The American Dream, is a belief that even the poorest people have a chance to become “someone” in life through hard work and determination. But not everyone agrees with this statement as seen with F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel,The Great Gatsby,as he portrays his opinion that the American Dream is dead through his various characters and his use of devices and symbols throughout the story. Fitzgerald shows how even when people try their best in completing their “American Dream” it is most likely destined for failure.
Nick Carraway, or also known as the narrator, is one of the first characters the readers are introduced to. He describes his family as “prominent, well-to-do people in [the] middle-western city [and have been that way] for three generations” along as being “descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch”(7,1) Nick has been raised by Midwestern values which could be described as being hard working, having perseverance, being just, and so forth. After all his dad had always told him to “remember that all the people in [the] world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had”(5,1). Nick plans to move to East egg to accomplish his American Dream of becoming a bondsman. As the story progresses Nick starts meeting new people of the upper class and starts to realize that leading a wealthy life isn't all that great, as seen from the lives that Tom and Daisy Buchanan go through. His American dream dies as he realizes through all the pain, that the West Egg isn’t a place for him. Thus showing how a lot of the times the American Dream is something that ends up unachieved. Jay Gatsby, for whom Nick goes by describing as a person with an “extraordinary gift for hope, [and] a romantic readiness [that he had] never found in anyone else”(6,1)Gatsby could be seen as a person with a corrupted American dream as he sees wealth as the solution to his problems.Gatsby wants to win back Daisy’s love by trying to impress her and show her that he too is part of the rich, upper class and is motivated to keep his American dream due to his incorruptible love for Daisy. …show more content…
Gatsby believes that the way to win Daisy’s heart is to become part of the upper-class himself, but doesn’t realize that it’s not all about wealth. Readers are introduced to the “green light”, which can be seen at the end of Daisy's dock and visible from Gatsby's mansion, the green light is a symbolism for Gatsby's hopes and dreams of being with Daisy. Daisy is not only Gatsby’s lover but his American dream as he’s desperate to win her heart but only ends up in a bittersweet tragedy, and the cause of his death. The tragic love between Tom and Daisy’s show how dead a person’s American dream can be and how badly we see money as happiness. Both Daisy and Tom come from wealthy backgrounds meaning that they always had anything they wished for, and never really had any dreams of their own. Daisy felt that for her to be living an American dream she needed to marry someone who was rich and successful in order to remain happy. For which she left Gatsby due to the fact at that time he wasn't wealthy enough for her to be with. Daisy has been imposed that the perfect American Dream is to …show more content…
Readers get introduced to both the East Egg and the West Egg, with West Egg being “the less fashionable of the two”(1.14).Due to West Egg being the “new money ” side because its inhabitants have worked for their wealth, rather than the East Egg whose inhabitants were born in a wealthy family. Both sides also have different goals and lifestyles, people in the West egg want to become wealthy, and most of them come from a scenario of rags to riches. For example, Jay Gatsby who wasn't wealthy but pursued it, for which can be seen as his “American Dream”. Along with Nick Carraway who came to the West Egg to pursue his dreams of becoming a bondsman. Which contradicts from the people in the East Egg as they were born rich, and don’t really have anything to dream for because they have anything they could ever
Nick Carraway, or also known as the narrator, is one of the first characters the readers are introduced to. He describes his family as “prominent, well-to-do people in [the] middle-western city [and have been that way] for three generations” along as being “descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch”(7,1) Nick has been raised by Midwestern values which could be described as being hard working, having perseverance, being just, and so forth. After all his dad had always told him to “remember that all the people in [the] world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had”(5,1). Nick plans to move to East egg to accomplish his American Dream of becoming a bondsman. As the story progresses Nick starts meeting new people of the upper class and starts to realize that leading a wealthy life isn't all that great, as seen from the lives that Tom and Daisy Buchanan go through. His American dream dies as he realizes through all the pain, that the West Egg isn’t a place for him. Thus showing how a lot of the times the American Dream is something that ends up unachieved. Jay Gatsby, for whom Nick goes by describing as a person with an “extraordinary gift for hope, [and] a romantic readiness [that he had] never found in anyone else”(6,1)Gatsby could be seen as a person with a corrupted American dream as he sees wealth as the solution to his problems.Gatsby wants to win back Daisy’s love by trying to impress her and show her that he too is part of the rich, upper class and is motivated to keep his American dream due to his incorruptible love for Daisy. …show more content…
Gatsby believes that the way to win Daisy’s heart is to become part of the upper-class himself, but doesn’t realize that it’s not all about wealth. Readers are introduced to the “green light”, which can be seen at the end of Daisy's dock and visible from Gatsby's mansion, the green light is a symbolism for Gatsby's hopes and dreams of being with Daisy. Daisy is not only Gatsby’s lover but his American dream as he’s desperate to win her heart but only ends up in a bittersweet tragedy, and the cause of his death. The tragic love between Tom and Daisy’s show how dead a person’s American dream can be and how badly we see money as happiness. Both Daisy and Tom come from wealthy backgrounds meaning that they always had anything they wished for, and never really had any dreams of their own. Daisy felt that for her to be living an American dream she needed to marry someone who was rich and successful in order to remain happy. For which she left Gatsby due to the fact at that time he wasn't wealthy enough for her to be with. Daisy has been imposed that the perfect American Dream is to …show more content…
Readers get introduced to both the East Egg and the West Egg, with West Egg being “the less fashionable of the two”(1.14).Due to West Egg being the “new money ” side because its inhabitants have worked for their wealth, rather than the East Egg whose inhabitants were born in a wealthy family. Both sides also have different goals and lifestyles, people in the West egg want to become wealthy, and most of them come from a scenario of rags to riches. For example, Jay Gatsby who wasn't wealthy but pursued it, for which can be seen as his “American Dream”. Along with Nick Carraway who came to the West Egg to pursue his dreams of becoming a bondsman. Which contradicts from the people in the East Egg as they were born rich, and don’t really have anything to dream for because they have anything they could ever