How Is The American Dream Reflected In The Great Gatsby

Published in 1925, Scott Fitzgerald released The Great Gatsby. What some critics say “readers have been fascinated by the oppositions in his work and character” (Callahan 1). He has been critiqued and analyzed by people for almost a century, therefore changing the history of American literature. The Great Gatsby was brilliantly written in a way that it represented an era in American history where people had the freedom to do just about anything or at least people thought they did. Fitzgerald was excellent in the way he made his characters come to life. Each one of the characters had their own goals that they wanted to achieve. The center cause of everything within the novel is based on a dream, the dream that has placed upon America’s since the early setters.

Kimberly Hearne states that “the American dream as a promise of freedom—freedom from persecution and unjust hostility as well as the freedom to advance and achieve success. Part of that dream is that all, not just the privileged few, share in this promise” (Explicator). What makes Fitzgerald interesting is the fact that he was aware of this dream and how it was almost unattainable even within his time period. Fitzgerald uses the theme of the American dream concept perfecting within his novel, to set the boundaries of reality and the delusion. Jay Gatsby the main character is victim to the American dream. He is tied into the necessity of materials and engaging in huge elaborate parties that ultimately makes him “great”. Gatsby’s life demonstrate the emptiness that results when wealth and pleasing others comes to play. Fitzgerald shows us that chasing an unfilled dream can lead only to