The American Dream Gatsby

The American Dream is as open ended an idea as any. Some will answer it is the freedom of religion, class or race, others will claim it is about the ability to choose where they want to work, what they want to wear, or what’s for breakfast the next day. The American Dream in itself is just to give hope. Hope for something better. For Jay Gatsby and many others, the American Dream is about gaining wealth and material possessions in an attempt to find happiness. Throughout his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how the American Dream is only the concept of perfection, something that can never be acquired, but always can be reached for. Daisy Buchanon was always mesmerized by wealth. Her dream is to have a luxurious lifestyle filled with splendor. She could not see Gatsby providing this lifestyle for her. Before Gatsby went to war, she promised him that she would wait for him to come back and they would get married. Instead, she met Tom and married him, not for his personality, she married him for his money. Her promise to Gatsby before he left was an empty one – she never intended to follow through with it. Gatsby wasn’t upper class at the time they met; he was relatively poor and could not satisfy her desire for wealth. Even Gatsby realized he was below her and he felt that, “he was in Daisy’s house by a colossal accident . . . he was at present a penniless young man without a past, and at any moment the invisible cloak of his uniform might slip from his shoulders.” (Fitzgerald 149). Gatsby showed no ability to be able to support her, so she lost interest while he was away and eventually forgot about him. She only started showing renewed interest when he began throwing extravagant parties. While over at Gatsby’s, Daisy comments about Gatsby’s collection of expensive shirts, “It makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before” (Fitzgerald 94). Even though she is married to Tom, his wealth is not enough to satisfy