The American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby

Nadia Mohammed Mr. McGarry English III 3 February 2017 The American Dream The American Dream is a recurring theme in Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. The American Dream is all about starting with nothing and making your way to achieve millions of dollars and â€Å"happiness.† In The Great Gatsby, by showing Gatsby’s tragic flaw, his belief that money will buy Daisy’s love, Fitzgerald in a way criticizes the American dream. Fitzgerald exudes this image of corruption in the American Dream through aspects of wealth, relationships, and social class. The want for wealth and materialistic things throughout the Great Gatsby shows the fall of the American Dream. For example Gatsby made his riches by selling liquor although he probably was†¦show more content†¦Relationships play a key role in the corruption of the American Dream. On the surface we see these rich couples who admire one another however, once we get to know the characters we see infidelity and sorrow. There are four main relationships we see throughout the novel: Nick vs. Jordan, Tom vs. Daisy, Gatsby vs. Daisy, lastly Tom vs. Myrtle. In the novel all the couples had met prior to the start of the book with the exception of Nick and Jordan who met at Daisy’s house. Although Nick knows Jordan is a dishonest person he cannot help but have a physical attraction towards her. â€Å"Her grey sun-strained eyes looked back at me with polite reciprocal curiosity out of a wan, charming discontented face.† Their relationship is put on a backburner when Dai sy starts her affair with Gatsby and by the end of the book they call it quits. Tom and Daisy’s relationship is filled with nothing but lies as both of them are unhappy with their marriage. Daisy was fully aware of her husband’s infidelity yet I believe she stayed with him for one reason which is the power and money he has. Daisy enjoys these benefits and for that reason she stays with Tom. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is incomparable almost to the point where it is a bit obsessive. Daisy thinks of Gatsby as a memory whereas Gatsby thinks of Daisy as his past, present, and future. In chapter 7 when Gatsby asks Daisy to tell Tom that she loves onlyShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1362 Words   |  6 PagesGatsby Corrupted Dream The American Dream is originally thought to be about how hard work can lead one person from poorness to richness with the right amount of effort put in. The American Dream can have different meaning to different people but at the end they are all trying to achieve a goal. The American Dream usually requires hard work and dedication. But cheating your way to success can change a person. An example of a distorted American Dream would be F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great GatsbyRead MoreThe American Dream Is Just a Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald ´s The Great Gatsby818 Words   |  3 Pagesadvantages that [others have] had† (Fitzgerald 5). In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream – the ideal life – the dream of every American to be rich, prosperous, famous, loved, all those amazing imaginations that one could have. In this novel though, Fitzgerald portrays this dream as reachable and possible for anyone, but h e also shows that this dream is not as great as everyone thinks it is. Fitzgerald depicts this dream as a death wish that could ruinRead MoreThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1329 Words   |  6 PagesAn American Illusion After the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was implemented in America, many immigrants from China, Japan, and India were stripped of their pursuit of the American Dream at Angel Island. The immigration station’s detainment of these rejected dreamers destroyed stories before they could happen. These stories of opportunity and the fulfillment of the American Dream make America what it is today. For instance, many immigrants today who are lucky enough to settle into America enterRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise1382 Words   |  6 PagesFrances Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24th, 1896 in St. Paul Minnesota and died of a heart attack in an apartment in Hollywood on December 21st, 1940. Throughout his career, Fitzgerald wrote many works, traveled the world, and served in the United States Army. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote mostly short stories but became famous because of his novel This Side of Paradise and became even more famous becaus e of The Great Gatsby which was released in 1925. The time period in which Fitzgerald livedRead MoreThe American Dream Through The Eyes Of F. Scott Fitzgerald1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream Through the Eyes of F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby has been criticized, cited, and known as one of the greatest works of American Literature. With numerous themes and focuses, one of the most valuable is represented in the American Dream and how F. Scott Fitzgerald analyzes his idea of this concept. The American Dream is a concept centering on successes in many terms, such as wealth and social standing. These successes are achieved through hardRead MoreThe Great Gatsby : An American Nightmare1226 Words   |  5 PagesAlex Joo Mr. Shaffer ENG4U1 January 8th, 2015 The Great Gatsby: an American Nightmare At the end of the day everyone ends up in the same place—six feet under. By then, many end up having lived fulfilling lives and die with no regrets. Far too many do not. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents the issue in pursuing the impossible: the American Dream. A dream in which all are â€Å"able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable† (Adams 215). Unfortunately, the latterRead MoreEssay on The Great Gatsby Research Report1248 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction In 1896 F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. After growing up in Minnesota he moved to start a career and marry Zelda, the girl he loved. He published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920; the novel was a success and Fitzgerald quickly became one of the most famous young writers of the time. â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald eagerly embraced his newly minted celebrity status and embarked on an extravagant lifestyle that earned him a reputation as a playboy andRead MoreLiterary Research Paper: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott1100 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Research Paper: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is known as America’s great novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby is a classic piece of American fiction. It is a novel of triumph and tragedy, noted for the remarkable way Fitzgerald captured a cross-section of American society.