Similarities Between The American Dream And The Great Gatsby
“The road to success is not as easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American Dream.” - Tommy Hilfiger. Or is it? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald illustrates the final years of the life of a hopeless romantic, Jay Gatsby, and his unrequited love for Daisy Buchanan, an already married young woman with a beautiful little girl. Gatsby longs to be with Daisy, only to realize that it is not at all possible. Gatsby’s ideal dream and Daisy’s American-Dream-like qualities are very different, yet so similar at the same time - both possess the inability to be entirely achieved. Daisy’s representation of the failure American Dream is portrayed as an illusion of Gatsby’s, one that he tries to
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get, but the closer he gets to her, the more he understands that his dream was not going to come true. Gatsby asks Nick, the narrator, to invite Daisy over for tea, in reality for Gatsby to meet Daisy for the first time in five years. As they reunite and catch up, Gatsby points out that “if it wasn’t for the mist [they] could see [her] home across the bay” (Fitzgerald 92). The mist symbolizes the severed bond between the two over years, as well as the distinct wall that separates their seemingly different lives. Furthermore, it represents the great divide between the inherited wealth of Tom and Daisy, and the acquired wealth of Gatsby. In addition to the vast difference between them, Gatsby intelligently deciphers this interesting quality of her voice. As Daisy and Jordan leave to change before their short trip to New York City, Gatsby comes to the realization that Daisy’s voice is “full of money” (120). Despite the fact that Gatsby achieved a certain level of financial success, Daisy’s voice sounds like it is full of what he ultimately wants - wealth. However, he will never be as wealthy as Tom, so Daisy, in the end, chooses Tom over Gatsby. Daisy is the symbol of a happy and successful woman, with the money that everyone wants. Therefore, Daisy’s symbolism of the American Dream comes to show Gatsby that he will never be with her again, especially after a five-year long separation. Not only is Gatsby’s desire for Daisy stunted by her unusual quench for wealth, although Gatsby has spent his whole life chasing a better life – money, success, acceptance, and to have Daisy - he has been chasing something elusive.
When Nick returns from his mini reunion with Daisy and Tom, he notices that his secretive neighbor, Gatsby, “stretche[s] out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way,” and as Nick glances at what Gatsby is looking at, “distinguish[es] nothing except a single green light” that is “minute and far [a]way” (20-21). Gatsby reaches out so hard for something he can never get. This mysterious green light, Daisy, is a part of Gatsby’s American Dream, but she has already moved on, while Gatsby is stuck in the past, thinking about what he could have done with her. Speaking of time, when Nick invites Daisy for lunch unknowingly with Gatsby, Gatsby knocks over Nick’s clock because he is extremely nervous about meeting Daisy after such a long time. As Gatsby begins his conversation, a slight pause takes place, interrupted by the “clock [that] took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of [Gatsby’s] head” (86). This clock represents time and the overwhelming role it plays in Gatsby’s life. Moreover, Gatsby dropping the clock symbolizes his realization that time is gone and he does not have the ability to go back and retrieve it, similar to how all three of them, Nick, Gatsby, and Daisy, just assumed that the clock smashed into thousands of pieces. Consequently, Gatsby fails to realize the total absence of his dream and never ends up getting the girl, his ultimate
goal. The idea of the American Dream will never be genuinely achieved; both Gatsby and Daisy demonstrate this through their complicated lives. Gatsby is a sentimental dreamer who never seems to grasp the concept that Daisy is too far up the social hierarchy, too big of a fantasy, a much too exaggerated dream. He never fully understands that, and it plays a large part in how he conducts himself for the rest of his life. Daisy, on the other hand, actually represents an illusion, one that is virtually unreachable. One must accept reality to completely comprehend the inexistence and failure of the American Dream.
get, but the closer he gets to her, the more he understands that his dream was not going to come true. Gatsby asks Nick, the narrator, to invite Daisy over for tea, in reality for Gatsby to meet Daisy for the first time in five years. As they reunite and catch up, Gatsby points out that “if it wasn’t for the mist [they] could see [her] home across the bay” (Fitzgerald 92). The mist symbolizes the severed bond between the two over years, as well as the distinct wall that separates their seemingly different lives. Furthermore, it represents the great divide between the inherited wealth of Tom and Daisy, and the acquired wealth of Gatsby. In addition to the vast difference between them, Gatsby intelligently deciphers this interesting quality of her voice. As Daisy and Jordan leave to change before their short trip to New York City, Gatsby comes to the realization that Daisy’s voice is “full of money” (120). Despite the fact that Gatsby achieved a certain level of financial success, Daisy’s voice sounds like it is full of what he ultimately wants - wealth. However, he will never be as wealthy as Tom, so Daisy, in the end, chooses Tom over Gatsby. Daisy is the symbol of a happy and successful woman, with the money that everyone wants. Therefore, Daisy’s symbolism of the American Dream comes to show Gatsby that he will never be with her again, especially after a five-year long separation. Not only is Gatsby’s desire for Daisy stunted by her unusual quench for wealth, although Gatsby has spent his whole life chasing a better life – money, success, acceptance, and to have Daisy - he has been chasing something elusive.
When Nick returns from his mini reunion with Daisy and Tom, he notices that his secretive neighbor, Gatsby, “stretche[s] out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way,” and as Nick glances at what Gatsby is looking at, “distinguish[es] nothing except a single green light” that is “minute and far [a]way” (20-21). Gatsby reaches out so hard for something he can never get. This mysterious green light, Daisy, is a part of Gatsby’s American Dream, but she has already moved on, while Gatsby is stuck in the past, thinking about what he could have done with her. Speaking of time, when Nick invites Daisy for lunch unknowingly with Gatsby, Gatsby knocks over Nick’s clock because he is extremely nervous about meeting Daisy after such a long time. As Gatsby begins his conversation, a slight pause takes place, interrupted by the “clock [that] took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of [Gatsby’s] head” (86). This clock represents time and the overwhelming role it plays in Gatsby’s life. Moreover, Gatsby dropping the clock symbolizes his realization that time is gone and he does not have the ability to go back and retrieve it, similar to how all three of them, Nick, Gatsby, and Daisy, just assumed that the clock smashed into thousands of pieces. Consequently, Gatsby fails to realize the total absence of his dream and never ends up getting the girl, his ultimate
goal. The idea of the American Dream will never be genuinely achieved; both Gatsby and Daisy demonstrate this through their complicated lives. Gatsby is a sentimental dreamer who never seems to grasp the concept that Daisy is too far up the social hierarchy, too big of a fantasy, a much too exaggerated dream. He never fully understands that, and it plays a large part in how he conducts himself for the rest of his life. Daisy, on the other hand, actually represents an illusion, one that is virtually unreachable. One must accept reality to completely comprehend the inexistence and failure of the American Dream.