Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

682 Words2 Pages

What is the American Dream? The dream is a dream of opportunity, wealth, and freedom.
The Dream is that anybody can be successful as long as one is able to work hard for their goals.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's truly American novel “The Great Gatsby”, the reality and corruption of the American Dream unfolds in the lives of Jay Gatz and Myrtle Wilson. Both these characters are distorted by this dream, believing that wealth will bring them status and happiness. To these individuals each of their “American Dreams” are corrupted by wealth and obsession which later causes their ultimate downfall. Gatsby is the symbol of the American Dream. Starting from close to nothing and becoming an affluent man, the perfect rags to riches story. Although it seems …show more content…

She is a poor woman living a boring life as the wife of a lifeless auto repair shop owner in the Valley Of Ashes. Her desire for a wealthy life leads her to have an affair with Tom, which makes her husband in deep despair. Tom represents the life that Myrtle has endlessly dreamed of, a life on the upper end of society. She values money more than her own marriage which shows her materialistic values. At first Myrtle was crazy about marrying a gentleman like George but she says “The only CRAZY I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out”(39). After finding out her husband was not rich she lost her morals and let lust and greed monopolize her. She tries to redefine her social class by having an affair with Tom, she believes this would make her rise in the ladders of social hierarchy. The dream for wealth, higher social class, and elite status corrupted Myrtle’s reality. She thought these dreams were attainable and they were temporarily through Tom. This dream caused her inevitable downfall, She was struck and killed by Gatsby’s car, believing that Tom was driving it. Ironically he was Myrtle’s way to achieve her dream of acquiring a higher social class, though her desire and obsession caused her

Who Is Myrtle's Power In The Great Gatsby
1057 Words | 3 Pages
Myrtle Wilson came from a working class family with a low social standing. Due to her family’s lack of money, Myrtle’s options were limited to marrying men of equal or lower economic status than herself. As a result, Myrtle married George Wilson, a poor car mechanic. In her relationship with George, Myrtle lacked control due to her status as a woman and was thus forced to listen to her husband. However, because of her lower status, Myrtle did learn to use her physical attributes to her own advantage. In other words, Myrtle knew how to exaggerate her physical beauty in order to attract men such as Tom Buchanan; who would pay her with money and expensive gifts in return. Thus, “there is a clear connection between the material disadvantages” Myrtle faced and her lack of morals; given “the paucity of her allotment of the fundamental decencies” (Voegeli). In other words, because of her lack of economic backing, Myrtle Wilson grew up as a woman of lower class with less options in life; which limited her social power and drove her to act unlike any high class lady. Thus, Myrtle’s only option for increasing her status was through material services such as her relationship with Tom Buchanan. All in all, Myrtle Wilson’s economic status limited her to the life of a low class woman and her power others in her
Read More
Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby
729 Words | 2 Pages
Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes the American dream very elaborately and shows the idea of the American dream to be connected with the goal of achieving wealth. Fitzgerald does not praise wealth in the Great Gatsby but condemns it by drawing attention to the dreadful fall made by Gatsby. Fitzgerald finds the desire of wealth to be a corrupting impact on people. Throughout the novel, the characters with money contradict the idea of the American dream. They are portrayed to be very snobbish and unhappy people. The American dream in the novel is shown to be unachievable. For some time, the American dream has been focused upon material things that will gain people success.
Read More
The Women in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
529 Words | 2 Pages
Unlike Daisy, who comes from old money, Myrtle is from the lower middle class. Myrtle hopes to climb the social ladder by cheating on her husband with Tom Buchanan.
Read More
Essay On Same Goal, Different Route In The Great Gatsby
621 Words | 2 Pages
Myrtle eventually had similar goals as Gatsby, but her life did not begin the same way. She was of the lower class of society and married a simple man. The two pursued a poor life, but Myrtle’s husband George was a decent man. Nevertheless, Myrtle became unsatisfied, and when the opportunity arose to better the quality of her life, she took it. Daisy’s husband Tom, an unfaithful, rough man not very committed to his marriage, began an affair with Myrtle.
