The Great Gatsby American Dream Analysis
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LITS 2108
11 February 2014
We‟ve all heard of the American Dream and the concept of being „American‟. But what is the American Dream? What defines it? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the
American Dream is an American social ideal that stress (egalitarianism, i.e.) a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs, and especially material prosperity. In Fitzgerald‟s The Great Gatsby, the concepts of the American Dream are assessed.
The novel shows characters of different social statuses and each character‟s quest for a dream,
i.e. their „green light‟.
The „dream‟ i.e. the American Dream is a reoccurring theme in the novel. Each character has a dream and pursues …show more content…
that dream or lives vicariously through another. Some characters live the dream by birth-rite, whereas others are not so fortunate. The American Dream may be defined but that dream holds different meaning for different characters.
The American Dream is defined by equality in all spectrums of life but pays close attention to finance. In the novel, we see a man‟s journey from rags to riches, a Cinderella story we may call it. Examples were cited throughout. We see the being of his journey from James
Gatz to Jay Gatsby with cited examples. He had such great ambition at such a young age. But it
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is eventually learning that equality in society cannot be achieved just by financial gain. Money usually improves social status but although Jay Gatsby was wealthy, he was never accepted by society. New money is not old money.
They can never be equal. The text ends in tragedy as our „Cinderfella‟ never gets his princess and thus the text‟s presentation of the American Dream is corrupted. Jay is supposed to work hard, become successful and get the girl. That‟s the dream. However, he cheated his way to the top by improving his financial status illegally. Throughout the novel, Gatsby is said to be a bootlegger. But would it have made any difference if he became successful the traditional way?
Probably not. His family name holds no meaning in society. He didn‟t attend an Ivy league school, wasn‟t a member of some ancient fraternity, he was no one.
According to the novel, the American Dream is flawed. Gatsby however, was not the only character with a dream.
We get an insight to the dreams of Nick Carraway, Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. Nick lived his dream vicariously through Gatsby. The two were similar in that they were both outcasts but for different reasons. Nick lacked finances, whereas, Gatsby lacked in the department of social status. Nick and Tom came fairly the same social circle.
Financially however, they were not equals.
Although acceptance is not mentioned in the definition of the dream, it is understood. It is said that all human beings crave for a sense of belonging and thus it is contained in the dream.
There is a distinct difference between the typical modest American Dream, versus the extravagant dream in The Great Gatsby.
The dreams that these characters have are not the norm. In this novel, the American
Dream isn‟t displayed as the „white picket fence‟, two-story home with an American flag in the
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front yard. No, this dream does share similarities, like serving your country in the war, but the dream is much bigger.
This story is not the story of the average American. These people are exceptional.
The character that seems to be closest to reality was that of George B. Wilson, who owned a
modest …show more content…
garage.
Also, the dream does not satisfy all characters. Take for instance, Tom Buchanan. He comes from old money, went to an ivy-league school and has a gorgeous wife yet he is still unhappy and seeks out a mistress.
Tom Buchanan has everything.
He basically lives the American Dream, but is still, for lack of a better word, „an asshole‟. Ever as he lives the dream, he tries to undermine the dreams of others. Myrtle Wilson also has her dream. She settled for Mr. Wilson. He wasn‟t wealthy and now her dream is to marry Tom. Assessing he dreams, we see the importance of social status.
These dreams are on the sideline and are not explored in as much depth as those of Mr.
Gatsby. The book is indeed called The Great Gatsby. On Gatsby‟s quest for acceptance, we see him lying about is past and trying so hard to impress others.
As readers, we all rooted for Gatsby and thus his dreams became ours. No matter how unreasonable a task is or how unattainable something or someone may be, one does not simply give up on the dream. He dreamed since he was a child but his dream became a quest for Daisy.
Gatsby reached out for the green light, both literally and metaphorically.
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Eventually Gatsby‟s dream collapses and he is not prepared for it he still lives with an illusion. Well not for very long as we know. In chapter 8, everything falls apart.
Although the novel ending in tragedy, I don‟t believe that we the readers have given up
on the dream. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that‟s no matter – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning - …
And what, what happens one fine morning? The dream doesn‟t end. The dream continues to live even after the dreamer is gone. Just like the American Dream, people continue to seek out these ideals even after everything has seems to collapse. The dream lives on and the green light forever shines in the distance.
