thesis for the great gatsby american dream

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

Best Analysis: The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Book Guides

The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but it's most commonly understood as a pessimistic critique of the American Dream. In the novel, Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an incredible amount of money and a limited amount of social cache in 1920s NYC, only to be rejected by the "old money" crowd. He then gets killed after being tangled up with them.

Through Gatsby's life, as well as that of the Wilsons', Fitzgerald critiques the idea that America is a meritocracy where anyone can rise to the top with enough hard work. We will explore how this theme plays out in the plot, briefly analyze some key quotes about it, as well as do some character analysis and broader analysis of topics surrounding the American Dream in The Great Gatsby .

What is the American Dream? The American Dream in the Great Gatsby plot Key American Dream quotes Analyzing characters via the American Dream Common discussion and essay topics

Quick Note on Our Citations

Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book.

To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text.

What Exactly Is "The American Dream"?

The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (read: rich) if they just work hard enough. The American Dream thus presents a pretty rosy view of American society that ignores problems like systemic racism and misogyny, xenophobia, tax evasion or state tax avoidance, and income inequality. It also presumes a myth of class equality, when the reality is America has a pretty well-developed class hierarchy.

The 1920s in particular was a pretty tumultuous time due to increased immigration (and the accompanying xenophobia), changing women's roles (spurred by the right to vote, which was won in 1919), and extraordinary income inequality.

The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could "strike it rich" on Wall Street. However, this rapid economic growth was built on a bubble which popped in 1929. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, well before the crash, but through its wry descriptions of the ultra-wealthy, it seems to somehow predict that the fantastic wealth on display in 1920s New York was just as ephemeral as one of Gatsby's parties.

In any case, the novel, just by being set in the 1920s, is unlikely to present an optimistic view of the American Dream, or at least a version of the dream that's inclusive to all genders, ethnicities, and incomes. With that background in mind, let's jump into the plot!

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1 places us in a particular year—1922—and gives us some background about WWI.  This is relevant, since the 1920s is presented as a time of hollow decadence among the wealthy, as evidenced especially by the parties in Chapters 2 and 3. And as we mentioned above, the 1920s were a particularly tense time in America.

We also meet George and Myrtle Wilson in Chapter 2 , both working class people who are working to improve their lot in life, George through his work, and Myrtle through her affair with Tom Buchanan.

We learn about Gatsby's goal in Chapter 4 : to win Daisy back. Despite everything he owns, including fantastic amounts of money and an over-the-top mansion, for Gatsby, Daisy is the ultimate status symbol. So in Chapter 5 , when Daisy and Gatsby reunite and begin an affair, it seems like Gatsby could, in fact, achieve his goal.

In Chapter 6 , we learn about Gatsby's less-than-wealthy past, which not only makes him look like the star of a rags-to-riches story, it makes Gatsby himself seem like someone in pursuit of the American Dream, and for him the personification of that dream is Daisy.

However, in Chapters 7 and 8 , everything comes crashing down: Daisy refuses to leave Tom, Myrtle is killed, and George breaks down and kills Gatsby and then himself, leaving all of the "strivers" dead and the old money crowd safe. Furthermore, we learn in those last chapters that Gatsby didn't even achieve all his wealth through hard work, like the American Dream would stipulate—instead, he earned his money through crime. (He did work hard and honestly under Dan Cody, but lost Dan Cody's inheritance to his ex-wife.)

In short, things do not turn out well for our dreamers in the novel! Thus, the novel ends with Nick's sad meditation on the lost promise of the American Dream. You can read a detailed analysis of these last lines in our summary of the novel's ending .

Key American Dream Quotes

In this section we analyze some of the most important quotes that relate to the American Dream in the book.

But I didn't call to him for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone--he stretched 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, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. (1.152)

In our first glimpse of Jay Gatsby, we see him reaching towards something far off, something in sight but definitely out of reach. This famous image of the green light is often understood as part of The Great Gatsby 's meditation on The American Dream—the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach . You can read more about this in our post all about the green light .

The fact that this yearning image is our introduction to Gatsby foreshadows his unhappy end and also marks him as a dreamer, rather than people like Tom or Daisy who were born with money and don't need to strive for anything so far off.

Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.

A dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms, followed by two carriages with drawn blinds and by more cheerful carriages for friends. The friends looked out at us with the tragic eyes and short upper lips of south-eastern Europe, and I was glad that the sight of Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday. As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.

"Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge," I thought; "anything at all. . . ."

Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder. (4.55-8)

Early in the novel, we get this mostly optimistic illustration of the American Dream—we see people of different races and nationalities racing towards NYC, a city of unfathomable possibility. This moment has all the classic elements of the American Dream—economic possibility, racial and religious diversity, a carefree attitude. At this moment, it does feel like "anything can happen," even a happy ending.

However, this rosy view eventually gets undermined by the tragic events later in the novel. And even at this point, Nick's condescension towards the people in the other cars reinforces America's racial hierarchy that disrupts the idea of the American Dream. There is even a little competition at play, a "haughty rivalry" at play between Gatsby's car and the one bearing the "modish Negroes."

Nick "laughs aloud" at this moment, suggesting he thinks it's amusing that the passengers in this other car see them as equals, or even rivals to be bested. In other words, he seems to firmly believe in the racial hierarchy Tom defends in Chapter 1, even if it doesn't admit it honestly.

His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. (6.134)

This moment explicitly ties Daisy to all of Gatsby's larger dreams for a better life —to his American Dream. This sets the stage for the novel's tragic ending, since Daisy cannot hold up under the weight of the dream Gatsby projects onto her. Instead, she stays with Tom Buchanan, despite her feelings for Gatsby. Thus when Gatsby fails to win over Daisy, he also fails to achieve his version of the American Dream. This is why so many people read the novel as a somber or pessimistic take on the American Dream, rather than an optimistic one.  

...as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes--a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.

And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." (9.151-152)

The closing pages of the novel reflect at length on the American Dream, in an attitude that seems simultaneously mournful, appreciative, and pessimistic. It also ties back to our first glimpse of Gatsby, reaching out over the water towards the Buchanan's green light. Nick notes that Gatsby's dream was "already behind him" then (or in other words, it was impossible to attain). But still, he finds something to admire in how Gatsby still hoped for a better life, and constantly reached out toward that brighter future.

For a full consideration of these last lines and what they could mean, see our analysis of the novel's ending .

Analyzing Characters Through the American Dream

An analysis of the characters in terms of the American Dream usually leads to a pretty cynical take on the American Dream.

