Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The Pursuit Of The American Dream

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Many people believe that elite social status and acquiring expensive materialistic possessions are possible in a prosperous country like America. As a result, countless Americans by the name of Abraham Lincoln, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford have set an example and were able to rise to financial and social success. In the same way, the characters Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and Daisy Buchanan, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, are clear examples of the pursuit of the American Dream, but in contrast, they reveal the negative effects of it. Jay Gatsby, previously known as James Gatz, earns an extravagant amount of money to live in New York’s, West Egg. In the West Egg, he lives in an enormous house and is known for hosting amusement- …show more content…
Daisy marries the affluent Tom Buchanan, who has an affair with the penniless Valley of Ashes native, Myrtle Wilson. In 1920’s society, these characters strive for success in an upward social society but in the end, they are left unhappy. In the wake of the United States economic prosperity during the 20th century, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the pursuit of the corrupt American Dream through the avaricious actions of Jay Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson, and Daisy Buchanan; consequently, their desire for a perfect life ultimately leads them to unhappiness in the novel The Great Gatsby.

In order to achieve his lifelong goal of financial success and win the love of Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby’s pursuit of opulent materialistic belongings to fulfill these dreams only lead him to a life full of sadness and unfulfillment.At the young age of seventeen, Gatsby is able to build a relationship with the wealthy millionaire, Dan Cody, but unfortunately, he loses twenty-five thousand dollars worth of inheritance money from Cody simply because of a legal device(100). Gatsby’s intention of obtaining money as an adolescent demonstrates his determination to
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The day before her wedding to Tom, Daisy receives a letter from Gatsby that makes her rethink her marriage to Tom because she begins, “To cry - she crie[s] and crie[s]... She wouldn’t let go of the letter”(76). Although Daisy initially loved and cared about Gatsby, she couldn’t consider marrying him because he was a very poor man at the time. She feels conflicted because Tom will grant her with financial stability and social status, but Gatsby can provide her with the loving and rollercoaster life she is eager to have. Under the pressure of upper-class society, Daisy feels forced to marry Tom Buchanan, “Of Chicago, with more pomp and circumstance than Louisville ever knew before”(75). Unfortunately, the lack of affection that she feels from Tom contributes to the emotional strain it puts on her. Because he is rarely around due to his involvement in an affair, she constantly feels like his second

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