Read More
Parallelism In The Great Gatsby
1135 Words | 3 Pages
This line reveals that Myrtle is not one of beauty or features that make her superior. Myrtle is characterized as a larger women who is exploding with anger . She is a demanding lady who tries to put on a front and fake wealth. Myrtle is from a lower hierarchy being from the Valley of Ashes . She is very poor but puts on a front being in an affair with Tom who is very wealthy. By Fitzgerald using imagery, readers get a realistic look at the physical appearance she is composed of as well as her tenacious attitude. With Fitzgerald using figurative language we deeply feel the contrast of two different ladies and the lifestyles they live.
Read More
The American Dream in The Great Gatsby
811 Words | 2 Pages
Gatsby’s personal dream symbolizes a larger version of the American Dream where everyone has the opportunity to try to get what they want. Later on in the novel,it is shown that Gatsby thinks that Daisy feels the same way about him that he does about her. It proves that he is convinced of this when he takes the blame for the death of Myrtle. He says that he was driving when in reality Daisy was. He also feels the need to watch over her and protest her as she returns home.
Read More
Examples Of Declaration Of Independence In The Great Gatsby
1517 Words | 4 Pages
Myrtle is selfish, shallow and greedy. She is willing to degrade herself for the chase of materialistic dream of money and power. Her desire for a lavish life causes her to step outside her marriage with George Wilson because he does not have the financial capabilities to satisfy her shallow needs. Myrtle has an affair with Tom Buchanan because he fulfills that financial aspect she thrives for. Myrtle becomes a bigger fool while seeing Tom because he physically abuses her and Tom knows she won’t leave because she wants to be a part in his social stratification. “Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing, in impassioned voices, whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy's name."Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson. "I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai –– "Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand” (Chapter 2). Tom showers Myrtle with lies that he will leave Daisy and marry her but that never happens. Myrtle decision to stay in her affair with Tom harms her marriage with George Wilson, which unfortunately this leads to her tragic death. Due to Myrtle foolishness to accept the loss of her unrealistic dreams, Myrtle puts herself in a life or death situation, where she is struck by a car. Unknown to Myrtle, the driver of the car
Read More
Examples Of Reinvention In The Great Gatsby
507 Words | 2 Pages
Myrtle Wilson did not have a lot in the beginning, but she gained a new life with Tom when she tried to reinvent herself for him. Things like new dresses, a big apartment, and fancy outings with Tom became the new “normal” for Myrtle. On the other hand, Myrtle lost the respect of her husband and friends when everyone found out about her affair. In addition to losing respect, Myrtle also lost herself, both mentally and physically, when she tried to keep secrets and live a double life. She became someone she did not recognize, and although her end in the novel was tragic, it was a cost that she had to
Read More
Physical and Emotional Pain Depicted in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
886 Words | 2 Pages
She was a wife and at the same time a lover of another. She was the lover of Tom, who was Daisy's husband, and Daisy was Jay Gatsby's love. A good connection there, right? Myrtle loved Tom, with all her heart. He was her American Dream, and yet she didn't find love near him, but death among his wife, who killed her accidentally.
Read More
Failure of the American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
714 Words | 2 Pages
Though Myrtle Wilson makes an attempt to escape her own class and pursue happiness with the rich, she ends up gaining nothing and eventually dies. She is basically a victim of the group she wanted to join. Myrtle tries to become like Tom by having an affair with him and taking on his way of living, but in doing so she becomes unsatisfied with her life. Her constant clothing changes show that she is unhappy with her life, she changes personalities every time she changes her dress: "with the influence of the dress her whole personality had also undergone a change.
Read More
The Great Gatsby And The American Dream Essay
872 Words | 2 Pages
What is the American Dream? Is it fame or fortune? Franklin Roosevelt explained the American Dream as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The American Dream is the idea of becoming successful through work, although, this is not always achievable because people in America are not always treated equally, and not everybody has an equal opportunity to reach the American Dream.