Most character analysis centered on the American Dream will necessarily focus on Gatsby, George, or Myrtle (the true strivers in the novel), though as we'll discuss below, the Buchanans can also provide some interesting layers of discussion. For character analysis that incorporates the American Dream, carefully consider your chosen character's motivations and desires, and how the novel does (or doesn't!) provide glimpses of the dream's fulfillment for them.

Gatsby himself is obviously the best candidate for writing about the American Dream—he comes from humble roots (he's the son of poor farmers from North Dakota) and rises to be notoriously wealthy, only for everything to slip away from him in the end. Many people also incorporate Daisy into their analyses as the physical representation of Gatsby's dream.

However, definitely consider the fact that in the traditional American Dream, people achieve their goals through honest hard work, but in Gatsby's case, he very quickly acquires a large amount of money through crime . Gatsby does attempt the hard work approach, through his years of service to Dan Cody, but that doesn't work out since Cody's ex-wife ends up with the entire inheritance. So instead he turns to crime, and only then does he manage to achieve his desired wealth.

So while Gatsby's story arc resembles a traditional rags-to-riches tale, the fact that he gained his money immorally complicates the idea that he is a perfect avatar for the American Dream . Furthermore, his success obviously doesn't last—he still pines for Daisy and loses everything in his attempt to get her back. In other words, Gatsby's huge dreams, all precariously wedded to Daisy  ("He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God" (6.134)) are as flimsy and flight as Daisy herself.

George and Myrtle Wilson

This couple also represents people aiming at the dream— George owns his own shop and is doing his best to get business, though is increasingly worn down by the harsh demands of his life, while Myrtle chases after wealth and status through an affair with Tom.

Both are disempowered due to the lack of money at their own disposal —Myrtle certainly has access to some of the "finer things" through Tom but has to deal with his abuse, while George is unable to leave his current life and move West since he doesn't have the funds available. He even has to make himself servile to Tom in an attempt to get Tom to sell his car, a fact that could even cause him to overlook the evidence of his wife's affair. So neither character is on the upward trajectory that the American Dream promises, at least during the novel.

In the end, everything goes horribly wrong for both George and Myrtle, suggesting that in this world, it's dangerous to strive for more than you're given.

George and Myrtle's deadly fates, along with Gatsby's, help illustrate the novel's pessimistic attitude toward the American Dream. After all, how unfair is it that the couple working to improve their position in society (George and Myrtle) both end up dead, while Tom, who dragged Myrtle into an increasingly dangerous situation, and Daisy, who killed her, don't face any consequences? And on top of that they are fabulously wealthy? The American Dream certainly is not alive and well for the poor Wilsons.

Tom and Daisy as Antagonists to the American Dream

We've talked quite a bit already about Gatsby, George, and Myrtle—the three characters who come from humble roots and try to climb the ranks in 1920s New York. But what about the other major characters, especially the ones born with money? What is their relationship to the American Dream?

Specifically, Tom and Daisy have old money, and thus they don't need the American Dream, since they were born with America already at their feet.

Perhaps because of this, they seem to directly antagonize the dream—Daisy by refusing Gatsby, and Tom by helping to drag the Wilsons into tragedy .

This is especially interesting because unlike Gatsby, Myrtle, and George, who actively hope and dream of a better life, Daisy and Tom are described as bored and "careless," and end up instigating a large amount of tragedy through their own recklessness.

In other words, income inequality and the vastly different starts in life the characters have strongly affected their outcomes. The way they choose to live their lives, their morality (or lack thereof), and how much they dream doesn't seem to matter. This, of course, is tragic and antithetical to the idea of the American Dream, which claims that class should be irrelevant and anyone can rise to the top.

Daisy as a Personification of the American Dream

As we discuss in our post on money and materialism in The Great Gatsby , Daisy's voice is explicitly tied to money by Gatsby:

"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly.

That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money--that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . . (7.105-6)

If Daisy's voice promises money, and the American Dream is explicitly linked to wealth, it's not hard to argue that Daisy herself—along with the green light at the end of her dock —stands in for the American Dream. In fact, as Nick goes on to describe Daisy as "High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl," he also seems to literally describe Daisy as a prize, much like the princess at the end of a fairy tale (or even Princess Peach at the end of a Mario game!).

But Daisy, of course, is only human—flawed, flighty, and ultimately unable to embody the huge fantasy Gatsby projects onto her. So this, in turn, means that the American Dream itself is just a fantasy, a concept too flimsy to actually hold weight, especially in the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world of 1920s America.

Furthermore, you should definitely consider the tension between the fact that Daisy represents Gatsby's ultimate goal, but at the same time (as we discussed above), her actual life is the opposite of the American Dream : she is born with money and privilege, likely dies with it all intact, and there are no consequences to how she chooses to live her life in between.

Can Female Characters Achieve the American Dream?

Finally, it's interesting to compare and contrast some of the female characters using the lens of the American Dream.

Let's start with Daisy, who is unhappy in her marriage and, despite a brief attempt to leave it, remains with Tom, unwilling to give up the status and security their marriage provides. At first, it may seem like Daisy doesn't dream at all, so of course she ends up unhappy. But consider the fact that Daisy was already born into the highest level of American society. The expectation placed on her, as a wealthy woman, was never to pursue something greater, but simply to maintain her status. She did that by marrying Tom, and it's understandable why she wouldn't risk the uncertainty and loss of status that would come through divorce and marriage to a bootlegger. Again, Daisy seems to typify the "anti-American" dream, in that she was born into a kind of aristocracy and simply has to maintain her position, not fight for something better.

In contrast, Myrtle, aside from Gatsby, seems to be the most ambitiously in pursuit of getting more than she was given in life. She parlays her affair with Tom into an apartment, nice clothes, and parties, and seems to revel in her newfound status. But of course, she is knocked down the hardest, killed for her involvement with the Buchanans, and specifically for wrongfully assuming she had value to them. Considering that Gatsby did have a chance to leave New York and distance himself from the unfolding tragedy, but Myrtle was the first to be killed, you could argue the novel presents an even bleaker view of the American Dream where women are concerned.

Even Jordan Baker , who seems to be living out a kind of dream by playing golf and being relatively independent, is tied to her family's money and insulated from consequences by it , making her a pretty poor representation of the dream. And of course, since her end game also seems to be marriage, she doesn't push the boundaries of women's roles as far as she might wish.

So while the women all push the boundaries of society's expectations of them in certain ways, they either fall in line or are killed, which definitely undermines the rosy of idea that anyone, regardless of gender, can make it in America. The American Dream as shown in Gatsby becomes even more pessimistic through the lens of the female characters.  