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Work Cited
Fitgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925. Print.
“It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America.” (4)
“His family were enormously wealthy.” (6)
“I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game.” (6)
“We were in the same senior society.” (7)
“It‟s a libel. I‟m too poor.” (19)
“He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way.” (20)
“And distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (21)
“Lucille says…I almost made a mistake, too. I almost married a little kike who‟d been after me for years. I knew he was below me. Everyone kept saying to me. „Lucille, that man‟s way below you!‟” (34)
“ Myrtle…I married him because I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he knew something about breeding but he wasn‟t fit to lick my shoe.” (34)
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“„East Egg condescending to West Egg‟.” (42)
“Gatsby, standing alone…no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched
Gatsby‟s shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby‟s head for one link.” (50)
“ Look here, old sport, what‟s your opinion of me, anyhow?” (65)
“He lies about where he‟s from and his education and places he‟s been to.” (65)
“I didn‟t want you to think I was just some nobody.” (67)
“We learn that he bought the house just for Daisy.” (78-79)
“I want you and Daisy to come over to my house. I‟d like to show her around.” (89)
“It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it.” (90)
“I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew her well-loved eyes.” (91)
“„If it wasn‟t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,‟ said Gatsby. „You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.‟ Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock.” (92-93)
“The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God.” (98)
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“So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.” (98)
“My God, I believe the man‟s coming,” said Tom. “Doesn‟t he know she doesn‟t want him?”
(103)
“She says she does want him.” (103)
“She has a big dinner party and he won‟t know a soul there.” He frowned. “I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy. By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me. They meet all kinds of crazy fish.” (103)
“However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past.” (149)
“He let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself – that he was fully able to take care of her.” (149)
“Paid a high price for living too long with a single dream.” (161)
“He still ends up relatively alone.” (175)
“I thought of Gatsby‟s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy‟s dock. He Had come a long way to this blue lawn, his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” (180)
LITS 2108
11 February 2014
We‟ve all heard of the American Dream and the concept of being „American‟. But what is the American Dream? What defines it? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the
American Dream is an American social ideal that stress (egalitarianism, i.e.) a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs, and especially material prosperity. In Fitzgerald‟s The Great Gatsby, the concepts of the American Dream are assessed.
The novel shows characters of different social statuses and each character‟s quest for a dream,
i.e. their „green light‟.
The „dream‟ i.e. the American Dream is a reoccurring theme in the novel. Each character has a dream and pursues …show more content…
that dream or lives vicariously through another. Some characters live the dream by birth-rite, whereas others are not so fortunate. The American Dream may be defined but that dream holds different meaning for different characters.
The American Dream is defined by equality in all spectrums of life but pays close attention to finance. In the novel, we see a man‟s journey from rags to riches, a Cinderella story we may call it. Examples were cited throughout. We see the being of his journey from James
Gatz to Jay Gatsby with cited examples. He had such great ambition at such a young age. But it
Nelson 2
is eventually learning that equality in society cannot be achieved just by financial gain. Money usually improves social status but although Jay Gatsby was wealthy, he was never accepted by society. New money is not old money.
They can never be equal. The text ends in tragedy as our „Cinderfella‟ never gets his princess and thus the text‟s presentation of the American Dream is corrupted. Jay is supposed to work hard, become successful and get the girl. That‟s the dream. However, he cheated his way to the top by improving his financial status illegally. Throughout the novel, Gatsby is said to be a bootlegger. But would it have made any difference if he became successful the traditional way?
Probably not. His family name holds no meaning in society. He didn‟t attend an Ivy league school, wasn‟t a member of some ancient fraternity, he was no one.
According to the novel, the American Dream is flawed. Gatsby however, was not the only character with a dream.
We get an insight to the dreams of Nick Carraway, Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson. Nick lived his dream vicariously through Gatsby. The two were similar in that they were both outcasts but for different reasons. Nick lacked finances, whereas, Gatsby lacked in the department of social status. Nick and Tom came fairly the same social circle.
Financially however, they were not equals.
Although acceptance is not mentioned in the definition of the dream, it is understood. It is said that all human beings crave for a sense of belonging and thus it is contained in the dream.
