Over glorification of anything can result in one becoming obsessed, resulting in persons t unable to identify or acknowledge any negative aspects of the target of the obsession. It often occurs that these obsessions can arise around the american dream, the idea of improving one’s self. In his best selling novel The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald utilizes the secondary characters George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson, and Daisy Buchanan to develop and strengthen the idea that the pursuit of one’s own personalized and glorified version of the american dream unknowingly leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction, as well as one’s own demise. Throughout his work Fitzgerald uses Myrtle, and George’s contrasting attempts to achieve their dreams, as well
…show more content…
His pursuance of the american dream results in Myrtle’s death, which begins the chain of events that sequentially leads to his own demise. George’s attempts to pursue his version of the american dream, although based on the presumption that he was doing the right thing, result in disappointment and destruction, thus reflecting the idea that those are the only things that can result from the pursuit of the american dream. In George’s final moments he questions Tom in an attempt to figure out who killed his wife, and Tom recounts the event as such “‘He came to the door while we were getting ready to leave...he tried to force his way up-stairs. He was crazy enough to kill me if I ...hand was on a revolver in his pocket every minute he was in the house”(178). His pursuit of a better life has left him mentally and emotionally broken, and thus causing his dream to morph into one of revenge. This dedication to achieving his dreams ends with the consequences of him losing his love and his life, thus directly reflecting the major theme of the novel. Because of his relentless pursuit towards his personalized american dream, George is lead to disappointment and ultimately ends up killing himself, demonstrating and strengthening the idea that pursuing the american dream only leads to one’s disimprovement and …show more content…
However her attempts at pursuing the american dream does not work out for her, and only ends with dissatisfaction and her untimely demise. This is first exemplified at Tom’s apartment when she talks about why she married George, “ ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’ she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe’(34). She married George believing it would lead her to a higher class life, however unexpectedly, she ends up very disappointed with the outcome of said marriage. This initial attempt to become wealthy and successful by Myrtle parallels and reflects the theme that the pursuit of the american dream leads only to dissatisfaction. To continue the pursuit of her american dream, Myrtle begins an affair with Tom hoping that one day she’ll become his wife. However, during the affair they get into an argument and Tom breaks her nose, “ “Daisy! Daisy! D... Making a short def movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.”(37). Myrtle wants Tom to leave Daisy and marry her, yet the argument they have inadvertently leads to her being struck by Tom. Her attempt at pursuing the american dream by clinging to Tom unexpectedly leads to her being injured
His pursuance of the american dream results in Myrtle’s death, which begins the chain of events that sequentially leads to his own demise. George’s attempts to pursue his version of the american dream, although based on the presumption that he was doing the right thing, result in disappointment and destruction, thus reflecting the idea that those are the only things that can result from the pursuit of the american dream. In George’s final moments he questions Tom in an attempt to figure out who killed his wife, and Tom recounts the event as such “‘He came to the door while we were getting ready to leave...he tried to force his way up-stairs. He was crazy enough to kill me if I ...hand was on a revolver in his pocket every minute he was in the house”(178). His pursuit of a better life has left him mentally and emotionally broken, and thus causing his dream to morph into one of revenge. This dedication to achieving his dreams ends with the consequences of him losing his love and his life, thus directly reflecting the major theme of the novel. Because of his relentless pursuit towards his personalized american dream, George is lead to disappointment and ultimately ends up killing himself, demonstrating and strengthening the idea that pursuing the american dream only leads to one’s disimprovement and …show more content…
However her attempts at pursuing the american dream does not work out for her, and only ends with dissatisfaction and her untimely demise. This is first exemplified at Tom’s apartment when she talks about why she married George, “ ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’ she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe’(34). She married George believing it would lead her to a higher class life, however unexpectedly, she ends up very disappointed with the outcome of said marriage. This initial attempt to become wealthy and successful by Myrtle parallels and reflects the theme that the pursuit of the american dream leads only to dissatisfaction. To continue the pursuit of her american dream, Myrtle begins an affair with Tom hoping that one day she’ll become his wife. However, during the affair they get into an argument and Tom breaks her nose, “ “Daisy! Daisy! D... Making a short def movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.”(37). Myrtle wants Tom to leave Daisy and marry her, yet the argument they have inadvertently leads to her being struck by Tom. Her attempt at pursuing the american dream by clinging to Tom unexpectedly leads to her being injured