Common Essay Questions/Discussion Topics

Now let's work through some of the more frequently brought up subjects for discussion.

#1: Was Gatsby's dream worth it? Was all the work, time, and patience worth it for him?

Like me, you might immediately think "of course it wasn't worth it! Gatsby lost everything, not to mention the Wilsons got caught up in the tragedy and ended up dead!" So if you want to make the more obvious "the dream wasn't worth it" argument, you could point to the unraveling that happens at the end of the novel (including the deaths of Myrtle, Gatsby and George) and how all Gatsby's achievements are for nothing, as evidenced by the sparse attendance of his funeral.

However, you could definitely take the less obvious route and argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, despite the tragic end . First of all, consider Jay's unique characterization in the story: "He was a son of God--a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that--and he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty" (6.7). In other words, Gatsby has a larger-than-life persona and he never would have been content to remain in North Dakota to be poor farmers like his parents.

Even if he ends up living a shorter life, he certainly lived a full one full of adventure. His dreams of wealth and status took him all over the world on Dan Cody's yacht, to Louisville where he met and fell in love with Daisy, to the battlefields of WWI, to the halls of Oxford University, and then to the fast-paced world of Manhattan in the early 1920s, when he earned a fortune as a bootlegger. In fact, it seems Jay lived several lives in the space of just half a normal lifespan. In short, to argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, you should point to his larger-than-life conception of himself and the fact that he could have only sought happiness through striving for something greater than himself, even if that ended up being deadly in the end.

#2: In the Langston Hughes poem "A Dream Deferred," Hughes asks questions about what happens to postponed dreams. How does Fitzgerald examine this issue of deferred dreams? What do you think are the effects of postponing our dreams? How can you apply this lesson to your own life?

If you're thinking about "deferred dreams" in The Great Gatsby , the big one is obviously Gatsby's deferred dream for Daisy—nearly five years pass between his initial infatuation and his attempt in the novel to win her back, an attempt that obviously backfires. You can examine various aspects of Gatsby's dream—the flashbacks to his first memories of Daisy in Chapter 8 , the moment when they reunite in Chapter 5 , or the disastrous consequences of the confrontation of Chapter 7 —to illustrate Gatsby's deferred dream.

You could also look at George Wilson's postponed dream of going West, or Myrtle's dream of marrying a wealthy man of "breeding"—George never gets the funds to go West, and is instead mired in the Valley of Ashes, while Myrtle's attempt to achieve her dream after 12 years of marriage through an affair ends in tragedy. Apparently, dreams deferred are dreams doomed to fail.

As Nick Carraway says, "you can't repeat the past"—the novel seems to imply there is a small window for certain dreams, and when the window closes, they can no longer be attained. This is pretty pessimistic, and for the prompt's personal reflection aspect, I wouldn't say you should necessarily "apply this lesson to your own life" straightforwardly. But it is worth noting that certain opportunities are fleeting, and perhaps it's wiser to seek out newer and/or more attainable ones, rather than pining over a lost chance.

Any prompt like this one which has a section of more personal reflection gives you freedom to tie in your own experiences and point of view, so be thoughtful and think of good examples from your own life!

#3: Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the American Dream. Is the main theme of Gatsby indeed "the withering American Dream"? What does the novel offer about American identity?

In this prompt, another one that zeroes in on the dead or dying American Dream, you could discuss how the destruction of three lives (Gatsby, George, Myrtle) and the cynical portrayal of the old money crowd illustrates a dead, or dying American Dream . After all, if the characters who dream end up dead, and the ones who were born into life with money and privilege get to keep it without consequence, is there any room at all for the idea that less-privileged people can work their way up?

In terms of what the novel says about American identity, there are a few threads you could pick up—one is Nick's comment in Chapter 9 about the novel really being a story about (mid)westerners trying (and failing) to go East : "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all--Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (9.125). This observation suggests an American identity that is determined by birthplace, and that within the American identity there are smaller, inescapable points of identification.

Furthermore, for those in the novel not born into money, the American identity seems to be about striving to end up with more wealth and status. But in terms of the portrayal of the old money set, particularly Daisy, Tom, and Jordan, the novel presents a segment of American society that is essentially aristocratic—you have to be born into it. In that regard, too, the novel presents a fractured American identity, with different lives possible based on how much money you are born with.

In short, I think the novel disrupts the idea of a unified American identity or American dream, by instead presenting a tragic, fractured, and rigid American society, one that is divided based on both geographic location and social class.

#4: Most would consider dreams to be positive motivators to achieve success, but the characters in the novel often take their dreams of ideal lives too far. Explain how characters' American Dreams cause them to have pain when they could have been content with more modest ambitions.

Gatsby is an obvious choice here—his pursuit of money and status, particularly through Daisy, leads him to ruin. There were many points when perhaps Gatsby ;could have been happy with what he achieved (especially after his apparently successful endeavors in the war, if he had remained at Oxford, or even after amassing a great amount of wealth as a bootlegger) but instead he kept striving upward, which ultimately lead to his downfall. You can flesh this argument out with the quotations in Chapters 6 and 8 about Gatsby's past, along with his tragic death.

Myrtle would be another good choice for this type of prompt. In a sense, she seems to be living her ideal life in her affair with Tom—she has a fancy NYC apartment, hosts parties, and gets to act sophisticated—but these pleasures end up gravely hurting George, and of course her association with Tom Buchanan gets her killed.

Nick, too, if he had been happy with his family's respectable fortune and his girlfriend out west, might have avoided the pain of knowing Gatsby and the general sense of despair he was left with.

You might be wondering about George—after all, isn't he someone also dreaming of a better life? However, there aren't many instances of George taking his dreams of an ideal life "too far." In fact, he struggles just to make one car sale so that he can finally move out West with Myrtle. Also, given that his current situation in the Valley of Ashes is quite bleak, it's hard to say that striving upward gave him pain.

#5: The Great Gatsby is, among other things, a sobering and even ominous commentary on the dark side of the American dream. Discuss this theme, incorporating the conflicts of East Egg vs. West Egg and old money vs. new money. What does the American dream mean to Gatsby? What did the American Dream mean to Fitzgerald? How does morality fit into achieving the American dream?

This prompt allows you to consider pretty broadly the novel's attitude toward the American Dream, with emphasis on "sobering and even ominous" commentary. Note that Fitzgerald seems to be specifically mocking the stereotypical rags to riches story here—;especially since he draws the Dan Cody narrative almost note for note from the work of someone like Horatio Alger, whose books were almost universally about rich men schooling young, entrepreneurial boys in the ways of the world. In other words, you should discuss how the Great Gatsby seems to turn the idea of the American Dream as described in the quote on its head: Gatsby does achieve a rags-to-riches rise, but it doesn't last.

