American Dream Rewritten In The Great Gatsby

American Dreams Rewritten Almost everyone has their own American Dream. Some achieve their dream while some do not. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald several people had an American Dream. Nick Carraway wanted to live a successful life in West Egg. While Jay Gatsby wanted to be with Daisy Buchanan. Did Nick fulfill his dream? The reader would never know. Gatsby on the other hand died while trying to get his dream. What would happen if his dream was different? What if his dream was to be promoted in the army from a Major to become the Lieutenant General or even the General of the Army? If Gatsby had that American Dream, he would have never gone back to meet Daisy, thus keeping him alive and living a successful life. Jay Gatsby
served in World War I in the year 1917. The book took place 5 years later when Gatsby was age 31 years of age. At age 26, Gatsby worked his way up to become a Major. With being at such a young age, this left him with so much more room to grow and climb the ranks in the army. And according to Today’s Military, “Military personnel may retire after 20 years of service and must retire after 30 years of service,” Due to Gatsby being described as having “an extraordinary gift for hope,” (Fitzgerald, p4) he would want to work in the military 20, 25, maybe to the upwards of 30 years. If he had put as much effort that he put into trying to be with Daisy, into the army, then he would have thrived and been better off. Despite only serving for such a short amount of time, he was given a medal of honor for his success and fight in the war. “‘Major Jay Gatsby’, I read, ‘For Valour Extraordinary.’” (Fitzgerald, p72) Therefore, he would have been an extraordinary person in the army. If Gatsby had never came back, then many events would not have occurred in the story.
Nick would not have met Meyer Wolfshiem. There would not be parties every weekend in West Egg. Daisy would not have had conflict regarding who she loves. Myrtle and George Wilson would not both be dead. And lastly, Gatsby would not have been killed. If Jay Gatsby was not in the story, then nothing would be the same in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby was the one who introduced Nick to Meyer. “‘‘Mr. Carraway this is my friend Mr. Wolfshiem.’” (Fitzgerald p75) Nick would have never know Meyer on a personal level. “‘Daisy, that’s all over now,’ he said earnestly. ‘It doesn’t matter any more. Just tell him the truth—that you never loved him—and it’s all wiped out forever.’ She looked at him blindly. ‘Why,—how could I love him—possibly?’ ‘You never loved him.’ She hesitated. Her eyes fell on Jordan and me with a sort of appeal, as though she realized at last what she was doing—and as though she had never, all along, intended doing anything at all. But it was done now. It was too late. ‘I never loved him,’ she said, with perceptible reluctance.” (Fitzgerald p141) If Gatsby’s American Dream was not to pursue and be with Daisy but rather be in the army, then this event would not have happened. Leading to the next thing that occurred in the sequence of events. “He looked up as Tom’s broad hand fell sharply on his shoulder. ‘What you want, fella?’‘What happened—that’s what I want to know!’ ‘Auto hit
her. Ins’antly killed.’ ‘Instantly killed,’ repeated Tom, staring. ‘She ran out ina road…” (Fitzgerald, p149) Due to the amount of stress and confusion over the last event, that Daisy then accidentally hit and killed Myrtle Wilson. This then lead George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, to shoot Gatsby then kill himself. “It was a er we started with Gatsby toward the house that the gardener saw Wilson’s body a little way o in the grass, and the holocaust was complete.” (Fitzgerald, p174) George was lead to believe that Gatsby that he not only killed Myrtle but was also the man that she was having an affair with. This then lead him to shoot and kill him. A lot would have changed if Jay Gatsby stayed with the army. He most likely would have stayed there until he was around the age of 50. Daisy and Tom would not have fled East Egg. Nick would have met someone else in that house. Everything about The Great Gatsby was about the mystery that is Jay Gatsby, and for him to not come into Nick’s life would have changed everyone’s persona. Would Nick have gone back home to the west? Or would he have pursued his person American Dream of being successful in New York? Would he have become like Gatsby? Maybe he could have been considered as “The Noble Nick,” A reader would never know due to the fact that Gatsby chose to come back and chase Daisy’s love. Nothing in The Great Gatsby would have been the same if Gatsby had a different American Dream. This dream being to prestige in the army. A reader can thoroughly tell that everything happened because of Gatsby’s hope and wanting to be with Daisy. Everything would have been different.