Essay on The Great Gatsby American Dream or American...

â€Å"The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.† ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby The American Dream, a long standing ideal embodies the hope that one can achieve financial success, political power, and everlasting love through dedication and hard work. During the Roaring 20s, people in America put up facades to mask who they truly were. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream is simply an illusion, that is idealist and unreal. In the novel, Gatsby, a wealthy socialite pursues his dream, Daisy. In the process of pursuing Daisy, Gatsby betrays his morals and destroys himself. Through the eyes of the narrator, Nick,†¦show more content†¦The green light symbolizes Gatsbys hopes and dreams, an illusion that slowly possesses him; specifically his American Dream, Daisy. Gatsby sees Daisy just as immigrants from foreign countries once saw America; as a symbol of hope, the ideal life, and a future full of opportunity. Gatsby lives solely for this green light, which that gives him a sense of identity and purpose. Gatsbys dream is initially pure but in the process of pursuing it, the vision becomes tainted. His American Dream slowly takes possession of Gatsby, warping his illusion and dreams into reality. For five years, after meeting Daisy, he yearns and longs for her slowly changing her in his mind into a god. Over time the real memories began to fade and his dreams of what she should be took her place in his mind. When Gatsby finally wins her over, he expects too much of her, leading her to feel distressed and pressured. The rope ultimately snaps when Gatsby pressures Daisy to say that she never loved Tom, her husband, and only loved Gatsby. She wails and protests, that Gatsby â€Å"wants too much† and that she can never live up to his dreams of her (134). Because Gatsby had dreamed of her for so many years, he set an illusion of what Daisy should be like in his eyes. The dreams are too difficult for Daisy to meet and she soon collapses under theShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1690 Wor ds   |  7 Pagesconception of the American dream is that there is equal opportunity in being able to achieve upward mobility. However, in the 1920’s that dream had deviated from its initial idea, and transformed to the achievement and flaunting of affluence and engrossing oneself in debauchery. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is not only a story about the death of the original American dream, but also sheds light on the American nightmare: the idea that one caves into the corruption of the dream and failsRead MoreHistory of America Mirrored in American Literature751 Words   |  3 PagesThe history of America is mirrored in American Literature. The American dream, the idea of equality and being able to achieve anything you wanted, meant that millions of immigrants moved to America. America claims to be a country which enables everyone to have equality and freedom however in the texts we can see it is rather a Capitalist and individualist country. The par adox of America can be seen through the fact that the Statue called freedom was built by slaves. The inequality can also be seenRead MoreA False Image Of Freedom : The American Dream1515 Words   |  7 PagesA False Image of Freedom: The American Dream The American Dream has been a beacon of hope for people in the US for decades now, and has inspired them to seek a lifestyle that excels their current one. However, this idealistic belief possesses a biased and dishonest nature that is undetectable to those blinded by this idea . F. Scott Fitzgerald, through his novel The Great Gatsby, lifts the veil on this American Nightmare, and shows readers it’s true nature. Rooted directly to the Declaration ofRead MoreThe Great Gatsby : An American Nightmare1226 Words   |  5 PagesAlex Joo Mr. Shaffer ENG4U1 January 8th, 2015 The Great Gatsby: an American Nightmare At the end of the day everyone ends up in the same place—six feet under. By then, many end up having lived fulfilling lives and die with no regrets. Far too many do not. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents the issue in pursuing the impossible: the American Dream. A dream in which all are â€Å"able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable† (Adams 215). Unfortunately, the latterRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1068 Words   |  5 PagesThe American dream is the idea that all people have the chance to prosper and succeeded in life. This idea inspires people to fight for something or someone. The American dream can be determined by love, wealth, power, success, etc. During the 1920’s, the idea of the American dream became corrupted and replaced with the idea of wealth and power describing America’s failures rather than America’s success. The main theme The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald is the Amer ican dream. In this novel, Frances ScottRead MoreGatsby’s Unrealistic American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 PagesThe term â€Å"American Dream† is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, â€Å"Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.† Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity. However, this idea began to lose its value when people startedRead MoreConsequences Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby845 Words   |  4 PagesGatsby and The American Dream: Gatsby’s Downfall In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates, through the downfall of Jay Gatsby, that the American Dream can be a false promise. When first introduced to Jay Gatsby, he is immediately portrayed as having a very specific goal in life-- to be with Daisy. At the start of the novel, Gatsby â€Å"stretched his arms toward the dark water in a curious way† as he was reaching towards â€Å"a single green light, minute and far away† (Fitzgerald 21)Read MoreThe Great Gatsby and the American Dream1401 Words   |  6 PagesThe Real American Dream Since its institution, the United States has been revered as the ultimate land of ceaseless opportunity. People all around the world immigrated to America to seek quick wealth, which was predominately seen in the new Modern era. Beginning in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the period introduced progressive ideas into society and the arts. Accompanying these ideas was a loss of faith in the American Dream and the promise America once guaranteed, especially after WorldRead MoreThe Great Gatsby - Demise Of The American Dream883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Great Gatsby - Demise of the American Dream The Great Gatsby (1925) is a highly symbolic novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald on 1920 s America, an era of great prosperity and material excess. Its theme mainly deals with the disintegration of the American Dream due to decayed social and moral values. The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the right for prosperity, success, and social upward mobility for all Americans which can be achieved through hard work and dedicationRead MoreCharacteristics Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1615 Words   |  7 PagesChuck Palahniuk once said in his novel Haunted,Thats the American Dream: to make your life into something you can sell. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist is a man named Gatsby who is accustomed to the party lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties. The novel follows a group of people living in a fictional town known as West Egg and East Egg.The two towns represent old money and new money. Jay Gatsby overcomes his po or upbringing and earns an enormous amount of money