All of Gatsby's hard work for Dan Cody, after all, didn't pay off since he lost the inheritance. So instead, Gatsby turned to crime after the war to quickly gain a ton of money. Especially since Gatsby finally achieves his great wealth through dubious means, the novel further undermines the classic image of someone working hard and honestly to go from rags to riches.

If you're addressing this prompt or a similar one, make sure to focus on the darker aspects of the American Dream, including the dark conclusion to the novel and Daisy and Tom's protection from any real consequences . (This would also allow you to considering morality, and how morally bankrupt the characters are.)

#6: What is the current state of the American Dream?

This is a more outward-looking prompt, that allows you to consider current events today to either be generally optimistic (the American dream is alive and well) or pessimistic (it's as dead as it is in The Great Gatsby).

You have dozens of potential current events to use as evidence for either argument, but consider especially immigration and immigration reform, mass incarceration, income inequality, education, and health care in America as good potential examples to use as you argue about the current state of the American Dream. Your writing will be especially powerful if you can point to some specific current events to support your argument.

What's Next?

In this post, we discussed how important money is to the novel's version of the American Dream. You can read even more about money and materialism in The Great Gatsby right here .

Want to indulge in a little materialism of your own? Take a look through these 15 must-have items for any Great Gatsby fan .

Get complete guides to Jay Gatsby , George Wilson and Myrtle Wilson to get even more background on the "dreamers" in the novel.

Like we discussed above, the green light is often seen as a stand-in for the idea of the American Dream. Read more about this crucial symbol here .

Need help getting to grips with other literary works? Take a spin through our analyses of The Crucible , The Cask of Amontillado , and " Do not go gentle into this good night " to see analysis in action. You might also find our explanations of point of view , rhetorical devices , imagery , and literary elements and devices helpful.

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

• High School
• You don't have any recent items yet.
• You don't have any courses yet.
• You don't have any books yet.
• You don't have any Studylists yet.
• Information

Research Paper: The Great Gatsby: The American Dream

Writing and research (awr 201), the university of tampa.

Students also viewed

• A Critical Analysis of “A Rose for Emily”
• Comment Paper - Grade: A
• A Critical Analysis of “A Hunger Artist”
• An Analysis of Sylvia Plath and Her Literature
• Final Draft- punishment vs. rehab in the U.S. prison system
• Long paper; eating disorders

Related documents

• Final draft controversy summary
• AWR Final Essay-2 - Essay
• AWR Final Essay
• Essay paper
• Conflict Essay Laugh Kookaburra
• Short Paper #3 AWR

Related Studylists

Preview text.

Andrea Sciortino Professor Steinbrink AWR 201 24 April 2018 The Great Gatsby & The American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a novel that illuminates the American culture in the 1920s, and the associated values, beliefs, and dreams of the American population during that era, which ultimately is summed up as the “American Dream”. The American dream can be interpreted differently by each person: as some say it is the freedom of class, race, or religion, whereas others claim it is about choosing what they want to wear, where they want to work, or what they’re going to be eating every day. For the title character of the novel, Jay Gatsby, and many others within the work, the American dream is a dream of wealth, money, prosperity, and gaining the happiness that would supposedly come along with the flourishing economy, and the get-rich-quick schemes that built the underworld of the upper-class society in America. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald displays how the American dream is only a shallow concept of perfection, something that can never be attained, but can always be reached for. The 1920s were a boisterous era due to income inequality, the rising amount of immigration in the United States, and the change occurring among women’s roles. Adding to the anxiety within the country, World War I forced many individuals to recover and bounce back to start new and improved lives. Throughout the twenties, America was submerged in the midst of an economic boom that ignited the belief that hard work could lead anyone from rags to riches. Many came to America seeking freedom, wealth, and the ability to truly build a life that would shadow the American dream. However, those hopes of living an honest life and working for

success soon turned into hopes that were just about gaining wealth. The American dream showcased a quintessential view of American culture, that, in reality, failed to recognize issues, such as systemic misogyny and racism, xenophobia, tax evasion and many other problems. It also misrepresented American civilization to be equal among different classes, when in actuality, our country has a well-developed hierarchy of classes. The Great Gatsby thoroughly portrays the behavioral and cognitive shifts within the 1920’s culture and represents the differences between both the original American dream, and the corrupted American Dream. The achievement of the American dream in the novel is highlighted by Fitzgerald’s belief that one must go through the world of men in order to be successful. Relationships among men were thought to be key due to the political and business connections men had (Goldblatt). The relationship between Jay Gatsby and a character named Meyer Wolfsheim truly demonstrate Fitzgerald’s belief. Wolfsheim was a prominent figure in organized crime and he helped Gatsby obtain his fortune through bootlegging illegal liquor and participating in many other crimes. Their relationship emphasizes how having the right connections through men would guarantee success and lead one to achieving the American dream. There is popular belief that most people never achieve the American dream in their lifetime because it is “too much of an ideal to ever be consummated” (Barbarese 1), and those who do achieve the dream are usually men. Fitzgerald depicts the roaring twenties as a time of impaired ethics and extreme depletion of morality, especially when it came to obtaining a wealthy status. The underworld of the upper- class generated a moral decay within civilization that served as the impetus for ruining the dreams and hopes of all. Throughout the novel, a sense of greed and need of materialistic items is expressed. Each character is blinded by their attempts to find their desired place in the social world, ultimately ending up trading their beliefs for the hope of being accepted.

place where men were politically free to pursue whatever goal they wished. Myrtle Wilson is a character who is very similar to Gatsby because she also disregards her morality and pursues an affair while on the hunt for wealth and materialistic things. She and her husband, George, are working class people who strive to improve their lifestyle. George takes action through his work while Myrtle takes action through infidelity with a character named Tom. Myrtle wishes to live the life of the elite with Tom despite the fact that she is already married. She is so corrupted by materialism that she develops an unhealthy fixation on money that ultimately ruins her marriage. Becoming Tom’s mistress led her to the monetary support she needs to flourish. In contrast to most of the characters in the novel, the narrator Nick Carraway is portrayed as someone who honestly and wholeheartedly achieved the American dream. Nick fulfills the dream by traveling to New York to become a bondsman with hopes of finding a woman who he can spend the rest of his life with. Although he is attracted to the fast-paced and fun-driven lifestyle of New York, he also finds the lifestyle to be damaging and grotesque. This inner conflict is symbolized through Nick’s romantic affair with a character named Jordan Baker. He is drawn to her sophistication and vivacity, but he is also repelled by her lack of consideration for other people and her overall dishonesty. Nick believes that there is a “quality of distortion” to living in New York and the way of life makes him lose his sense of cognitive and emotional balance. As the plot unravels in the novel, Nick finds out the hard way that the fast life of revelry is merely a cover for the disruptive moral emptiness that lie within it. The cultural norms of our nation during the twenties were impacted by the race for the American dream, as they consisted of prioritizing appearances, partying, and materialistic endeavors over anything else. Fitzgerald depicts these norms through the many parties that

