The American Dream Corrupted In The Great Gatsby

The “American Dream” has been around since America was founded, the idea of a “self-made” man. According to Dictionary.com, the American Dream is “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.” The “American Dream” can never be attained by those chasing it, and it is indeed corrupt. The dream is never fulfilled. In Fitzgerald 's novel, multiple characters throughout the story are left feeling embittered. Although anyone can achieve wealth through dedicated work, it hardly happens in real life. By exposing the flaws and imperfections of multiple characters, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) illustrates the “American Dream” as corrupt and embittered. Some people might believe that character …show more content…
Mr.Wolfshiem and Gatsby’s bootlegging operation in Chicago shows him to be unquestionably corrupt which is accented setting the story in this time period. At the time, in the 1920’s, Chicago was full of known associated criminals, such as Al Capone. Similar to real known criminals of the 20’s, Mr.Wolfsheim was not only a bootlegger, but he had also once killed a man (Fitzgerald 61). He is a corrupt businessman who makes his money by engaging in illegal activities. What happens to the American Dream? Well… “Corrupt men destroy the American Dream meaning” (Pearson 5). Mr.Wolfsheim 's combination of money and fraud, leads to him being a gambler (Fitzgerald 73). “He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919” (Fitzgerald 73). He is a typical gangster of the Roaring Twenties era connecting the corruption of the era to the corruption of the American …show more content…
In Fitzgerald’s novel, he weaves together the stories of the characters and their relationship to Gatsby to illustrate the corruption of the 20’s and extends that to a metaphor for the corruption of the American Dream. The American Dream is a much more than simply a powerful dream; it is a dream in which it allows one to control his life. Even Gatsby, a powerful man in society was controlled by his dream, Daisy. He does everything for her and to achieve what he wants, what he thinks his American Dream is. The American dream is no longer a dream, but more of a fairy tale, as it is impossible to achieve. The true American Dream may be reached, but in The Great Gatsby, the dream portrayed by the characters and their actions shall never be met. Love, greed, and money are all play primary roles in gaining what these individuals crave, all roles resulting in this embittered feeling. The American Dream is corrupt, embittered, and can be considered a simple fairy tale, simply not