There is a distinct difference between the typical modest American Dream, versus the extravagant dream in The Great Gatsby.
The dreams that these characters have are not the norm. In this novel, the American
Dream isn‟t displayed as the „white picket fence‟, two-story home with an American flag in the
Nelson 3
front yard. No, this dream does share similarities, like serving your country in the war, but the dream is much bigger.
This story is not the story of the average American. These people are exceptional.
The character that seems to be closest to reality was that of George B. Wilson, who owned a
modest …show more content…
garage.
Also, the dream does not satisfy all characters. Take for instance, Tom Buchanan. He comes from old money, went to an ivy-league school and has a gorgeous wife yet he is still unhappy and seeks out a mistress.
Tom Buchanan has everything.
He basically lives the American Dream, but is still, for lack of a better word, „an asshole‟. Ever as he lives the dream, he tries to undermine the dreams of others. Myrtle Wilson also has her dream. She settled for Mr. Wilson. He wasn‟t wealthy and now her dream is to marry Tom. Assessing he dreams, we see the importance of social status.
These dreams are on the sideline and are not explored in as much depth as those of Mr.
Gatsby. The book is indeed called The Great Gatsby. On Gatsby‟s quest for acceptance, we see him lying about is past and trying so hard to impress others.
As readers, we all rooted for Gatsby and thus his dreams became ours. No matter how unreasonable a task is or how unattainable something or someone may be, one does not simply give up on the dream. He dreamed since he was a child but his dream became a quest for Daisy.
Gatsby reached out for the green light, both literally and metaphorically.
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Eventually Gatsby‟s dream collapses and he is not prepared for it he still lives with an illusion. Well not for very long as we know. In chapter 8, everything falls apart.
Although the novel ending in tragedy, I don‟t believe that we the readers have given up
on the dream. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that‟s no matter – to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning - …
And what, what happens one fine morning? The dream doesn‟t end. The dream continues to live even after the dreamer is gone. Just like the American Dream, people continue to seek out these ideals even after everything has seems to collapse. The dream lives on and the green light forever shines in the distance.
Nelson 5
Work Cited
Fitgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925. Print.
“It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America.” (4)
“His family were enormously wealthy.” (6)
“I felt that Tom would drift on forever seeking, a little wistfully, for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game.” (6)
“We were in the same senior society.” (7)
“It‟s a libel. I‟m too poor.” (19)
“He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way.” (20)
“And distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock.” (21)
“Lucille says…I almost made a mistake, too. I almost married a little kike who‟d been after me for years. I knew he was below me. Everyone kept saying to me. „Lucille, that man‟s way below you!‟” (34)
“ Myrtle…I married him because I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he knew something about breeding but he wasn‟t fit to lick my shoe.” (34)
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“„East Egg condescending to West Egg‟.” (42)
“Gatsby, standing alone…no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched
Gatsby‟s shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby‟s head for one link.” (50)
“ Look here, old sport, what‟s your opinion of me, anyhow?” (65)
“He lies about where he‟s from and his education and places he‟s been to.” (65)
“I didn‟t want you to think I was just some nobody.” (67)
“We learn that he bought the house just for Daisy.” (78-79)
“I want you and Daisy to come over to my house. I‟d like to show her around.” (89)
“It took me just three years to earn the money that bought it.” (90)
“I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew her well-loved eyes.” (91)
“„If it wasn‟t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,‟ said Gatsby. „You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.‟ Daisy put her arm through his abruptly, but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock.” (92-93)
“The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God.” (98)
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“So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end.” (98)
“My God, I believe the man‟s coming,” said Tom. “Doesn‟t he know she doesn‟t want him?”
(103)
“She says she does want him.” (103)
“She has a big dinner party and he won‟t know a soul there.” He frowned. “I wonder where in the devil he met Daisy. By God, I may be old-fashioned in my ideas, but women run around too much these days to suit me. They meet all kinds of crazy fish.” (103)
“However glorious might be his future as Jay Gatsby, he was at present a penniless young man without a past.” (149)
“He let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself – that he was fully able to take care of her.” (149)
“Paid a high price for living too long with a single dream.” (161)
“He still ends up relatively alone.” (175)
“I thought of Gatsby‟s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy‟s dock. He Had come a long way to this blue lawn, his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” (180)