The American dream is the idea that with hard work, anyone can be successful and achieve their dreams. It is the driving force behind many people’s ambitions, an important reason many immigrate to America. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby tackles the question of whether or not this dream is obtainable in the 1920’s. By chasing the American dream, it’s easy develop a disillusioned understanding of time. Further, followers of the American dream may be inclined to involve themselves in unsavory business to achieve this dream, and the idea of the American Dream leads people to be dissatisfied with good situations. . By the end of the novel it is clear that Fitzgerald does not believe the American dream is obtainable, and
…show more content…
Not fully living in the present makes it hard to recognize when something significant is achieved. Several characters in the Great Gatsby embody this principle. For example when Gatsby starts seeing Daisy regularly, something he’d dreamed about for years, he becomes dissatisfied. Nick explains Gatsby’s wishes, saying “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you’ (Fitzgerald 109).” This culture, of “what you want is only what you want until it’s yours” is at its peak in this early twentieth century novel. Further, less straightforward examples of this are found in Daisy and Tom’s infidelities. Daisy, who always dreamed of the perfect husband, cheats on her husband when the opportunity presents itself, as does Tom. Anecdotally, almost every character in The Great Gatsby turns to alcohol to escape a life they view as mundane. The 1920’s in America are notorious for being a time of excess materialism and temporary highs. Nick puts this eloquently when he states that he is no longer interested in what he describes as the, “abortive sorrows and shortwinded elations of men.”(Fitzgerald 2). Practically, the substance abuse that chasing the American dream often leads to in the early twentieth century further bars someone from achieving meaningful contentment. The culture the American dream creates in the early nineteenth century is one of excess …show more content…
Yet, in the 1920’s, nearly everyone worked towards the American dream. So, the question remains, why do people pursue the American Dream? This dream can, in fact, bring hope and purpose to the life of someone who needs it. What the American Dream does not provide people with is contentment. While making illegal and self-destructive behaviors enticing, the American dream distorts a person’s understanding of time and makes it difficult for them to achieve meaningful
Not fully living in the present makes it hard to recognize when something significant is achieved. Several characters in the Great Gatsby embody this principle. For example when Gatsby starts seeing Daisy regularly, something he’d dreamed about for years, he becomes dissatisfied. Nick explains Gatsby’s wishes, saying “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you’ (Fitzgerald 109).” This culture, of “what you want is only what you want until it’s yours” is at its peak in this early twentieth century novel. Further, less straightforward examples of this are found in Daisy and Tom’s infidelities. Daisy, who always dreamed of the perfect husband, cheats on her husband when the opportunity presents itself, as does Tom. Anecdotally, almost every character in The Great Gatsby turns to alcohol to escape a life they view as mundane. The 1920’s in America are notorious for being a time of excess materialism and temporary highs. Nick puts this eloquently when he states that he is no longer interested in what he describes as the, “abortive sorrows and shortwinded elations of men.”(Fitzgerald 2). Practically, the substance abuse that chasing the American dream often leads to in the early twentieth century further bars someone from achieving meaningful contentment. The culture the American dream creates in the early nineteenth century is one of excess …show more content…
Yet, in the 1920’s, nearly everyone worked towards the American dream. So, the question remains, why do people pursue the American Dream? This dream can, in fact, bring hope and purpose to the life of someone who needs it. What the American Dream does not provide people with is contentment. While making illegal and self-destructive behaviors enticing, the American dream distorts a person’s understanding of time and makes it difficult for them to achieve meaningful