Great Gatsby

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The American dream is nothing but a mirage something that is seen by the middle class American as an entity that can be obtained through hard work and dedication. This belief in Fitzgerald’s mind is viewed as a myth, that the fact of the matter is that when Americans start their journey towards the American dream they soon realize that when one achieves this monumental task it gives none of the rewards it promised to have, because in Fitzgerald’s viewpoint it’s never really possible for an individual to break the barriers in which they’re were born into and join an upper class lifestyle. This observation can be seen through the narration of Nick Caraway when he talks about Jay Gatsby’s struggle in the novel The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby will be the first of three characters that will be evaluated in this essay the next being Tom Buchanan followed by the tragic Myrtle Wilson. These coming pages will dig deep through the novel The Great Gatsby exploring how Fitzgerald state’s that the honest man can’t achieve the American unless they are born into it or they cheat and steal their way in, leaving those who try to get in honestly to lay to waste.
Jay Gatsby is used by Fitzgerald to illustrate the results of what happens when an individual achieves what they believe to be the American dream. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of the of the word new money, The house he owns is described as looking “ like the worlds fair” (Fitzgerald 87) and his car is described as a “rich cream color(69), bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length”.(69) In these lines we see how desperate Gatsby is to look rich in front of the public eye. He is constantly showing off his possessions as a way to validate his p...

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...hing that allows a person to become who they want to be. Another underlying theme in the book is that money doesn’t buy happiness this seen through all of the rich characters. Tom and Daisy aren’t happy together, Gatsby only cares about his love for Daisy and when that fails to happen the world in his view becomes a sad and depressing place. This is the silver lining for the reader of the novel because even though the average person has no shot at achieving what is perceived as the American dream it doesn’t have anything to do with having a happy fulfilling life. So the way to set yourself free is to except that the American dream is unachievable and to take the road less traveled and live within your own means and make your life about the things that matter such as love and family and not material wealth that can never truly give an individual prolonged happiness.

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