Gatsby, as a personification of American dreams, is depicted in “The Great Gatsby” as the idealized American. He had gone from being a nobody to being the richest man in his neighborhood and was able to purchase what he wanted (champagne… Rolls-Royce), which was in a sense the goal of all Americans and was achieved by Gatsby. The real goal of Gatsby wasn’t achieved, and that was to be with Daisy.
The spiritual side of his dream was what made it fail. This was also true for the American dream, which in the 1920s wasn’t spiritually attained in terms of “pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson, declaration of independence). Gatsby’s character showed a unrelenting desire to satisfy his love for Daisy. This makes us sympathize with him, and makes us believe he can achieve his goal. Because Nick is the first person narrative, the reader would have all the facts. Henry Claridge), which would be against Gatsby’s heroic nature and would not draw as much sympathy from readers because they would have to learn more about Wolfsheim’s illegal activities. If the author didn’t deliver the information in such a subtle way, “leaving them together”, which hint at the sexual relations but doesn’t dwell on it, the reader could take a more offensive stance on Daisy and Gatsby’s adultery. Because Fitzgerald was writing this novel in 1895, people would have found it annoying. Society was still very religious and would not have expected Fitzgerald to make adultery so consistent throughout the book. His loneliness is shown by his inability to be present at parties.
This is partly due to his contradictive personality and the wonderful atmosphere around him that makes it difficult for him to approach people. These were times when people didn’t know him, but didn’t approach him to ask if they were just making up rumors. Gatsby’s incarnation of himself is a fairy tale that was true for all Americans in those days. Jay Gatz, who didn’t have any money but was inspired by Dan Cody, his employer and a young man influnced with the American dream, achieved this wealth. The way he achieved it is a problem and could lead to the demise of the American Dream. This is because people want it so badly that they would steal it. Others are shown here turning a blind eye towards the obvious criminal activities that were being hidden under the American dream. This shows the obvious decline in moral decadence that occurred at that time.
The book might have been well received, perhaps because Al Capone was bootlegging at the same time as Gatsby and was a national hero during prohibition. Gatsby believed that the American dream could allow him to buy his love. This was actually a subconscious response to Daisy’s materialistic values. Daisy’s materialistic lifestyle and personality, which was “full money”, shows this. Gatsby’s inexplicable belief that he could turn back time and “… erase the past made the dream impossible. Gatsby believed he could make the past come back to life, which was a foolish belief. When Gatsby learned that Daisy had a daughter, this view would have been thrown out the window. This would have proven that Daisy and Tom had a real relationship, not just superficial as Gatsby believed. Daisy loves Gatsby, but she also loves Tom. “I can’t say that I ever loved Tom,” so this is yet another way to show Gatsby that time can’t be rewind and that Daisy has found a new partner. Tom describes his dream as “presumptuous little flirtation” to add pain to Gatsby. Gatsby’s failed dream showed that the world doesn’t revolve around him, but other people continue to live their lives. After the dream was abandoned, Gatsby had no reason to live on and it didn’t matter that much when he died. This is the American dream.
The American dream can make people feel isolated and helpless. It encourages them to spend and get rich. Gatsby’s ignorance of the people around him is a sign of the American dream. Fitzgerald wrote this book during the “jazz age”, a term he coined to describe the roaring twenties when most people were enjoying themselves and getting rich. (Scott Fitzgerald, Diane Roberts, Jazz Age- Diane Roberts). This was a perfect example of Gatsby’s view that money was not something he wanted. Fitzgerald used himself to be a model for Gatsby regarding Daisy’s death and her return to Daisy’s life. This is based on Fitzgerald’s personal experiences with Zelda. All Americans sought the American dream as it was the ultimate goal. This book tells the story of how rags to riches turned into fortunes. Although the dream was supposed to bring Americans freedom and a new life, it was often abused in American society and was overemphasized in the book.
The spiritual side was totally ignored by most and Daisy and Tom who’s life’s were “filled with material comforts and luxuries,”(commentary sheet) also lost the spiritual side and this is shown to be a bad thing because it had led them into both committing adultery so they were not really in a good relationship if it is based on money. Gatsby is the epitome American dream in terms of hope and failure. Fitzgerald’s last chapter reflects on Gatsby losing his dream. He then talks about the hope that the new world would bring the Dutch sailors. The American dream is about the pursuit of happiness and the receipt of it. This wasn’t the case with Gatsby at the end.
Failure of the American dream in the great Gatsby
Gatsby was motivated to gain wealth and power in order to attract Daisy. This is the American Dream over him. He corrupts himself in his efforts to charm Daisy.
Roaring years proved that there was no one role that could guarantee the American dream’s success. Each man must be able to work hard enough to succeed, regardless of his social status or wealth. Roland Marchand (1986) says that “not only did he succeed in the fast-paced modern urban milieu of skyscrapers taxicabs and pleasure seeking masses, but he also declared himself to be an expert on current fashion, contemporary language and popular pastimes.” His definition of the man who reached the American dream in 1920 is similar to how Fitzgerald depicts Gatsby, from the lower classes to a luxurious life. Jay Gatsby is an example of self-made success. He created a new identity, regardless of his past. He is the American dream’s killer factor. His social status and wealth are both important.
According to his material wealth and ability to spend, an American at the time was considered wealthy. The principal indicator of a person’s status is their house size. Although it seems that Gatsby seems to have everything in the American dream, he still wants Nick’s affirmation as shown in chapter 5. The whole front of it shines in the sunlight. (p. 87) Donaldson (2001) explains in his article: “The culture of consumption on exhibit in The Great Gatsby was made possible by the growth of a leisure class inearly-twentieth-century America. The novel shows that this change subverted the Protestant ethic’s foundations, replacing hard work and thrifty abstinence by a show of luxury, idleness and industriousness. (p. 8). Donaldson shows how hard work, social values, and perseverance have been replaced by laziness.
