Examples Of Failure In The Great Gatsby

Failure to Achieve the American Dream A perfect world does not exist. Fitzgerald knows this, as he shows it in “The Great Gatsby”, which follows the story of different people who live out their lives in certainly different ways. All the characters are aiming to be happier with their lives in one way or another. They are all chasing after their American Dream. But through their actions and past, they ended up worse than they were originally. Money is the center of many of the characters’ lives; however, that money could not buy them happiness and because of their actions and life choices, this led to the failure to achieve their own American Dream.
The idea of the American Dream has always been a questionable topic. In a journal written by
Ardon Schambers, he explains what is to be believed as the general idea of the American Dream in the following quote, “In simple terms it is the idea that everyone can better themselves if they make the effort. It doesn't matter what station in life you are born to — low, middle or even high. Wherever you begin, if you have a goal to do more, or accomplish a major objective, or change the world, you can make it happen.” (Schambers). I considered this a perfect example of what is going to be discussed ahead in the essay. In the early 1900’s, America was big on the idea of achieving the American Dream. Many had moved from Europe after World War II in seek of better life and a healthier environment. There was also the idea of hoping to be successful. But with that idea in mind, poor decisions began to be placed in affect, such as families hoping their children could make it big by dancing or singing (Maire). If they didn’t make it, they would be sent off elsewhere. All this happened around during the time of Fitzgerald’s writing career. Fitzgerald knows very well the feeling of achieving and losing his dreams. He began his career in 1920 by having his first novel published. A successful sale for his first novel, it was a great moment for Fitzgerald. He and his wife were instant celebrities in New York due to Fitzgerald’s first novel. But due to this, they decided to live a luxurious life which was the beginning of tough times. Two failures followed after for Fitzgerald, where his aspirations for drama and wealth were damaged. In 1925, he wrote “The Great Gatsby” and although it is a beloved classic, the book was ironically a failure on its release. The decade that followed was when Fitzgerald was at his lowest. No one wanted to publish his books, he started begging Harold Ober for money, and he also developed a drinking problem. He became a screenwriter in 1937 and slowly gained finances, but due to a drinking incident, was fired. He began to avoid everything related to his personal and professional life and began to write “The Last Tycoon” but then died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940 leaving the book unfinished. Fitzgerald was able to experience an uphill and downhill life. A perfect figure of what it’s like to aim for the American Dream, and the consequences that come ahead. Each character had their own aspirations of living the American Dream.
Even though many of them have achieved wealth, all of them failed to achieve their own happiness. Myrtle is an example that we can use. She believes that if she can marry into wealth and act as if she is in a higher social class, she can achieve her American Dream. She intends to do this by trying to marry Tom to advance her own social class. In chapter 2 of the book, she even goes as far to denying her own social class by saying, “The only CRAZY I was was when I married him. I knew right away that I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out.” (Fitzgerald 39). In the end however, Myrtle is hit by a car, which Fitzgerald shows us that the American Dream cannot be achieved with such means. Daisy is another example. Gatsby and Daisy had an interesting love past together. But even though she loved Gatsby, she still went forward to marry Tom. And even more, during a crucial moment where Tom confronts Gatsby about his background and newfound wealth, she is affected and eventually comes to Tom’s side once more rather than going with Gatsby. For Daisy, she is constrained in a marriage where her own husband betrays her with another woman. But because of the influence of wealth, she is tied down to a fate where she has decided to choose money over love. The most noticeable character who wasn’t able to
achieve what he wanted, was none other than Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby pursued wealth in order to regain Daisy’s attention and affection. He wanted what he and Daisy had before, and even though Nick insisted that he can’t repeat the past, Gatsby says with determination “I’m going to fix everything just way it was before. She’ll see.” (Fitzgerald 118). Gatsby’s hard headed mind and the desire to have it all- getting Daisy, having wealth and class- eventually corrupts who he is as a person. In the end, he paid the price by losing the girl he loved, and eventually died with no goal anymore by being shot. Both in real life and novel form, Fitzgerald is able to tell us the struggle of aiming to reach for the goal. In The Great Gatsby, we saw how some of the characters may pay at any cost to reach their American Dream, but soon forget the consequences that follow resulting in their own demise. Money is the center of many of the characters’ lives; however, that money could not buy them happiness and because of their actions and life choices, this led to the failure to achieve their own American Dream.