Everyone in America has their own American Dream. These dreams may vary from having a family or becoming a rich business person. The American dream was strongest in our country during the start of the 1920's. America was just beginning to triumph over poverty. People were becoming more successful as a country. Carrie Latet once said, "May I never wake up from the American dream." Along with Carrie, this was the wish of the vast majority of America. In 1929, the Great Depression hit and many Americans did have to wake up from their dream of success.
The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerlad, took place during the Roaring Twenties. The main character of this novel was a man named Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald used Gatsby's life as a microcosm of America during the 1920's. Like most of America,
Gatsby had a dream. His dream was to become a part of the wealthy class of society. This dream that Gatsby had was realistic. Whenever a person dreams a dream, it can always be done if they go about it the correct way. However, Gatsby did not go about his dream the right way. He did become wealthy, but that made him lonely. Because of his wealth, he was not able to tell who his true friends were. People only pretended to be Gatsby's friend so that they would get invited to his extravagant parties. On the outside, it appears that Gatsby had accomplished his dream. If you look closer, you will realize that he did not truly accomplish his dream. If a person accomplishes their dream, but they are not happy with it, I don't think that counts as fulfilling a dream.
Growing up Gatsby was poor. Since he was a child, he would dream of being a member of the wealthy class. Young Gatsby swore to himself that someday he would be rich. S...
... middle of paper ...
...there was an explosion of this great country’s morale in the Roaring Twenties.
Geraldine Ferraro’s statement, “If you take advantage of everything America has to offer, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish,” is a vague but applicable description of Gatsby’s dream. He wanted to take advantage of everything there was in this great country, because he had been denied it his entire life. Americans wanted just the same. Prior to the end of World War one it was all for one and one for all, but during the 1920’s it seemed to be all for me and none for you. We all have our own dreams, whether they be to be rich, famous, own a business or to have a family, Gatsby had his dreams and we have ours. Sometimes, when we want something so badly we forget who we are and the morals and values we were raised upon. This happened to the American people in the 1920’s and to Jay Gatsby.
When reading The Great Gatsby, the audience must wonder at F. Scott Fitzgerald’s purpose for writing one of America’s most influential novels. Fitzgerald’s life drew remarkable similarities to that of Jay Gatsby. They both sacrificed and succeeded in the name of love, but were ultimately disappointed.
Gatsby’s explanation of this dream focused on money and social status. He has always yearned for this, even when he was a child. Fitzgerald frequently emphasises Gatsby’s desire, throughout the entirety of this novel. Though, Fitzgerald accentuates this desire when Nick discovers the truth of Gatsby’s past. During this elucidation, Nick explains that “his [Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.” (Fitzgerald, 98) This shows the reader Gatsby’s lifelong determination for wealth and power. Even in his adult life, he strives for more than what he has. In John Steinbeck’s essay, he explains that “we [Americans] go mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success” (Steinbeck, 1) This is exactly how Gatsby feels, he is not content with his success, the amount of money he has, or the height of his social status and is constantly wishing for more than he has. Though, once he meets Daisy he no longer strives for wealth, but rather for her. As shown in this novel, even though Gatsby has achieved all he had wanted when he was growing up, he will not be content until he is able to call Daisy his
Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes the American dream very elaborately and shows the idea of the American dream to be connected with the goal of achieving wealth. Fitzgerald does not praise wealth in the Great Gatsby but condemns it by drawing attention to the dreadful fall made by Gatsby. Fitzgerald finds the desire of wealth to be a corrupting impact on people. Throughout the novel, the characters with money contradict the idea of the American dream. They are portrayed to be very snobbish and unhappy people. The American dream in the novel is shown to be unachievable. For some time, the American dream has been focused upon material things that will gain people success.
...cut the pages” (Fitzgerald 46). This shows that Gatsby’s life was only to please his long lost love, Daisy, to bring her back to him. What Gatsby deosnt realise is she is long gone, She was happily married and with a daughter. Gatsby’s dream was no longer destined to come true Nick says “He did not know that it his dream, life with Daisy was already behind him” (Fitzgerald 171). “the American myth of belonging through wealth” (Giltrow, Janet, and David Stouck) Gatsby too belived in the American myth, he tried to achieve his dream with a mask of wealth on himself. Both Macbeth and Gatsby were seeking dreams beyond their abilities which only resulted in more greed and a lustful desire to achieve what they wanted rather than, true hard work with determination.
The American Dream There is no set definition to be found anywhere of the true meaning of The American Dream. Any hope, dream, or goal pursued by anyone in the history of America is an American Dream. In modern times the accepted dream seems to be 2.5 children, a house with a white picket fence, and a perfect spouse. However, as it is shown throughout literature from the early days of America to contemporary times, the American Dream is not always so simple a concept. America was originally founded on the dream of freedom.
