According to academic expert Katharine Seelye, the “classic definition” of the American Dream is to start from an indigent lifestyle in the United States, work hard and achieve success and affluence. The notion of the American Dream revolves around one’s escape of their lower standard of living to a higher standard, in other words to make it big in society. The idea that anyone, no matter where they come from, can become successful in life is the driving force behind the accomplishment of the American Dream. The 1920s, also known as the Jazz Age, was a time wherein anyone could achieve anything. Americans adopted a very excessive and hedonistic lifestyle, businesses were booming, and certain ideals of life became valued. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
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Fitzgerald successfully dissects the hollowness of the American Dream though the character of Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is trivial and self-absorbed – truly a hollow character. She is able to act superficially and foolishly because she does not have to think of anything complex or anything with a fundamental meaning. Despite being wealthy and able to enjoy the decadence of the infamous Jazz Age, Daisy is nothing but an empty, hedonistic upper-class individual. Her views on life are clouded by the ideals of the society that she lives in: “‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’” (Fitzgerald 31) Daisy’s attempt of giving her life meaning by filling it with whatever she can think of is futile. Fitzgerald demonstrates the hollowness of the upper class by getting Daisy to hope that her daughter will be a fool instead of an intelligent young girl. In other words, the author is demonstrating how the upper class believe that in order to have a better life, one must act how the social standard wants them to act. It is through Daisy’s infamous statement that Fitzgerald is able to show his readers that the heart of the hollowness of the American Dream lies within the upper …show more content…
Gatsby was blinded by the American Dream, and as a result self-destructed due to his obsessions. The green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock is an unmistakable symbol which serves to highlight the emptiness of the American Dream. It becomes evident that this green light is not a symbol of Daisy, but a symbol of Gatsby’s fantasy of obtaining Daisy:
Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald successfully dissects the hollowness of the American Dream though the character of Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is trivial and self-absorbed – truly a hollow character. She is able to act superficially and foolishly because she does not have to think of anything complex or anything with a fundamental meaning. Despite being wealthy and able to enjoy the decadence of the infamous Jazz Age, Daisy is nothing but an empty, hedonistic upper-class individual. Her views on life are clouded by the ideals of the society that she lives in: “‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool – that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’” (Fitzgerald 31) Daisy’s attempt of giving her life meaning by filling it with whatever she can think of is futile. Fitzgerald demonstrates the hollowness of the upper class by getting Daisy to hope that her daughter will be a fool instead of an intelligent young girl. In other words, the author is demonstrating how the upper class believe that in order to have a better life, one must act how the social standard wants them to act. It is through Daisy’s infamous statement that Fitzgerald is able to show his readers that the heart of the hollowness of the American Dream lies within the upper …show more content…
Gatsby was blinded by the American Dream, and as a result self-destructed due to his obsessions. The green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock is an unmistakable symbol which serves to highlight the emptiness of the American Dream. It becomes evident that this green light is not a symbol of Daisy, but a symbol of Gatsby’s fantasy of obtaining Daisy:
Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (Fitzgerald