Gatsby and his friends hosted. Many people felt compelled to attend these parties because it was sophisticated to do so. At each of Gatsby’s parties, lemons and oranges were present, representing the moral depletion that the partygoers were subjected to. The fruits were fresh and innocent from the start but were later depleted in quality, just as the people were depleted of their moral values. For instance, when Tom threw a party, a direct representation of immorality was depicted. Everyone who attended the party exhibited no restraint and got overly-intoxicated while arguing over trivial matters that lead to violence and major conflicts. This shows how the characters were getting caught up in all the wrong things and focussing on benefits of having money and being irresponsible. Love, sex, and desire are also major motivators for nearly every character on their individual hunts to achieve the American dream. Fitzgerald portrays love and desire throughout major relationships, such as Daisy and Tom, Gatsby and Daisy, George and Myrtle, and Tom and Myrtle. Each character develops throughout the story and represents the author’s depiction of love. While The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, it serves as a satire and critique of the American dream that uses several relationships as a vehicle to examine such themes. Tom and Daisy are married and both come from extremely wealthy families that secure their social status. Although they appear to be living the ideal lifestyle, their marriage is corrupt and consists of lying, cheating, and an overall distance from reality. They “weren’t happy.. yet they weren’t unhappy either” because their marriage guaranteed their continued membership into the exclusive world of the rich (Fitzgerald 409). Their relations to each other show that class held a much stronger bond to them than love. In contrast, the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is much more complex, as it

possible if certain conditions are met; in this case, the conditions are both members being content with the amount of money in the marriage other relationships fail because of cross-class dating or one member desperately trying to break away from their given social class. Materialism is another cultural fault that fell among people in the 1920s in ties to pursuing the American dream. Fitzgerald acknowledges the materialism when portraying the roles of automobiles and currency in the novel. After World War I, people in America felt the need to let loose and automobiles allowed people to feel freedoms they had never felt before. The rise of the economy and the new lifestyle of living lavishly set up expectations for society to try and live up to (Little). F. Scott Fitzgerald was very aware of the relationship between the automobile one drives and his or her social status. In the novel, a character named Jordan Baker is used to represent automobiles during the twenties. Fitzgerald crafted her name in order to construct a play on two prominent American automobile manufacturers of the time: the Jordan Motor Car Company and Baker Motor Vehicle. These major car companies mirror the American values during the twenties because their main focuses were based on appearance. In addition, they proudly advertised a philosophy that claimed that because people paid so much attention towards their self-appearance, they would also pay attention to the type of car they drove, in which it would match cultural standards. The United States’ abstraction of financial values reflected on a concomitant abstraction of ethical values. “Not only was there a huge decrease in the rate of personal savings and an increase in installment buying in the 1920s, but there was also a drastic change in the attitudes of the people in society.” (McAdams). Some argue that the American dream is associated with a lack of success whereas some claim that the dreams were not even a full idea until the thirties. Fitzgerald made comparisons between The Great Gatsby characters’ perception of the American dream and the reality of what

the American dream actually was through the language and style of work, as he made sure the readers could see the dream as a “contradiction to and a distortion of reality.” Fitzgerald also made attempts to correct misconceptions about the dream and instead convey his own thoughts on how the dream is “ambiguous, contradictory, romantic in nature, and undeniably beautiful while at the same time grotesquely flawed.” (Hearn e 189-190). The Great Gatsby foresaw the future concepts of the American dream and demonstrated how dishonesty and money distribution would be crucial for success in the long run. The novel showcased how it might be a part of the American dream to “strive for success, regardless of doing business in an unethical way.” (Pidgeon). Each character is presented with situations that challenge their ethics and make them truly think about what is more important. The American dream holds several different meanings through different individuals, especially during the 1920s. The Great Gatsby was written to express the cultural elements that led to the downfall of our community, as well as their hopes and dreams of the desired lifestyle of that era. Concepts such as morality, love and relationships, and materialism are discussed throughout the book in order to truly project the thought processes and behaviors of the people to the reader. Although the dream sounded honest and ambitious, Fitzgerald uncovered the truth behind it and revealed that it was just about conformity among wealth and the social classes.

Century." Journal of American Studies, vol. 50, no. 1, 2016, pp. 105-124, Research Library, search.proquest.com.esearch.ut/docview/1761583877? accountid=14762, doi:dx.doi/10.1017/S0021875815000663. ● Hearne, Kimberly. "Fitzgerald's Rendering of a Dream." Explicator, vol. 68, no. 3, 2010, pp. 189-194, esearch.ut/login?url=search.ebscohost/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=52339679&site=ehost-live. ● Keshmiri, Fahimeh. "The Disillusionment of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Dreams and Ideals in The Great Gatsby." Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 6, no. 6, 2016, pp. 1295-1299, Research Library, ● search.proquest.com.esearch.ut/docview/1797327376?accountid=14762 , doi:// dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0606. ● Little, Matthew. "’I could make some Money’: Cars and Currency in The Great Gatsby." Papers on Language & Literature, vol. 51, no. 1, 2015, pp. 3-26, esearch.ut/login?url=search.ebscohost/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=101962031&site=ehost-live. ● McAdams, Tony. "The Great Gatsby as a Business Ethics Inquiry." Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 12, no. 8, 1993, pp. 653, ABI/INFORM Collection, Psychology Database, Research Library, search.proquest.com.esearch.ut/docview/198091314? accountid=14762. ● Pidgeon, John A. "The Great Gatsby." Modern Age, vol. 49, no. 2, 2007, pp. 178-182, esearch.ut/login?url=search.ebscohost/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=25374689&site=ehost-live.

• Multiple Choice

Course : Writing and Research (AWR 201)

University : the university of tampa.