The Great Gatsby portrays characters who only care about materialistic things and are not interested in hard work. Daisy’s aristocratic heritage may explain why Gatsby love her. He did not understand that money alone was not enough to win Daisy’s affection. Jay is richer than Tom but Tom shows his wealth in a delicate and elegant way.
Gatsby was a man who wanted everything. He had the large house, beautiful swimming pool, and lavish parties. (p. 11). Partygoers were looking for the American dream. But they didn’t realize that Gatsby, despite all his wealth, had not yet achieved the American Dream. He thinks he has the perfect life. But Daisy will be his only chance to live the luxurious life.
Gatsby believes he needs to “establish his self as somebody” in order to realize the American dream. He comes to terms with the fact that Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship is no longer as sweet as it used to be. This is when his life begins to unravel. He chose to live by himself, without any servants, and lost his desire to attend Saturday’s parties. He was wrongly conceived of as being “somebody” to love.
Automobiles are a key element of the novel. The twenties saw the introduction of automobiles as a new technology to the upper class. They don’t see cars as a mode of transportation, but as a chance to display their wealth to society. While the protagonist is a chauffeur, he also owns a yellow expensive car. Laura leigh O’Meara’s article focuses on the importance of 1920 cars. She describes Gatsby’s car “… as a rich cream color with bright nickel and swollen everywhere in its monstrous length, with triumphant hatboxes, supper-boxes, and tool boxes, and terraced by a labyrinthine system of windshields that mirrored the suns.
Gatsby’s vision to prevail Daisy’s love by living a luxurious life seems to link the role of automobiles to the demise of the American dream. They also display their negative sides in the culture 1920 and thus have contributed to the decline of the American dream. Myrtle’s death was caused by a car accident. Wilson and Gatsby’s deaths were also linked to the car. They are called the “car of deaths” by O’ Meara. According to the novel, and society in the twenties wealth was the only path that would allow them to achieve their dreams and make their lives better. Meyer Wolfsheim is Gatsby’s friend and deals with criminal enterprises and illegal activities. While Gatsby was not influenced by Wolfsheim’s actions, he couldn’t help but be more like him through the story.
Myrtle’s sister Catherine, is a lesbian. Nick describes Catherine to be a strange individual. He says that she came in with such priority haste, and looked so intently at the furniture that I wondered whether she was actually living here. When I asked her this question, she laughed incessantly and said that she lived with a friend who was a hotel maid. (p. 34). She also depicts Mr. Mckee as a bizarre character. He said that Mr. Mckee was a pale female man from the flat. Later, he revealed that he was a photographer. I later learned that he had created the dim image of Mrs. Wilson’s mother that hovered on the wall like ectoplasm. (p. 34). These characters are looking for wealth in order to fulfill their empty spiritual world.
While the Buchanans family may represent the American dream best, they are also people who have no dreams, social values, or goals in life. Tom’s story is one that everyone is surprised by.
He is not responsible and doesn’t care for others feelings. Tom is not able to communicate with his wife and take good care of her. His personality can be described as mean and vulgar. Fitzgerald’s novel and the way he ends the characters’ lives show that money does not buy happiness. Gatsby failed to win Daisy’s heart because of his wrong perception of American dreams and the decline of moral values. In his quest to have Daisy’s unconditional love back, Gatsby lost sight of the social and moral principles. Instead of being a noble wealthy, wealthy man, he became more like Tom or Daisy, careless people.
Gatsby’s dream fell apart because of the way that parties, cars and houses were represented. George and Myrtle Wilson spent their lives trying to escape from the struggle of the lower classes to reach the comfort of upper class. They tried lots and made the most of the “few” opportunities life offered to them, even to the point of death. They were not like the Buchanans and they weren’t like Gatsby (“The Demise of the Twenty-eighties, n.d.).
The American dream can be described as hope and persistence in “The Great Gatsby.” People need to believe that they can achieve success beyond all possible. Nick heard from Mr. Gatz how his son tried to be a great person since he was a young man. He brought a journal to prove his points, describing Gatsby’s American Dream as the epitome. He is ambitious, hardworking, and always looking for adventure. He chose these qualities over Daisy’s love for eternal hope. Contrary Tom, he is careful not to hurt Gatsby. Gatsby didn’t recognize who died in the car accident. But he was concerned about Daisy’s future.
The end of the American dream is symbolized by the deaths of George, Myrtle, and Gatsby. The characters of the book are the best symbols that chased the dream until the end of life and failed in its success because they overvalued materialism and money instead of its pure ideals. This is why the novel is about the American dream’s existence and demise.
The failure of the American dream
The last chapter of the book is the most revealing example of the failure of America’s dream. Gatsby is eventually killed and shot because of the unfortunate events that follow. It’s time to hold the funeral. He was a host at many extravagant parties and had many socialite friends throughout the course of his life. They all missed the funeral, despite their many socialite friends. Jay’s father and the narrator are the only ones present. Jay was also known as Owl Eyes. All those people who don’t know Jay will ignore him once he’s no longer useful. Gatsby’s behaviour and false promises of success brought him to this place. He has lost all human connection because of his obsession with a unattainable goal and the rich lifestyle. He was not understood by anyone. Unhappiness is hidden beneath the beautiful promises of a perfect lifestyle.