the Valley Of Ashes shows the social decline and failure of the American Dream. Though some characters of higher class display that the “American Dream” is attainable in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, it ultimately proves itself impossible for the mainstream public and other key characters, due to the lengths of which that the wealthy had to go through, just to end up in considerably worse situations than standard citizens.

In contrast to the American Dream being unattainable, Fitzgerald shows that it is possible for anyone to access and achieve the American Dream, if they …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald proves that the American Dream is unattainable for the mainstream public by frequently reverting back to the Valley Of Ashes and how the people dress, what they work as, and how they act. Wilson was described as “[A]blond, spiritless man, anæmic, and faintly handsome” and these characteristics give a sense of deprivation. “Spiritless” and “anæmic” portray Wilson to seem ghastly and famished, meaning he is sick or possibly has not eaten, due to lack of money (Fitzgerald 25). Wilson also had a cheating wife and only worked as a mechanic. His lifestyle also did not portray any sort of happiness of the American Dream. “The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river,… passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour” (Fitzgerald 24). The Valley Of Ashes is described in a grotesque manner and an eye sore. The “foul River” and “dismal scene” tell that the place is dirty and that is a result of the wealth inequality between Long Island and Valley Of Ashes. It was said that Valley Of Ashes only held three stores and one of them “[W]as for rent and another was an all-night restaurant, approached by a trail of ashes” (Fitzgerald 24,25). There were not many businesses in the small town and the absent upkeep of the town’s trash, dirt, and wealth reflects the lack of businesses. Overall, Valley Of Ashes represents the moral decay of the American Dream and those who could not attain

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