• Discover more from: Writing and Research AWR 201 The University of Tampa 85   Documents Go to course
• More from: Writing and Research AWR 201 The University of Tampa 85   Documents Go to course
• More from: AM AM Alyssia McDonald 999+ impact 999+ University of Central Florida Discover more
• More from: NEA by Bela Lily 21 21 documents Go to Studylist

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

The Great Gatsby

F. scott fitzgerald.

The American Dream—that hard work can lead one from rags to riches—has been a core facet of American identity since its inception. Settlers came west to America from Europe seeking wealth and freedom. The pioneers headed west for the same reason. The Great Gatsby shows the tide turning east, as hordes flock to New York City seeking stock market fortunes. The Great Gatsby portrays this shift as a symbol of the American Dream's corruption. It's no longer a vision of building a life; it's just about getting rich.

Gatsby symbolizes both the corrupted Dream and the original uncorrupted Dream. He sees wealth as the solution to his problems, pursues money via shady schemes, and reinvents himself so much that he becomes hollow, disconnected from his past. Yet Gatsby's corrupt dream of wealth is motivated by an incorruptible love for Daisy . Gatsby's failure does not prove the folly of the American Dream—rather it proves the folly of short-cutting that dream by allowing corruption and materialism to prevail over hard work, integrity, and real love. And the dream of love that remains at Gatsby's core condemns nearly every other character in the novel, all of whom are empty beyond just their lust for money.

The American Dream ThemeTracker

The American Dream Quotes in The Great Gatsby

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

• Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ and the Illusion of the American Dream Words: 1514
• The Great Gatsby: American Dream Concept Words: 1191
• The Deception of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby Words: 1245
• The Great Gatsby: Gatsby and the Decline of the American Dream Words: 1152
• “The Great Gatsby”: The American Dream Is Not Feasible for All Words: 1107
• American Dream in Fitzgeralds’s “The Great Gatsby” Words: 591
• The Corruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Words: 2724
• The Film “The Great Gatsby” and the American Dream Words: 1124
• Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” Book Review Words: 1631
• “The Great Gatsby” by Scott F. Fitzgerald Words: 940
• The American Dream Discussion Based on the Film “The Great Gatsby” Words: 595
• Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Words: 1579
• The American Dream: Jay Gatsby’s Illegal Wealth Words: 1239
• The Great Gatsby as a Reflection of American Culture Words: 1401
• Imagery in “The Great Gatsby” by F. Fitzgerald Words: 979
• Failure of American Dream: “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald Review Words: 310
• “The Great Gatsby” Is the Best Fitzgerald’s Novel Words: 1386
• Society in The Great Gatsby Words: 1683

The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

Introduction, the american dream in the novel.

The Great Gatsby is a chef-d’oeuvre tragic love story and a pessimistic critique of the idea of the American Dream as written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. The American Dream is the meritocratic belief that anyone, irrespective of his or her class, race, gender, or nationality can become wildly successful in the United States through hard work and persistence. This rosy view of the US promotes the myth of class equality and paints a utopian image of a country that has many inherent problems, such as systemic racism, misogyny, and widespread income inequalities among other social evils that bedevil most developed countries around the world. Therefore, Fitzgerald wrote this subtly sarcastic novel to highlight the many flaws of the American Dream – an idea that has been romanticized for many years since the early 1900s. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is illusionary, those who pursue it, like Jay Gatsby, end up living miserably, and the impacts of such pursuits are mostly tragic as discussed in this paper.

Jay Gatsby is the ultimate embodiment of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. He is born poor, but he allegedly works hard by associating with a millionaire, Dan Cody, to gain wealth and prominence in society and this concept of success fits well into the underlying concept of the American Dream. Gatsby’s drive for wealth and success is fuelled by his love for Daisy Buchanan. He thinks that if he becomes successful, then he would win Daisy’s love and live happily after. As such, his version of the American Dream is to work hard, become successful, and earn happiness in the process. However, although Jay becomes wildly successful, he does not win Daisy’s love and this tragic turn of events leads to his premature death. Through Jay’s actions and desires, Fitzgerald criticizes the notion of the American Dream by showing that this idea is illusionary and cannot be fully achieved. Those chasing this idea will always want more no matter the level of success that they achieve. For instance, Jay amasses great wealth, but he is not satisfied because his definition of success cannot be completed without winning Daisy’s love. The extreme pursuit of materialism does not guarantee happiness or success. Jay’s desire to earn more and scale the social ladder to win Daisy’s love leads to his downfall. As such, Fitzgerald shows that the idea of infinite success, as embodied in the American Dream, is illusionary.

When the author introduces Jay at first in the novel, he comes across as an individual always yearning for more. Jay appears to be reaching for something that is far away, almost unattainable – something that can be seen but cannot be reached. The narrator, Nick, says,

…He stretched 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, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock (Fitzgerald 20).

The image of the green light could be interpreted as the novel’s meditation on the American Dream. The promise of great success through the unabated amassment of wealth forces the believers of this dream to keep on yearning for more even after becoming successful. The green light in chapter one is mysterious and Nick does not know its purpose. This green light, albeit distant, does not dim or go off. It is a constant reminder to Jay that he can achieve more if only he works harder – it is the American Dream.

The illusionary nature of this dream becomes evident once Jay achieves the desired success and ultimately gets the green light. For the first time, in Chapter 5, Jay reveals that the green light that he has always been seeking is at Daisy’s house. Nick 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’” (Fitzgerald 92). It becomes clear that Jay’s idea of success as enshrined in the American Dream is closely tied to winning Daisy’s love. Interestingly, when Jay finally meets Daisy, he does not recognize that his dream has come true. The meaning of the green light disappears the moment Jay reaches it. When Daisy puts her arm through Jay’s, he seems unmoved or excited, even though he has achieved one of his lifelong dreams – to have daisy. According to the narrator, possibly it occurred to Jay that

The colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one (Fitzgerald 93)

In this passage, the author sarcastically, albeit subtly, criticizes the idea of the American Dream. The dream is an illusion that only exists in the mind of those in its pursuit. Jay has finally reached the green light that he has been yearning for years. However, its meaning is now lost and he wants more. This is the nature of the American Dream – the promise of unparalleled success based on materialism is vague and empty. Even after achieving wealth and success, and eventually reaching Daisy, Jay is not satisfied, he is not happy with his life, and thus he is always seeking more. In this state of confusion, Jay starts losing everything that he has accumulated and ultimately his life.

Another aspect of the state of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby is the lie that hard work pays and through meritocracy, anyone could achieve success. In the novel, Jay appears to have decoded the mystery of the American Dream because he becomes wealthy and successful against all odds after being born poor. According to Nick, Gatsby’s parents were “shiftless and unsuccessful farm people…For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and a bed” (Fitzgerald 98). Even though Jay starts his life in poverty, he has what it takes, according to the American Dream, to become successful. He has a strong work ethic and unparalleled ambition to win Daisy’s love, and a combination of these two attributes allows him to overcome his poverty-stricken past. The narrator highlights the level of success and wealth accumulation that Jay has when he describes Jay’s mansion as, “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (Fitzgerald 5). Therefore, according to the materialistic nature of success as embodied in the American Dream, it suffices to argue that Jay is living the dream. He rises through the social ranks, gains extravagant wealth, and becomes highly successful through sheer hard work and determination.

