First, Fitzgerald portrays the deception of the American Dream through the actions of the characters trying to achieve the American Dream. Gatsby and Myrtle are both characters who are trying to achieve the American Dream; they represent the romanticists of the American Dream. Despite coming from the lower class, they try to become people of the upper class. They are both materialistic in that they dream of moving up the social ladder. Gatsby’s American Dream is to gain Daisy’s love and to live with her forever. However, he is in a lower social position than her so she can not accept him. Consequently, he attempts to move up the social ladder by creating a new identity. Claiming to be “the son of some wealthy people …show more content…
For instance, when Tom says, “‘Who is this Gatsby anyhow?’... ‘Some big bootlegger?’... ‘A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know.’” (Fitzgerald 107). This quote suggests that Gatsby became rich through his illegal acts of selling alcohol and drugs as a bootlegger. On the other hand, Myrtle attempts to achieve her dream through Tom, but is unsuccessful. Even though Tom gives her money and buys her goods, Myrtle will continue to live in the valley of ashes (Fitzgerald 25). Fitzgerald describes the Valley of Ashes