The great Gatsby, among other things, portrays the tension and conflict which existed between different social classes of the 1920s. Stated less simply, the novel, as one individual described, explores “the preoccupation with class” and “the hunger for riches” (Yardley par. 5). It therefore remains fitting that Fitzgerald begins the book with the quote "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" (Fitzgerald 1). These words set the tone for the book and provide the reader with the first clue as to why Gatsby fails to achieve his dream. Gatsby dreams of marrying a woman separated from him by a few, or more, social classes. In the end, Gatsby fails to achieve his dream because of an acute and oppressive class-consciousness.
Gatsby, unlike Daisy, the woman he loved, enters the world as part of a family of modest means. Gatsby’s birth into a middle class family separated him from Daisy. This is a fact which he is not responsible for and can never fix, even with countless hours of hard work and unflinching determination. Although he eventually accrues significant amounts of wealth, Gatsby never gains the prestige that comes with being born into wealth. He is always relegated to being thought of as "a common swindler" (Fitzgerald 133), someone who might have "killed a man once" (Fitzgerald 44), or "a bootlegger" (Fitzgerald 61). It should be noted however, that Gatsby attempted to remedy this. Gatsby claimed that he accumulated his wealth as "the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West" (Fitzgerald 65). The reader however, learns that this is untrue. Gatsby propagates the afore mentioned falsity because he desires the prestige which one gain...
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... and Daisy's proposed marriage, almost everyone opposes it. Societally, it would be absurd, out of hand, and without a doubt completely unacceptable.
In the end of the novel, the reason for Gatsby's failure to achieve his dream is made quite clear. Fitzgerald makes abundantly clear to the reader of his novel that Gatsby failed to achieve his idyllic, and sadly American, dream of marrying Daisy—the woman he loved more than anything in the whole entire world— because of an acute and oppressive class-consciousness, a class-consciousness that separated Gatsby from the traditional aristocracy, which included Daisy, although Gatsby's fortune was just as great; a class-consciousness which made women in Fitzgerald's novel nervous about such a marriage; and, a class-consciousness which made society reject the marriage altogether as unfathomable and completely unacceptable.
Gatsby’s explanation of this dream focused on money and social status. He has always yearned for this, even when he was a child. Fitzgerald frequently emphasises Gatsby’s desire, throughout the entirety of this novel. Though, Fitzgerald accentuates this desire when Nick discovers the truth of Gatsby’s past. During this elucidation, Nick explains that “his [Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people-his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all.” (Fitzgerald, 98) This shows the reader Gatsby’s lifelong determination for wealth and power. Even in his adult life, he strives for more than what he has. In John Steinbeck’s essay, he explains that “we [Americans] go mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success” (Steinbeck, 1) This is exactly how Gatsby feels, he is not content with his success, the amount of money he has, or the height of his social status and is constantly wishing for more than he has. Though, once he meets Daisy he no longer strives for wealth, but rather for her. As shown in this novel, even though Gatsby has achieved all he had wanted when he was growing up, he will not be content until he is able to call Daisy his
When the book begins, it is assumed that his dream is fortune and “fame,” but as the book continues, it reveals his dream is love. He has a love, Daisy for many years, she is the reason he lives where he does and has the parties he has, just to impress Daisy. Daisy never even showed up to one of his parties until the end. Gatsby bought a big house right across the river from Daisy’s house and and throws extravagant parties to get her to come, all he wants was love. Although he never truly achieves it, he is able to work hard to try to achieve it. That is a part of the american dream, it may not be attainable and Gatsby might be working hard for something that just is impossible for him to achieve . “―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 barely 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” (p. 180,
In the beginning, Gatsby was a poor army boy who fell in love with a rich girl named Daisy. Knowing from their different circumstances, he could not marry her. So Gatsby left to accumulate a lot of money. Daisy, not being able to wait for Gatsby, marries a rich man named Tom. Tom believes that it is okay for a man to be unfaithful but it is not okay for the woman to be. This caused a lot of conflict in their marriage and caused Daisy to be very unhappy. Gatsby’s dream is to be with Daisy, and since he has accumulated a lot of money, he had his mind set on getting her back. Throughout the novel, Gatsby shows his need to attain The American Dream of love and shows his determination to achieve it. You can tell that Gatsby has a clear vision of what he wants when 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 gla...
As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man. This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards. He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick." Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth. Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively. His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly. Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention. A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby provides the reader with a unique outlook on the life of the newly rich. Gatsby is an enigma and a subject of great curiosity, furthermore, he is content with a lot in life until he strives too hard. His obsession with wealth, his lonely life and his delusion allow the reader to sympathize with him.
Summary: Why Gatsby failed to achieve Daisy? To some extent, it may be a tragedy of society and Jay Gatsby’s fault. He was born and grew up in an era of decayed social and moral value. Further more, he can’t know himself and others distinctly Jay Gatsby was born in rural north Dakota and spent his childhood there. Because he grew up in the rural area,as usual he could bear trouble and difficulty in his life. But he was not of that kind of poor children. From his early youth, Gatsby despised poverty and longed for wealth and sophistication. He dropped out of St.olaf College after two weeks, Because he couldn’t bear the tiring and difficult job with which he was paying his tuition. He was hunger for wealth ,but he just had the desire which didn’t work.
For five years, Gatsby was denied the one thing that he desired more than anything in the world: Daisy. While she was willing to wait for him until after the war, he did not want to return to her a poor man who would, in his eyes, be unworthy of her love. Gatsby did not want to force Daisy to choose between the comfortable lifestyle she was used to and his love. Before he would return to her, he was determined to make something of himself so that Daisy would not lose the affluence that she was accustomed to possessing. His desire for Daisy made Gatsby willing to do whatever was necessary to earn the money that would in turn lead to Daisy’s love, even if it meant participating in actions...