However, a closer look at Jay’s life reveals a different side of the story whereby wealth, as the ultimate achievement of the American Dream, is attained unscrupulously through corruption and crime. Traditionally, the American Dream is hinged on the belief that hard work and honesty could lead anyone to success because the country is a land of opportunity and meritocracy. However, Jay violates all these principles and quickly becomes extravagantly wealthy through crime and corruption. In the beginning, Jay attempts to follow the classical way of hard work as a guiding work ethic principle during his years working for Dan Cody. Unfortunately, Jay’s stay and work life at Cody’s place are terminated prematurely when Cody’s wife steals all the inheritance. As such, Jay turns to crime as the only feasible way of achieving his desired and imagined wealth. Therefore, while on the one side Jay’s story imitates the rags-to-riches tale, he gains his wealth immorally and this aspect complicates the notion behind the perfect avatar of the American Dream. This dream is illusionary, and based on Jay’s story, it suffices to argue that it is unattainable, and those that attempt to pursue it do so at the expense of their happiness and lives.

In the end, Jay’s American Dream does not materialize. He turns into crime to become rich and successful as a way of winning Daisy’s love, which is ultimately his American Dream. According to the narrator, Jay knew that when “he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God…At his lips’ touch, she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete” (Fitzgerald 110). This quote ties Daisy to Jay’s version of the American Dream. However, it also sets the stage for Jay’s tragic ending. Daisy chooses to stay with Tom, despite confessing her love for Jay. As such, when he fails to win Daisy’s love, he fails to achieve his American Dream and the events that follow lead to his premature death after being shot by Tom Buchanan. Therefore, The Great Gatsby is a pessimistic approach to the American Dream. The impact of chasing this illusionary dream is that it leads to misery and death based on Jay’s story.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald criticizes the concept of the American Dream by presenting it as a pipe dream that cannot be realized no matter how hard anyone tries. Jay attempts to pursue his version of the American Dream, which is to ultimately win Daisy’s love, but he fails and dies miserably. Additionally, the author criticizes the argument that hard work and meritocracy are the sure ways of achieving the American Dream. Jay’s industriousness while working for Cody does not pay off for him to become wealthy. On the contrary, he becomes rich through bootlegging alcohol among other criminal activities. Therefore, Fitzgerald is pessimistic about the underlying claim that hard work could propel anyone to become wealthy and successful hence the realization of the American Dream. In other words, the dream is illusionary, and its pursuers, such as Jay, lead miserable lives and the impacts of such pursuit are often tragic.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, July 12). The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. https://studycorgi.com/the-american-dream-in-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/

"The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." StudyCorgi , 12 July 2022, studycorgi.com/the-american-dream-in-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby'. 12 July.

1. StudyCorgi . "The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." July 12, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-american-dream-in-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." July 12, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-american-dream-in-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby." July 12, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/the-american-dream-in-fitzgeralds-the-great-gatsby/.

This paper, “The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: October 18, 2022 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Great Gatsby — The Illusion of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

The Illusion of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

• Categories: American Dream The Great Gatsby

About this sample

Words: 1248 |

Published: Feb 12, 2024

Words: 1248 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Introduction

The american dream in the novel.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Economics Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 766 words

2 pages / 836 words

2 pages / 871 words

1.5 pages / 674 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Great Gatsby

The pink suit in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, holds significant symbolic meaning and plays a crucial role in the development of the story. This essay will explore the history and debates surrounding the pink [...]

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," the death of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby is a pivotal moment that leaves readers questioning who is truly responsible for his demise. While there are multiple characters [...]

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, the character of Myrtle Wilson meets a tragic end, but what were the causes of her death? Some may argue that it was solely the result of a car accident, while others believe [...]

The rain has long been a powerful symbol in literature, often representing a variety of emotions, themes, and motifs. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," the rain serves as a symbol that conveys deeper [...]

Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner's Sons.

The Great Gatsby is one of the key novels that depicts the struggle for freedom and identity with the enormous challenges in society. It is a novel that was written in 1925 by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• English Literature
• Short Stories
• Literary Terms
• Web Stories

Critically comment on the concept of the ‘‘American Dream’’ in The Great Gatsby

Table of Contents

The novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald critically analyzes the idea of the “American Dream.” In addition to depicting the lives of its protagonists, this classic piece of American literature offers commentary on the excess and disillusionment that characterized the Roaring Twenties—a time when many people were chasing the American Dream.

The American Dream in the Roaring Twenties:

The Roaring Twenties, a period of economic prosperity and cultural transformation in the United States, is the backdrop against which “The Great Gatsby” unfolds. This era is often associated with the American Dream, a concept that embodies the idea of upward mobility, success, and the pursuit of happiness through hard work and determination. It is a dream deeply rooted in the nation’s history and ideals, promising a better life and limitless opportunities to those willing to strive for them. In the 1920s, the American Dream took on new dimensions as material wealth and excess came to the forefront.

Characters and Their Pursuit of the American Dream:

Throughout the novel, we see various characters striving for their version of the American Dream, and Fitzgerald uses their experiences to shed light on the complexities and pitfalls of this pursuit.

• Jay Gatsby : The titular character, Jay Gatsby, epitomizes the American Dream’s pursuit of success and wealth. Born into modest circumstances, he reinvents himself as a wealthy and mysterious figure, hosting extravagant parties and accumulating wealth in the hope of winning back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby’s life and fortune symbolize the possibility of self-transformation and success. However, his single-minded obsession with the past and his unrealistic pursuit of an idealized vision of love ultimately lead to his tragic downfall.
• Daisy Buchanan : Daisy is emblematic of those who achieve the material trappings of the American Dream. She is married to Tom Buchanan, a wealthy and influential man, and lives in luxury. Yet, she is also unhappy and trapped in a loveless marriage. Daisy represents the emptiness that can be found at the heart of a life driven solely by the pursuit of material success.
• Tom Buchanan : Tom, Daisy’s husband, is a symbol of the established American elite. He enjoys the privileges of inherited wealth and social status. However, he is arrogant, racist, and unfaithful. Tom’s character illustrates that the American Dream, when achieved at the expense of others, can lead to moral decay and a lack of empathy.
• Myrtle Wilson : Myrtle, Tom’s mistress, represents the lower social strata’s aspirations for the American Dream. She is married to George Wilson, a mechanic, but aspires to a life of wealth and luxury. Myrtle’s pursuit of the Dream leads her into an affair with Tom and, ultimately, to a tragic end.
• George Wilson : George, Myrtle’s husband, works tirelessly to achieve his version of the American Dream: financial success and a better life for himself and his wife. However, his pursuit is futile, and he remains trapped in the Valley of Ashes, highlighting the disparity between the Dream’s promise and the reality of economic inequality.

