The American Nightmare In his well-renowned and criticized novel, The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald delves into a story that encaptures the diminishing of the American Dream in the 1920s. The Roaring Twenties was a time of lavish living and prosperity, a time in which people turned towards the materialistic world and the easy way to get things done quickly and effortlessly. This ideology was vastly different from the first colonists who came to the Americas with a dream, stated in the Declaration of Independence of the United States, of a land in which “...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The recovery from wartime devastation led America into an era full of dreams and
…show more content…
Although, this ‘dream’ of his was only achieved by deceitfulness and partaking in illegal activities. “He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.”(Fitzgerald 143). The aspiration to become wealthy in a noble manner vanishes in the desire to get to the top and impress Daisy with his newly attained social status. These attempts are all in vain. In the end, Daisy leaves Gatsby and goes off with her husband to maintain her lush lifestyle that she believes is a fulfillment of the widely sought after American dream. The author introduces a variety of ‘American dreams’ throughout the novel, presented by different individuals. Gatsby wants Daisy, Daisy wants any easy and fulsome life, and Tom wants wealth and status. The variety of dreams expresses Fitzgerald’s belief that there is no one real American Dream. People are too blinded by greediness, because “wealth doesn’t satisfy your desires; it just gives you an avenue for always craving more” (Shmoop Editorial
Although, this ‘dream’ of his was only achieved by deceitfulness and partaking in illegal activities. “He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter.”(Fitzgerald 143). The aspiration to become wealthy in a noble manner vanishes in the desire to get to the top and impress Daisy with his newly attained social status. These attempts are all in vain. In the end, Daisy leaves Gatsby and goes off with her husband to maintain her lush lifestyle that she believes is a fulfillment of the widely sought after American dream. The author introduces a variety of ‘American dreams’ throughout the novel, presented by different individuals. Gatsby wants Daisy, Daisy wants any easy and fulsome life, and Tom wants wealth and status. The variety of dreams expresses Fitzgerald’s belief that there is no one real American Dream. People are too blinded by greediness, because “wealth doesn’t satisfy your desires; it just gives you an avenue for always craving more” (Shmoop Editorial