The Role Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
American Dream
Great Gatsby written by Scott Fitzgerald is a great novel that talks about the American dream. The American dream in reality is making something happen out of nothing. America started brand new at the bottom of the list of great nations and after years of hard work this nation became a world power through its economy. Once Americans reach economic success they believe that they have achieved the American dream but they are wrong. To others people in the novel like Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan the American dream is different for everyone. They are driven by their dreams, seeking what they believe will make them happy. The real American Dream is find true happiness in your life. Without dreams achieving their …show more content…
dreams Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan lose their sense of purpose in life.
The start of the American dream in Gatsby began when he met a man named Dan Cody.
After his failure with college, Gatsby looked for a new life. He found the hope of his fame and fortune in Cody 's yacht. "To young Gatz, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald, 106). Gatsby’s name quickly changed from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. After he changed his name, his American dream started. The dream first starts off with him trying to become rich and once he accomplishes that it quickly changes into love with daisy. After Cody dies, Gatsby falls in love with Daisy. From then on Gatsby try’s to show how great he and his life is, to Daisy by showing how much money he has. Gatsby believed that all the money he made could replace the time apart he spent away from daisy when he states, " Can 't repeat the past? Why of course you can, I 'm going to fix everything just the way it was before, She 'll see" (Fitzgerald, 117) Gatsby believes that with his house, cars and crazy parties Daisy will love him. At the end Gatsby reached the American dream by coming from a poor family and making it rich but he did not achieve his dream which was happiness with Daisy. All he wants is for Daisy to love him and that does not …show more content…
happen.
Tom Buchanan sacrificed his morals and kindness too his friends in order to make a lot of money.
Tom Buchanan is a man from a family with a lot of money and the book states, "They were careless people, Tom & Daisy, they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness,” (Fitzgerald, 146). Tom’s money causes him to become mean and not have any morals. Instead of helping out his friends, he hurts them. He takes away Myrtle from her husband, and puts an end to their marriage. “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick.” (Fitzgerald 124). Tom thought that money would make him happy and it did not, all it did was make his life miserable. He took someone’s wife and made the husband sick. It is sad to see in the when they talk about Tom and Daisy’s marriage it states, “neither of them can stand the person they’re married to.” (Fitzgerald, 33). When you make money your God, it ruins your marriage and everything else in your life. Tom’s riches distance him from his morals, family and following the true American Dream. Having money does not mean you have reached the American Dream. If he had reached the American dream he would be happy with his life and not be taking other peoples
wife’s.
For Daisy Buchanan, money takes priority over everything, even when her happiness is at stake. Daisy constantly tries to keep herself busy through social activities that deal with money. “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon? and the day after that, and the next thirty years? ” (Fitzgerald, 118) Daisy is too busy to stop and think if she is truly happy. She keeps her self-busy so she doesn’t have to deal with her problems like the kids she has. Gatsby says, “ Her voice is full of money, ” (Fitzgerald, 120). When you make money your God, nothing good comes from that. Daisy’s actions towards Gatsby show the downfall of the American Dream due to the fact that Daisy does not realize that all men are equal. Because of this, Daisy fails to live a life with a man that loves.
None of the characters in Great Gatsby found the real American dream. They all believe that they reached their dreams, but they are wrong, because none of them are happy. Americans make economic success the dream of everyone, but what is the point of having a lot of money if you unhappy.
Work Cited
1. Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1925
Great Gatsby written by Scott Fitzgerald is a great novel that talks about the American dream. The American dream in reality is making something happen out of nothing. America started brand new at the bottom of the list of great nations and after years of hard work this nation became a world power through its economy. Once Americans reach economic success they believe that they have achieved the American dream but they are wrong. To others people in the novel like Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan the American dream is different for everyone. They are driven by their dreams, seeking what they believe will make them happy. The real American Dream is find true happiness in your life. Without dreams achieving their …show more content…
dreams Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan lose their sense of purpose in life.
The start of the American dream in Gatsby began when he met a man named Dan Cody.
After his failure with college, Gatsby looked for a new life. He found the hope of his fame and fortune in Cody 's yacht. "To young Gatz, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald, 106). Gatsby’s name quickly changed from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. After he changed his name, his American dream started. The dream first starts off with him trying to become rich and once he accomplishes that it quickly changes into love with daisy. After Cody dies, Gatsby falls in love with Daisy. From then on Gatsby try’s to show how great he and his life is, to Daisy by showing how much money he has. Gatsby believed that all the money he made could replace the time apart he spent away from daisy when he states, " Can 't repeat the past? Why of course you can, I 'm going to fix everything just the way it was before, She 'll see" (Fitzgerald, 117) Gatsby believes that with his house, cars and crazy parties Daisy will love him. At the end Gatsby reached the American dream by coming from a poor family and making it rich but he did not achieve his dream which was happiness with Daisy. All he wants is for Daisy to love him and that does not …show more content…
happen.
Tom Buchanan sacrificed his morals and kindness too his friends in order to make a lot of money.
Tom Buchanan is a man from a family with a lot of money and the book states, "They were careless people, Tom & Daisy, they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness,” (Fitzgerald, 146). Tom’s money causes him to become mean and not have any morals. Instead of helping out his friends, he hurts them. He takes away Myrtle from her husband, and puts an end to their marriage. “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick.” (Fitzgerald 124). Tom thought that money would make him happy and it did not, all it did was make his life miserable. He took someone’s wife and made the husband sick. It is sad to see in the when they talk about Tom and Daisy’s marriage it states, “neither of them can stand the person they’re married to.” (Fitzgerald, 33). When you make money your God, it ruins your marriage and everything else in your life. Tom’s riches distance him from his morals, family and following the true American Dream. Having money does not mean you have reached the American Dream. If he had reached the American dream he would be happy with his life and not be taking other peoples
wife’s.
For Daisy Buchanan, money takes priority over everything, even when her happiness is at stake. Daisy constantly tries to keep herself busy through social activities that deal with money. “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon? and the day after that, and the next thirty years? ” (Fitzgerald, 118) Daisy is too busy to stop and think if she is truly happy. She keeps her self-busy so she doesn’t have to deal with her problems like the kids she has. Gatsby says, “ Her voice is full of money, ” (Fitzgerald, 120). When you make money your God, nothing good comes from that. Daisy’s actions towards Gatsby show the downfall of the American Dream due to the fact that Daisy does not realize that all men are equal. Because of this, Daisy fails to live a life with a man that loves.
None of the characters in Great Gatsby found the real American dream. They all believe that they reached their dreams, but they are wrong, because none of them are happy. Americans make economic success the dream of everyone, but what is the point of having a lot of money if you unhappy.
Work Cited
1. Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1925