Nick’s naïveté and innocence leads to continual judgement of the deceiving upper class community he surrounds himself with; however, he realises Gatsby is the most genuine and optimistic man he has ever met. Gatsby’s never ending confidence in his dream of a future with Daisy represents blind faith of an unattainable dream, yet Gatsby never ceases to reach for his goals. Gatsby even believes that he can fix every mistake he has made in the past (Fitzgerald 128). His naive and ignorant outlook on his future influences many vindictive decisions he has made in his past. Nick’s admiration of Gatsby’s ambitions compels him to recognize Gatsby’s efforts. Nick exclaims that Gatsby is “worth the whole damn bunch put together” (Fitzgerald 126). Nick idolizes Gatsby because his questionable actions were driven by his immense passion for Daisy. Believing that the elite, upper class society is corrupt, Nick found that Gatsby was the only wealthy individual he had met who is pure of
To Gatsby the rich life is temptingly desirable because it was equaled to Daisy herself. Her life far detached from the sweaty hard struggling seems to hold as much enchanted beauty as she holds for Gatsby. He falls in love with that beauty, and Daisy has become his one and only goal and dream in life. With this, Fitzgerald is putting the blame for Gatsby's fall--his indulgence in the wrong dream, and his wrong choice of means to achieve his end--on Daisy.
Initially, Gatsby “[told] God’s truth” and explained himself to Nick as “the son of some wealthy people in the middle west” and that he had received an “educat[ion] in Oxford” (65). This understandably sets a prestigious image for himself. However, it was revealed that his past was a lie when Tom confronted Gatsby about his attendance at Oxford. As a response, Gatsby spoke truthfully about his past, explaining, “I only stayed five months...[it] was an opportunity they gave to some of the officers after the Armistice…[we] could go to any of the universities in England or France” (129). Gatsby’s confession reveals the level of care he took to inform others of his background. He intentionally omitted the fact that he did not attend as a student, but as an “officer,” which misguided others to believe that he had an unattainable and prestigious title. In the end, the facade was exposed as a fallacy, thus discrediting his status and bringing others to see the truth. Furthering this exposure, Tom angrily says, “[Gatsby] and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter,” (133) revealing exactly how Gatsby acquired his great amount of wealth: by cheating his way into riches through the illegal sale of substances under the law. Ultimately, Gatsby makes himself out to be a con-man, one who does not genuinely deserve the money he has due to the inauthentic and corrupt ways in which he obtained the money. Overall, Tom’s exposure of Gatsby portrays his wealth and image to become far less than admirable as Gatsby lies about his title and cheats his way to
Gatsby is a dreamer, he dreams that one day he and Daisy will be able to be together once again. To achieve this dream Gatsby has made himself a rich man. He knows that in order to win Daisy back he must be wealthy and of high social stature. Gatsby becomes rich, has a beautiful mansion, nice things, things like shirts “They’re such beautiful shirts. . . it makes me sad because I’ve never seen such-such beautiful clothes” (pg.98).Gatsby believes his dream will come true because of all the money and nice things he has. The way that Gatsby becomes rich is in a way the demise of his dream. Gatsby becomes wealthy by participating in organized crime, including distributing illegal alcohol and trading in stolen securities. Daisy eventually learns about this and it is one of the reasons she will never again be with Gatsby. The other reason is Daisy a...
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby was born into a life of poverty and as he grew up he became more aware of the possibility of a better life. He created fantasies that he was too good for his modest life and that his parents weren’t his own. When he met Daisy, a pretty upper class girl, his life revolved around her and he became obsessed with her carefree lifestyle. Gatsby’s desire to become good enough for Daisy and her parents is what motivates him to become a wealthy, immoral person who is perceived as being sophisticated.
In the 1922 novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby , Jay Gatsby is a man that is surrounded by mystery for most of the novel. He is often regarded as a self-made man and thus is suspected by many of those who come from ‘Old Money’ to have dirty money. Gatsby flaunts his wealth and tends to confuse all who ask about his money or his past with fast and complex stories and proof that he always keeps handy. This essay will delve into how Gatsby fits the term self-made man, how this can be explained and how he may sometimes take the term too literally.
Nick describes Gatsby as “one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life(Ch.3).” Such description unifies the appearance of Gatsby with people’s expectation of a man who accomplished the American dream. The obsession with wealth often blinds people from the potential crisis. The crisis of having everything they worked and struggled for redefined if the reality fails them. Just like strivers who chase the American dream, Gatsby also spent his whole life in pursuit of his American dream, which Daisy was a major component of.
Gatsby was someone who did achieve this dream. His intense drive and determination to achieve this dream is the love he has for Daisy. Through the process of achieving this dream, he never forgot about Daisy as everything he was doing is for her. After he achieved this dream, he was using his wealth to throw parties in hopes that one day, Daisy would walk in and they would meet again. Regardless of what others say, Gatsby has to marry Daisy and spend the rest of his life with her. When Daisy, Tom, Nick, Jordan and Gatsby were all in New York, Gatsby forces Daisy to say that she has never loved Tom, but she could not because it was not true and Gatsby was unable to accept this fact. This also shows that he has no respect for Tom, regardless of his rank. Gatsby is also very rebellious as he is involved with illegal business and bootlegging. In addition to this, he is socially isolated as he does not have any friends besides Nick Carraway. This demonstrates the trait of him having an intense drive and determination to live out his