How Is The American Dream Achieved In The Great Gatsby

Every American strives to live The American Dream, this dream is said to be possible to achieve by anyone but only through hard work and perseverance can a prosperous life be achieved. The American Dream is a concept that has various meanings, but it is a question as to whether this dream can actually be achieved. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is evidently living a lifestyle that could be given the term ‘The American Dream’. In the perfect ‘American Dream’, it is expected that you have a wife and kids. Jay Gatsby is missing this credential, Gatsby’s missing piece to ‘The American Dream’ is Daisy. Throughout the novel, Daisy is clearly the love of Jay Gatsby and she is the one thing that leads to his ultimate happiness. In contrast, Gatsby

The diction used throughout the novel describes the degree of wealth of Jay Gatsby. As the novel progresses, Gatsby begins to realize that his wealth holds little to no value in order to win Daisy’s love. In Chapter 5, Nick invites Gatsby and Daisy over for Tea and as the afternoon progresses Gatsby invites Nick and Daisy back to his mansion. While they are in Gatsby’s home, Nick claims “He hadn’t once ceased looking at Daisy and I think that he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of the response it drew from her well-loved eyes. Sometimes, too, he stared around at his possessions in a dazed way as though her actual presence none of it was any longer real.” (88). Nick reveals that Gatsby is revaluing his possessions according to Daisy’s response, essentially Gatsby’s wealth does not influence Daisy’s potential love for him. The tone of this quotation reveals that money doesn't buy happiness, nor does it buy love. Gatsby’s wealthiness will not be a factor in bringing Daisy together with him, therefore the dream of being wealthy and having Daisy is evidently achievable. Daisy later implies that she would like to run away with Gatsby and start a new life, therefore ‘The American Dream’ cannot be fully achieved by Jay

Life always goes on and times change, therefore to live ‘The American Dream’ is an unachievable goal because nothing will ever be perfect. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is very close to achieving ‘The American Dream’ yet so far. Jay Gatsby posses many wealthy things and lives in a mansion, although the only thing he has to possess to live “The American Dream’ is Daisy’s love. Daisy’s love for Gatsby is apparent in the novel, but she never fully falls in love with Jay Gatsby. Therefore, Gatsby’s ‘American Dream’ is close to being achieved but never is. ‘The American Dream’ in the novel, can be compared to the green light of Daisy and Tom’s dock seen from Gatsby’s house. In Chapter 5, 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.’Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever.” (99-100). The significance of the green light directly correlates to ‘The American Dream’. The green light of Daisy’s dock is a metaphor used to describe ‘The American Dream’.’The American Dream’ may seem so close at certain points in life, and for Jay Gatsby the dream was very close but it can never be fully achieved. The green light can always be seen