The Disillusionment Of The American Dream

The American Dream, a long standing ideal embodies the hope that one can achieve financial success, political power, and everlasting love through dedication and hard work. During the Roaring 20s, people in America put up facades to mask who they truly were. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream is simply an illusion, that is idealist and unreal. In the novel, Gatsby, a wealthy socialite pursues his dream, Daisy. In the process of pursuing Daisy, Gatsby betrays his morals and destroys himself. Through the eyes of the narrator, Nick,

As the phenomenal politician Bernie Sanders once said, “For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.” In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by Scott Fitzgerald, the “American Dream” plays a crucial role in the plot. Gatsby devotes his life to accomplish his American Dream which consists of wealth and Daisy’s love. But is the American Dream actually what it seems to be? Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald utilizes the symbolic value of the Valley of Ashes, East Egg, and the significance of the color yellow to constantly establish that opulence and the American Dream is deceiving as it leads to moral and societal corruption.

The American dream can mean many different things and can be interpreted in different ways. To some people, the American dream is the belief that if a person works hard enough, he or she can be successful in America no matter what race, gender, or nationality. In the 1920’s, the concept of the American dream was very much the same, that an individual can achieve success in life regardless of family history or social status if he or she works hard enough. By having money, a car, a big house, expensive clothes, and a loving family symbolizes the American dream. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the 1920’s is a time period in which the American dream becomes corrupt and dangerous. For Jay Gatsby, a main character in the novel, his American dream is about gaining wealth and material possessions in order to find happiness. Through his decision to symbolize wealth, superficiality, irresponsibility, and foreshadowing, Fitzgerald conveys the the theme that the American dream is a perfect concept and is something that can never be accomplished, but can always be reached for.

Ahhh The American Dream, the one entity that most people are reaching out trying to grasp. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the life of America in the 1920s, “The Roaring Twenties”. The twenties were a time of prosperity for America. The Great Gatsby lived in a time of new cars, expensive parties and as some in the roaring twenties might say it was “spiffy!” The American Dream seems unattainable to some but to others, it is right around the corner. Jay Gatsby had the rags-to-riches story that hits all of us so dear. The Great Gatsby had The American Dream by working hard to get where he was. Everyone has the inner desire to do something great and achieve The American Dream. There are many routes people take in order to get there such as; inheritance, deceit, or working hard for it. It is the ideal that everyone should have the opportunity by working hard to achieve success.

Another major symbol in The Great Gatsby is the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan 's dock. This light represents Gatsby 's hopes and dreams for his future with Daisy by his side. However, this idea also relates to the way views of the "American Dream" have corrupted, while in reality, actual American life is much different. In the novel, the audience first encounters Gatsby looking at this light after Nick comes back from a dinner at the Buchanan. This scene we see Gatsby “stretch out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far, as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward--- and distinguished nothing except a single green light”(20-21). One thing,

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald deals on one level with Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, but on a deeper level also deals with the Great American Dream. The novel starts and ends with a reference to the green light at the end of the dock, indicating an important symbolism. The first time Nick catches sight of Jay Gatsby, Gatsby “stretched his arms towards the dark water […] [Nick] distinguished nothing except a single green light […] that might have been at the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 2000:25). Fitzgerald ends the novel by again referring to the “green light at the end of Daisy’s dock.” (171).

Gatsby threw big open door parties every weekend, hoping one day that Daisy would come over as he was too scared to invite her himself to his mansion. At the end of Daisy’s dock was a green light that Gatsby would gaze at wistfully from his own house. Jay Gatsby believes the green light represents the American dream that everyone longs for and a future he

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald deals on one level with Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, but on a deeper level also deals with the Great American Dream. The novel starts and ends with a reference to the green light at the end of the dock, indicating an important symbolism. The first time Nick catches sight of Jay Gatsby, Gatsby “stretched his arms towards the dark water […] [Nick] distinguished nothing except a single green light […] that might have been at the end of a dock.” (Fitzgerald 2000:25). Fitzgerald ends the novel by again referring to the “green light at the end of Daisy’s dock.” (171).

Back then, the American Dream was this big ideal and goal that everybody wanted to have and live. This idea inspired all types of people, whether old or young. The idea of being able to live out the American Dream was truly fascinating and on the minds of every single person. In The Great Gatsby, this idea of the living the American Dream was trying to be achieved by everyone, mainly Gatsby and other main characters, but they corrupted this great idea and pure way to live into wealth and how much money and earthly possessions you had. This corrupted idea had spread to everyone’s mind and became the focus of everybody’s thoughts and actions during the 1920’s. As a result of the distortion of the American Dream, the main characters in The Great Gatsby chased what they thought was the American Dream while fully believing in it and everything that it offered, and it ultimately led to unhappiness and great tragedies though out the

Gatsby says “If it wasn’t for the mist we could see your home across the bay,” said Gatsby. “You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.” (92), to Gatsby the green light represent his dream, which is Daisy. To attain her he would be achieving the American dream. Nick says “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy – Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.” (93), it had occurred to Gatsby that he has fulfilled the American dream of being with Daisy. However, the green light revealed the impossibility of achieving the American dream after Gatsby is defeated in his goal to claim Daisy. The manner in which the green light is presented in this novel reflects the invalidity of the American

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses characters and plot to express the theme, Loss of the American Dream. Throughout the novel, Jay Gatsby is trying to obtain the “American Dream”. The American Dream is symbolized by the Green Light on Daisy’s dock, which is very significant. The Green Light also represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams with Daisy.

In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the symbolic nature of the green light conveys the message of the American dream. Gatsby throughout the story has a dream about Daisy and eventually achieves it, ¨... Now it was again a green light on a dock...¨(Fitzgerald 98). Gatsby moved to New York to be able to see Daisy every chance he could, he even built his house to where his room was facing the green light on the end of her dock. The green light symbolizes the American Dream because Gatsby's dream was created, and once he completed his dream he had nothing else to live for.

The American Dream is an elusive, unachievable notion that has been around since the founding of the nation. The idea of working hard and achieving success, the potential to become anything one wants to be, and the capability of moving up the social ladder are all popular characteristics that exemplify this delusion. Although it was once achievable, the American Dream has long since faded away due to the large income gap that exists between the low and high classes resulting in the inability to move up the social ladder and the inequality of education which inhibits the ability of applying to bigger and higher paying jobs.

Depending on who you speak to, or what pockets of society are examined, the concept of the American Dream is a relative concept. The mantra is depicted as if one works hard and saves money, then one can own a house, a car or two, and have a family with two children. This 1950s invention has proven to be highly reductionist. It paints a picture of the Leave it to Beaver sitcom, where a husband who works from 9 to 5, returns home after a day’s work to be received by a beaming wife, a hot meal and doting children. America is far different than the distortions of television. In fact, differences have always existed between race and class. In this context, the question to be posed is, whose American Dream has been packaged and sold to society?

The Roaring 20's was an era of decadence and endless possibility. The American Dream was something that everyone coveted. Essentially, The American Dream meant that anyone who had the talent and worked hard enough, could achieve it. Money, a loving spouse, and status all showed that a person had been successful in their life and were vital points to the American Dreams of the Characters in the Great Gatsby. Many of them strived in their own way to achieve “the dream”, however, twisted ideals of love, wealth, and class led to the eventual fall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby.