The Significance Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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After reading The Great Gatsby, an important theme that develops throughout the novel is the American Dream in the 1920s. The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of your class, gender, or nationality can achieve success through hard work. The significance of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby is to show that it causes corruption and destruction. It creates corruption and destructs the lives of Daisy, Jay Gatsby and Myrtle. The American Dream corrupts Daisy's life because she realizes that she married Tom for money, but could have married Gatsby for money and love. Daisy says, talking about her daughter, that she “hopes she’ll be a fool-that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world”(17) .This quote means that if Daisy's …show more content…

“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”(page 34). Myrtle wanted the American Dream of having money and in this quote it shows she thought that George would be able to give her that. However, George was actually poor. When Myrtle is was how she met Tom she says that “he had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes” and that she couldn't keep her “eyes off of him”(36). Of course Myrtle goes for a man who is dressed nice because she desires wealth. Lastly, Gatsby says “it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody she knew”(143). This explains that Myrtle thought the yellow car was owned by Tom most likely because Tom, Nick, and Daisy all stopped for gas there earlier in the day. Myrtle died for her strong desire for wealth, she wanted the American Dream. An important theme that develops in the novel The Great Gatsby is the American Dream. The American Dream can never truly be achieved as demonstrated by Fitzgerald. This is symbolized when Gatsby reaches his arms out over the dark water toward the green light because his dreams were always just out of reach . Daisy, Gatsby, and Myrtle strive so hard to achieve their idea of the American Dream, but they end up causing destruction in their lives

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