What is the Cost? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

What is the Cost?

Everyone dreams to achieve something in life. Many people strive to be a better parent, better athlete, or just a better person all around. How do they achieve this though? Do they work harder, spend more time with one another, or strive for more money and nicer items? Some say this could be the American Dream, have a good job, family, and money to buy whatever they may wish, but what is the real cost of the American Dream? Most people end up with debt till death, never being there for the ones that love them, or working to impress the people who do not really matter. Today the American Dream is still alive and will be around for as long as people dream and strive towards their dreams.

The American Dream is nothing new to world. In 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote “The Great Gatsby” which was about a man truly living the “American Dream”. Everything he did though was to achieve wealth. He had elaborate parties in his fabulous house, bought the best of everything, and did whatever he had to do become the best. He started out with nothing and worked his way up by creating a fake life, even the woman he loved most did not know of his past. The woman, Daisy, he loved most was not even in Gatsby’s life, but in the life of another man. Gatsby worked and strived to get everything he had for a married woman who did not even love him. Though Gatsby thought he loved Daisy he only loved the idea of her. Someone who he had a few wonderful moments with, someone who he could see his life spent with. What did he really get out of life though? Wasted years to impress someone who never really mattered when he could have been spending it with someone who could of loved him for who he really was. Who was Gatsby though, no one can e...

... middle of paper ...

...r whole lives for their homes, cars, clothing, and whatever else they may desire. The real cost is their lives. The real cost is giving up their free time to work for material items they do not really need. The cost is giving up on other dreams they may have because they will not be profitable or fit into the standards of America. Parents give up value time with their children to make sure they are on the best sport team, best band or choir, the best of whatever they may want their child in. It is not only the parents paying for this but the children. The children suffer from the parents choices. Even if the child does not want to be in what the parent might have them in they still participate. A child’s dream is to live up to what the parents want them to do, to be better than what their parents are. Which is once again restarting the idea of the American Dream.