In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream as something tangible, yet unattainable. Throughout his life, Fitzgerald was unable to achieve his American Dream, and this is expressed in his novel. One of the ways he portrays this is through the character of Myrtle. Myrtle believes that she can achieve her dreams by being with someone wealthy, which takes the form of Tom. This is shown when she gets a dog, indicating her desire to solidify her relationship with Tom.
“‘I want to get one of those dogs’ she said earnestly. ‘I want to get one for the apartment. They’re nice to have – a dog’” (Fitzgerald 27).
She loses any chance to attain her American Dream when Wilson finds out about her affair through his discovery of the dog collar. …show more content…
It only becomes apparent when he finds out about Myrtle’s affair. He says “my wife and I want to go West … and now she’s going whether she wants to or not” (Fitzgerald 123). People move to get a new start. It can be inferred that his dream was to marry a “nice girl” and create a successful business. He created his own business, married Myrtle, but it never went as planned. When he says that he is forcing her to move with him, he is trying to force his American Dream to come true. He only realizes the impossibility of this when his wife dies. His wife’s death pushes him into a melancholic state, making him both suicidal and vengeful. Later in the book, Nick learns that Tom mentioned Gatsby’s name in connection with the death of Myrtle. Wilson, on a whim, goes after Gatsby. The murder is not even stated directly; its visuals and details are the only indication of what happened. Nick states “[the chauffeur] heard the shots … the touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing, like the leg of transit, a thin red circle in the water” (Fitzgerald 162). Like Myrtle’s death, Wilson’s suicide is inconsequential. This relates to the hopelessness of Fitzgerald’s American Dream, one in which he achieves greatness and prosperity, one that begins hopeful and dies
“‘I want to get one of those dogs’ she said earnestly. ‘I want to get one for the apartment. They’re nice to have – a dog’” (Fitzgerald 27).
She loses any chance to attain her American Dream when Wilson finds out about her affair through his discovery of the dog collar. …show more content…
It only becomes apparent when he finds out about Myrtle’s affair. He says “my wife and I want to go West … and now she’s going whether she wants to or not” (Fitzgerald 123). People move to get a new start. It can be inferred that his dream was to marry a “nice girl” and create a successful business. He created his own business, married Myrtle, but it never went as planned. When he says that he is forcing her to move with him, he is trying to force his American Dream to come true. He only realizes the impossibility of this when his wife dies. His wife’s death pushes him into a melancholic state, making him both suicidal and vengeful. Later in the book, Nick learns that Tom mentioned Gatsby’s name in connection with the death of Myrtle. Wilson, on a whim, goes after Gatsby. The murder is not even stated directly; its visuals and details are the only indication of what happened. Nick states “[the chauffeur] heard the shots … the touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing, like the leg of transit, a thin red circle in the water” (Fitzgerald 162). Like Myrtle’s death, Wilson’s suicide is inconsequential. This relates to the hopelessness of Fitzgerald’s American Dream, one in which he achieves greatness and prosperity, one that begins hopeful and dies