†(Cliffsnotes Editor) The novel is set in New York City, more specifically in long island; East Egg and West Egg, during the prohibition era in the 1920’s and was then published inRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s were a time in American history that profoundly depicted social inequality, immorality, superficiality, and unrest. During this time period, the iconic story of F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, was written and published. In this revolutionary novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald revisits his fascinating childhood in a more fictitious manner. The Great Gatsby describes and details the life of a young man from Minnesota, known as Nick Carraway, who m oves to New York after World War 1 during theRead MoreThe Reflection Of F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby 1546 Words   |  7 PagesSljoka Casperson 5 AP English 3 28 January 2015 The Reflection of Fitzgerald’s Life in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby echoes with experiences of Francis Scott Fitzgerald through relationships and descriptions among the characters, the depiction of the era, as well as the juxtaposition between the multiple â€Å"worlds† within the novel. Fitzgerald lived in the time after WWI where the novel takes place; American life had major changes, the people started to become more materialistic, women obtained The American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby Gatsby Corrupted Dream The American Dream is originally thought to be about how hard work can lead one person from poorness to richness with the right amount of effort put in. The American Dream can have different meaning to different people but at the end they are all trying to achieve a goal. The American Dream usually requires hard work and dedication. But cheating your way to success can change a person. An example of a distorted American Dream would be F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby talks about a man named Jay Gatsby and what good and bad comes out of trying and achieving the American dream. And how it s no longer about building a life but it s just about getting richer. Gatsby represent the Dream and also the corrupted side of the dream. Gatsby sees wealth as a solution to all his problems. And how he reinvents himself so much that he become disconnected from what he actually came from. But his corrupted dream of money is motivated by his love for a girl named Daisy. Also showing what money can change and make a person do. An example would be how gatsby throws luxurious parties every saturday at his mansion As nick says † At least once a fortnight a corps of caters came down with several hundred feet of canvas along with many lights enough to make a christmas tree out of gatsby s enormous garden.† â€Å"Buffet tables garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre, spiced baked pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold. In the main hall a bar withShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream Is Just a Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald ´s The Great Gatsby818 Words   |  3 Pagesadvantages that [others have] had† (Fitzgerald 5). In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the idea of the American Dream – the ideal life – the dream of every American to be rich, prosperous, famous, loved, all those amazing imaginations that one could have. In this novel though, Fitzgerald portrays this dream as reachable and possible for anyone, but he also shows that this dream is not as great as everyone thinks it is. Fitzgerald depicts this dream as a death wish that coul d ruinRead MoreThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1329 Words   |  6 PagesAn American Illusion After the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was implemented in America, many immigrants from China, Japan, and India were stripped of their pursuit of the American Dream at Angel Island. The immigration station’s detainment of these rejected dreamers destroyed stories before they could happen. These stories of opportunity and the fulfillment of the American Dream make America what it is today. For instance, many immigrants today who are lucky enough to settle into America enterRead MoreThe American Dream : F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby739 Words   |  3 PagesMcGarry English III 3 February 2017 The American Dream The American Dream is a recurring theme in Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. The American Dream is all about starting with nothing and making your way to achieve millions of dollars and â€Å"happiness.† In The Great Gatsby, by showing Gatsby’s tragic flaw, his belief that money will buy Daisy’s love, Fitzgerald in a way criticizes the American dream. Fitzgerald exudes this image of corruption in the American Dream through aspects of wealth, relationshipsRead MoreThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise1382 Words   |  6 PagesFrances Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24th, 1896 in St. Paul Minnesota and died of a heart attack in an apartment in Hollywood on December 21st, 1940. Throughout his career, Fitzgerald wrote many works, traveled the world, and served in the United States Army. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote mostly short stories but became famous because of his novel This Side of Paradise and became even more famous because of The Great Gatsby which was released in 1925. The time period in which Fitzgerald livedRead MoreThe American Dream Through The Eyes Of F. Scott Fitzgerald1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream Through the Eyes of F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby has been criticized, cited, and known as one of the greatest works of American Literature. With numerous themes and focuses, one of the most valuable is represented in the American Dream and how F. Scott Fitzgerald analyzes his idea of this concept. The American Dream is a concept centering on successes in many terms, such as wealth and social standing. These successes are achieved through hardRead MoreThe Great Gatsby : An American Nightmare1226 Words   |  5 PagesAlex Joo Mr. Shaffer ENG4U1 January 8th, 2015 The Great Gatsby: an American Nightmare At the end of the day everyone ends up in the same place—six feet under. By then, many end up having lived fulfilling lives and die with no regrets. Far too many do not. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, presents the issue in pursuing the impossible: the American Dream. A dream in which all are â€Å"able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable† (Adams 215). Unfortunately, the latterRead MoreEssay on The Great Gatsby Research Report1248 Words   |  5 PagesI. Introduction In 1896 F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. After growing up in Minnesota he moved to start a career and marry Zelda, the girl he loved. He published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920; the novel was a success and Fitzgerald quickly became one of the most famous young writers of the time. â€Å"F. Scott Fitzgerald eagerly embraced his newly minted celebrity status and embarked on an extravagant lifestyle that earned him a reputation as a playboy andRead MoreLiterary Research Paper: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott1100 Words   |  5 PagesLiterary Research Paper: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is known as America’s great novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby is a classic piece of American fiction. It is a novel of triumph and tragedy, noted for the remarkable way Fitzgerald captured a cross-section of American society.†(Cliffsnotes Editor) The novel is set in New York City, more specifically in long island; East Egg and West Egg, during the prohibition era in the 1920’s and was then published inRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s were a time in American history that profoundly depicted social inequality, immorality, superficiality, and unrest. During this time period, the iconic story of F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, was written and published. In this revolutionary novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald revisits his fascinating childhood in a more fictitious manner. The Great Gatsby describes and details the life of a young man from Minnesota, known as Nick Carraway, who m oves to New York after World War 1 during theRead MoreThe Reflection Of F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby 1546 Words   |  7 PagesSljoka Casperson 5 AP English 3 28 January 2015 The Reflection of Fitzgerald’s Life in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby echoes with experiences of Francis Scott Fitzgerald through relationships and descriptions among the characters, the depiction of the era, as well as the juxtaposition between the multiple â€Å"worlds† within the novel. Fitzgerald lived in the time after WWI where the novel takes place; American life had major changes, the people started to become more materialistic, women obtained