America is the land with the most dreamers. America is the land of opportunity and equality. In America your dreams can be fulfilled if you work hard to achieve your goals. The American dream to most is, to be wealthy and to be able to afford anything. Wealth is a plus in life because you can afford expensive items that do not necessarily have a use, but it does not necessarily matter how hard you try or how much you spend you can not buy happiness. Although being wealthy can make you seem happy on the outside, on the inside you would not be as happy as you seem. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author shows how being wealthy will not make you happy. Many people have voiced their opinions of the America dream.
The way that Gatsby becomes rich is in a way the demise of his dream. Gatsby becomes wealthy by participating in organized crime, including distributing illegal alcohol and trading in stolen securities. Daisy eventually learns about this and it is one of the reasons she will never again be with Gatsby.... ... middle of paper ... ...
his dream. The tragic truth for Gatsby was that without all the money he would be just a
The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, perfectly symbolizes many emerging trends of the 1920’s. More importantly, the character of Jay Gatsby is depicted as a man amongst his American dreams and the trials he faces in the pursuit of its complete achievement. His drive to acquire the girl of his dreams, Daisy Buchanan, through gaining status and wealth shows many aspects of the author's view on the American dream. Through this, one can hope to disassemble the complex picture that is Fitzgerald’s view of this through the novel. Fitzgerald believes, through his experiences during the 1920’s, that only fractions of the American Dream are attainable, and he demonstrates this through three distinct images in The Great Gastby.
Gatsby’s poor childhood greatly influenced his admirable dream to want a better life for himself. Growing up, Gatsby was very poor. “His parents were shiftless unsuccessful farm people-his imagination never really accepted them as his parents at all.” (pg. 98) Growing up, he hated his parents for the fact that they were poor as well as their lifestyle. When he was a teenager, he left his home to pursue a more prosperous life. After Gatsby left, he saw a yacht that belonged to a wealthy man, Dan Cody. This represented the rich lifestyle that he longed for. His ambitions to be a part of the upper class grew. Gatsby worked on the yacht for Dan Cody until Cody died. After this period of time, he began to act “rich” and took on this new persona. Gatsby had to completely change who he was. He even changed his name. The name he was born with was James Gatz, When Daisy and Gatsby met, they fell in love. She was from a very wealthy family. Gatsby knew that obtaining her would prove that he had embraced the upper class lifestyle. They couldn’t marry because he was not from a well-known family. Gatsby though...
American clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger once said “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it is possible to achieve the American dream.” This idea of the “American dream” has been around since the founding and has become a prominent part of American culture and identity. This same idea is what the raved about novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is based around. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, pursues this American dream through his pursuit of Daisy Buchanan and his need to be insanely rich.
As a child he saw himself growing up to be a rich and powerful man, the embodiment of the American dream. As a soldier he saw himself marrying Daisy. Gatsby has the ability to dream big, “as a child he dreamed of wealth and luxury, and he has attained them, albeit through criminal means.” He has the wonder of a child, where everything is possible and within grasp “ He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.” Gatsby yearns for his dreams and he strives to achieve them one way or another.
Starting at a young age Gatsby strives to become someone of wealth and power, leading him to create a façade of success built by lies in order to reach his unrealistic dream. The way Gatsby’s perceives himself is made clear as Nick explains: “The truth was Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God… he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty” (Fitzgerald 98). From the beginning Gatsby puts himself beside God, believing he is capable of achieving the impossible and being what he sees as great. Gatsby blinds himself of reality by idolizing this valueless way of life, ultimately guiding him to a corrupt lifestyle. While driving, Nick observes Gatsby curiously: “He hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces…” (Fitzgerald 65). To fulfill his aspirations Gatsby desires to be seen an admirable and affluent man in society wh...
The book starts off with the narrator Nick Carraway. He is from Minnesota and in 1992 he moves to NYC in the summer. He starts by giving us advices that his father told him about not to make fun of people what so ever. Daisy Buchanan is Nick’s cousin; she is married to Tom Buchanan. Jordan Baker is Daisy’s close friend. Daisy Baker falls in love with Nick, and he loves her back. He goes to NYC to study about the bond business.
Americans have the opportunity to pursue what they love and achieve their goals in life (Rank np). Many people in America have different ideas and pictures in their heads of what the American Dream means. From the idea that it's about making a lot of money and owning a big house, to creating a good life for your children in a good environment there is a wide range of meanings of the dream. Others believe that America is this great melting pot full of people with all sorts of different ethnic backgrounds (Michels np). The American Dream was first introduced during America’s great depression by a man named James Truslow Adams. He first came up with the phrase “The American Dream” in his book, The Epic of America. In his book he taught Americans what they had to do in order to live the dream (Wills np). Explaining the Dream, Adams told America, that “the American Dream is the belief of the American society that each individual can, through hard working and strength of mind, achieve anything.” (Michels np) People still use the ideas from his book and use them in everyday