Read More
Great Gatsby Quotes
924 Words | 2 Pages
You have to always keep after them” (Fitzgerald 32). For a low-class woman, whose home is the Valley of Ashes, Myrtle has a very snooty personality, as if she was a European monarch, getting their daily diamond embedded into their crown. She is convincing her friends and winning Tom’s heart, this filthy woman is one step closer to achieving her goal. Myrtle also knows what she wants, due to her acting like a European monarch and getting the heart of a rich man to be her master.
Read More
Fitzgerald's Presentation Of Myrtle In The Great Gatsby
617 Words | 2 Pages
The first time that the reader catches an insight of Myrtle, Fitzgerald develops Myrtle to be a mere object of Tom's’ desire. Fitzgerald does this to extenuate the fact that Tom will not move on past Daisy to be with her. Tom “got some women” that supposedly is a secret but there is a lack of secretism on Myrtles end seeing as she is now calling during evening meals from “New York” just to talk to Tom. This further proves that she is in need of attention, something her husband can not fully give her at any random moment of the day. Myrtle is willing to express herself even when she’s already married. It reveals that she is deceiving her own husband, who is later mentioned in the novel. This allows for Myrtle to be looked down upon by the reader, it also entails her to be seen as an attention seeker. Again, Fitzgerald appeals to present-day behaviors by allowing Myrtle to be viewed as someone who wants to be showcased. Almost everyone can relate that they’ve wanted attention in their life at some point. This connects Myrtle to the reader's past or current feelings. Fitzgerald uses this to let readers feel compassion for Myrtle which emphasizes all she needs is for someone to properly love her, treat her, and show her what she needs to do to become successful in her
Read More
The Tragedy of Myrtle Wilson
751 Words | 2 Pages
Myrtle’s ambition proves to be her fatal flaw in being the tragic hero. The goal of her ambition is to lead her to a higher social status. In pursuit of her ambition she expresses that her husband, George Wilson, serves as an obstacle since he is in the opposite direction of where she wishes to be. She expresses disgust in George for committing actions that are considered lowly by her standards. She was particularly unenthused with her husband after it is revealed that “he borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married” without telling her. (35) She expresses her marriage as regretful, which illustrates her ambition to strive for better, being Tom. Essentially it illustrates that she would rather be treated with little respect to achieve status, rather than to be treated with respect without status. Myrtle not only exudes her ambition through her pompous attitude, but also in the manner in which she carries herself. She is a young woman in her “middle thirties, and faintly stout, but (carries) her surplus flesh sensuously,” and although she is not attributed with beauty she is somewhat charismatic. (25) The way in which she carries herself may be considered sexual, and her persona is alluring for men such as Tom. Her seducing persona illustrates her ambition in being a temptress in order to move up the social ladder.
Read More
The Great Gatsby Reflection Essay
1647 Words | 4 Pages
This point becomes clear to the reader when she tells Nick about her daughter, “I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’ (Fitzgerald, “The Great” 3).Ferrysmawan says “this shows how Daisy thinks about life and how happiness can be bought by not being aware and presumably by having money and being fooled with it.” (Ferrysmawan ). Daisy always preferred wealth over love, she wanted to be happy with money, if she really loved Gatsby she would have waited for him but instead she married Tom because his money. Daisy also portrays the carelessness of the American dream in the situation of the killing of Myrtle and abandoning Gatsby just before and after his death. The fact that she ran over Myrtle without stopping and did not have the bravery to tell Tom shows how Daisy was always thinking of herself and of her own comfort rather than the safety, wellbeing and feelings of others. Myrtle is another depiction of materialism in the novel. The only reason Myrtle had relations with Tom was because of his money and wealth, it lets her escape from the reality of her actual status and gave her the hope that one day she may be with Tom, he is her shot at achieving the American dream and she will do anything to get it. Myrtle was so focused on her dream of wealth that she was
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Essay On The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Who Is Myrtle's Power In The Great Gatsby