The Illusory Nature of the American Dream:

Fitzgerald’s portrayal of these characters and their experiences serves to critique the American Dream’s illusory nature. The novel suggests that the Dream, as pursued in the 1920s, often leads to disillusionment and moral decay rather than genuine happiness and success. The lavish parties, extravagant displays of wealth, and material excess that pervade the story are, in many ways, a facade that conceals the emptiness and corruption beneath.

• Gatsby’s Pursuit of the Past : Gatsby’s obsession with an idealized past and his relentless pursuit of Daisy, who represents that past, demonstrate the inherent flaw in his version of the American Dream. He believes that material wealth and social status alone will secure his happiness, yet he is unable to let go of his romanticized vision of the past, leading to his eventual downfall.
• The Moral Decay of the Wealthy Elite : Tom and Daisy Buchanan, who seemingly have everything the American Dream promises, are morally bankrupt. They are careless and selfish, causing harm to others without consequence. Their wealth does not lead to happiness but rather exacerbates their moral decay.
• The Hollow Pursuit of Myrtle : Myrtle’s affair with Tom and her desire for a more luxurious life ultimately lead to her tragic death. Her pursuit of the Dream is hollow, and she becomes a victim of the very desire she chases.
• The Inequality and Hopelessness of George Wilson : George Wilson’s futile pursuit of the American Dream highlights the stark economic inequality in society and the hopelessness that can result from chasing an unattainable goal.

The Green Light and the Unattainable Dream:

A recurring symbol in the novel is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock, which Gatsby gazes at longingly. The green light represents the unattainable Dream, forever just out of reach. It symbolizes the belief that success and happiness can be achieved through the pursuit of an idealized past or a materialistic future, even though they remain elusive.

Discuss the theme of disillusionment in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

Analyze the use of symbolism in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

How does F. Scott Fitzgerald use the concept of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald’s use of the green light underscores the theme that the American Dream, as it is often conceived, is an unattainable ideal. The Dream can never be fully realized because it is based on illusions, unrealistic expectations, and the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

The Influence of Society and Culture:

Fitzgerald also critiques the society and culture of the 1920s, which encouraged the pursuit of material success and the idea that one could achieve their dreams through external markers of wealth and social status. The characters in the novel are products of this culture, where excess and ostentation were valued. This societal influence contributes to the characters’ flawed pursuit of the Dream.

The Tragic Outcome:

“The Great Gatsby” ultimately ends in tragedy. Gatsby’s death and the other characters’ unhappy fates serve as a cautionary tale about the perils of a Dream pursued with misguided values and an obsession with the past. The novel conveys the idea that the Dream, when it becomes an all-consuming force, can lead to personal and societal destruction.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is a gripping examination of the American Dream set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties. The book offers a critical analysis of the Dream’s many dimensions and deceptive nature. The book emphasizes the catastrophic outcomes, moral deterioration, and disillusionment that can result from chasing the American Dream through the characters of Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Myrtle, and George Wilson. The green light at Daisy’s dock’s end is a moving representation of the Dream’s impossibility, highlighting the contrast between the hope of achievement and the practicality of pursuing it.

Fitzgerald’s work challenges readers to reflect on the values and societal influences that shape the American Dream. It ultimately cautions against the single-minded obsession with materialism and the past, offering a somber critique of a society driven by excess and superficiality. “The Great Gatsby” remains a timeless and thought-provoking commentary on the American Dream and its often elusive and misleading promises.

What is the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”?

The American Dream in the novel represents the pursuit of success, happiness, and upward mobility through hard work, determination, and self-improvement. In the context of the Roaring Twenties, it often involves the pursuit of material wealth and social status.

How does “The Great Gatsby” critique the American Dream?

The novel critiques the American Dream by portraying characters who, despite achieving elements of the Dream, experience disillusionment, moral decay, and tragic consequences. It highlights the illusory nature of the Dream and the dangers of obsession with materialism and the past.

What is the significance of the green light in the novel?

The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes the unattainable nature of the American Dream. It represents the idea that success and happiness are just out of reach, emphasizing the gap between the Dream’s promise and its reality.

How does the societal and cultural context of the 1920s influence the characters’ pursuit of the American Dream?

The societal and cultural context of the 1920s, characterized by excess and materialism, influences the characters’ values and aspirations. The culture of the time encourages the pursuit of wealth and social status, which is reflected in the characters’ behavior and choices.

What is the ultimate message of “The Great Gatsby” regarding the American Dream?

The novel’s message is that an obsessive pursuit of the American Dream, particularly when driven by materialism and the idealization of the past, can lead to disillusionment, moral decay, and personal tragedy. It challenges readers to reevaluate the values and goals that underpin the Dream.

Why is “The Great Gatsby” considered a classic American novel?

“The Great Gatsby” is considered a classic American novel because it captures the spirit of the Roaring Twenties and provides a powerful critique of the American Dream and the societal values of the time. Its themes, characters, and symbolism continue to resonate with readers and offer profound insights into American society and culture.

Related Posts

Harlem shuffle by colson whitehead: chapter-wise summary.

Top 10 English Novels of All Time Summary and Themes

The 48 Laws of Power Summary Chapterwise by Robert Greene

Attempt a critical appreciation of The Triumph of Life by P.B. Shelley.

Consider The Garden by Andrew Marvell as a didactic poem.

Why does Plato want the artists to be kept away from the ideal state

Do any of the characters surprise you at any stage in the novel Tamas

William Shakespeare Biography and Works

Discuss the theme of freedom in Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

How does William Shakespeare use the concept of power in Richard III

Analyze the use of imagery in William Shakespeare’s sonnets

Novel Around The World In Eighty Days Summary And Themes By Jules Verne

Novel Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Summary And Themes By Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Novel Ariadne Summary And Themes By Jennifer Saint

Novel Arcadia Summary And Themes By Lauren Groff

• Advertisement
• Privacy & Policy
• Other Links

© 2023 Literopedia

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Remember Me

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?

Are you sure want to cancel subscription.