Post by Jen Z. on Jan 28, 2016 1:52:18 GMT
The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and power. A more subtle part of the Dream is the idea that all men are equal and people can trust each other while all working together to build up the Dream. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows the downfall of people who try to achieve the Dream, ultimately showing the downfall of the American Dream and condemning the wasteful and immoral lifestyle of the "Roaring 20s." Two characters--Jay Gatsby and Daisy--demonstrate how the American Dream is a dangerously luring ideal that cannot be achieved (at least not without being materialistic, shallow, and dishonest).
Jay Gatsby centers his whole life on Daisy, who he tries to impress and win over by attaining millions of dollars and carving out a fake persona of a confident, rich man who has always had money. Furthermore, in order to create this fake version of himself, he has to team up with Meyer Wolfsheim, the leader of the Mafia, to commit crimes like stealing and bootlegging. This is the opposite idea of the American Dream, which states that only the good, virtuous and hard working are rewarded. Gatsby also lies his way through life to conceal his wrongdoing. Gatsby claims that he belongs to a rich family whom provides his way to Oxford and from whom he inherits his riches. Also, Daisy falls short of his expectations, so no matter how hard he attain his fantasy of being with her, he will never achieve it because what he is working to achieve is something beyond Daisy, something that Daisy cannot be.
Daisy, on the other hand, married Tom for money, and not necessarily love. Daisy thought she had love when she married Tom, but truly in the long run, only came out with money. As a result, she thought she achieved happiness, a huge part of the American Dream, but she just ended up being in an abusive and materialistic relationship. Daisy also sees her mistake in marrying Tom when she is reunited with Gatsby; she sees his beautiful shirts, and she cries because she realizes that she did marry for money and not for love. She figures out that she could have married for money with Gatsby but would have had love too. The chase for the American dream and the ideal man to be with destroyed Daisy’s happiness. Lastly, Daisy turns out to be the complete opposite of what Gatsby dreams of her to be like; she is cold and disillusioned from living a restricted, money-oriented life. In fact, she mainly reaps the benefits of Gatsby's existence by going to his parties and living his version of a luxurious life; when Gatsby dies, there is nothing left for her to gain from him, and as a result, she does not even show up to his funeral.
This goes to show that Gatsby's efforts to achieve the American Dream were futile because his ultimate goal, a sweet, caring Daisy, did not even exist. Also, Daisy never achieved the American Dream because all she did was gain money and live a miserable life.
(sorry for this huge post, but I always write so much and I can't help it XD)
Jay Gatsby centers his whole life on Daisy, who he tries to impress and win over by attaining millions of dollars and carving out a fake persona of a confident, rich man who has always had money. Furthermore, in order to create this fake version of himself, he has to team up with Meyer Wolfsheim, the leader of the Mafia, to commit crimes like stealing and bootlegging. This is the opposite idea of the American Dream, which states that only the good, virtuous and hard working are rewarded. Gatsby also lies his way through life to conceal his wrongdoing. Gatsby claims that he belongs to a rich family whom provides his way to Oxford and from whom he inherits his riches. Also, Daisy falls short of his expectations, so no matter how hard he attain his fantasy of being with her, he will never achieve it because what he is working to achieve is something beyond Daisy, something that Daisy cannot be.
Daisy, on the other hand, married Tom for money, and not necessarily love. Daisy thought she had love when she married Tom, but truly in the long run, only came out with money. As a result, she thought she achieved happiness, a huge part of the American Dream, but she just ended up being in an abusive and materialistic relationship. Daisy also sees her mistake in marrying Tom when she is reunited with Gatsby; she sees his beautiful shirts, and she cries because she realizes that she did marry for money and not for love. She figures out that she could have married for money with Gatsby but would have had love too. The chase for the American dream and the ideal man to be with destroyed Daisy’s happiness. Lastly, Daisy turns out to be the complete opposite of what Gatsby dreams of her to be like; she is cold and disillusioned from living a restricted, money-oriented life. In fact, she mainly reaps the benefits of Gatsby's existence by going to his parties and living his version of a luxurious life; when Gatsby dies, there is nothing left for her to gain from him, and as a result, she does not even show up to his funeral.
This goes to show that Gatsby's efforts to achieve the American Dream were futile because his ultimate goal, a sweet, caring Daisy, did not even exist. Also, Daisy never achieved the American Dream because all she did was gain money and live a miserable life.
(sorry for this huge post, but I always write so much and I can't help it XD)
