The Great Gatsby is a novel that was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and takes place in 1922. In it Fitzgerald describes what the American dream is and what he thinks of it. There is also a movie about the novel. This helps readers gain a visual perspective of the book. This movie also gives the same idea of the American dream, however the book gives you a better interpretation of what the American dream is all about. This is because it is the original source and it gives you better insight to what Fitzgerald is talking about. The Great Gatsby depicts that the American dream is centered around wealth and does so by portraying Gatsby’s life. Jay Gatsby was born into a poor family that was poor. As a result he left them in search of wealth. He would come across a sailor named Dan Cody, who happens to be rich.
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Cody learns about Gatsby’s predicament and decides to help him out. Cody would eventually die. This lead Jay to believe that he would inherit Cody’s money and become rich. However, this was not the case as Cody would end up giving his money to his wife. This meant that once again Gatsby was left with nothing. Gatsby then finds Meyer Wolfshiem, who helps Gatsby obtain wealth. After obtaining this wealth, Gatsby attempts to go after Daisy in hopes that she will be with him now that he has money. Upon their meeting again, Daisy realizes that she still has feelings for Gatsby. This is seen when Daisy says, “They’re such beautiful shirts”(Fitzgerald, 92). Daisy is sobbing in this scene because she realizes that if she waited like Gatsby asked she would have married him and not Tom. This does not stop Gatsby from trying to get Daisy back because he believes that the past can be re-lived. Gatsby even tries to get Daisy to say that she never loved Tom. In the end, however, Gatsby dies before he could reach his American Dream. After Gatsby dies Nick says, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”(Fitzgerald, 180). The quote characterizes the American dream because when you achieve wealth you try to move out of your past. This is impossible, however, because humans never move beyond it. This is the case of Jay Gatsby’s life because he attains the American dream but is corrupted "by values and attitudes that he holds in common with the society that destroys him.”(Decker). The movie also shows how the American dream is centered around wealth. The movie, however, does not go as deep into Gatsby’s past as the book does. Although it does show enough to let you know that Gatsby was a self made man who came from a poor background. Gatsby is also trying to chase his dream in the movie. The movie speeds up the time line so we don’t get to see everything like the book does but the main message is Gatsby is still trying to recreate the past even though it is behind him. It all comes to a screeching halt
Cody learns about Gatsby’s predicament and decides to help him out. Cody would eventually die. This lead Jay to believe that he would inherit Cody’s money and become rich. However, this was not the case as Cody would end up giving his money to his wife. This meant that once again Gatsby was left with nothing. Gatsby then finds Meyer Wolfshiem, who helps Gatsby obtain wealth. After obtaining this wealth, Gatsby attempts to go after Daisy in hopes that she will be with him now that he has money. Upon their meeting again, Daisy realizes that she still has feelings for Gatsby. This is seen when Daisy says, “They’re such beautiful shirts”(Fitzgerald, 92). Daisy is sobbing in this scene because she realizes that if she waited like Gatsby asked she would have married him and not Tom. This does not stop Gatsby from trying to get Daisy back because he believes that the past can be re-lived. Gatsby even tries to get Daisy to say that she never loved Tom. In the end, however, Gatsby dies before he could reach his American Dream. After Gatsby dies Nick says, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine morning— So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”(Fitzgerald, 180). The quote characterizes the American dream because when you achieve wealth you try to move out of your past. This is impossible, however, because humans never move beyond it. This is the case of Jay Gatsby’s life because he attains the American dream but is corrupted "by values and attitudes that he holds in common with the society that destroys him.”(Decker). The movie also shows how the American dream is centered around wealth. The movie, however, does not go as deep into Gatsby’s past as the book does. Although it does show enough to let you know that Gatsby was a self made man who came from a poor background. Gatsby is also trying to chase his dream in the movie. The movie speeds up the time line so we don’t get to see everything like the book does but the main message is Gatsby is still trying to recreate the past even though it is behind him. It all comes to a screeching halt