Typically when people hear the American dream, one thinks of prairies, the frontier and recreating his entire life. What Fitzgerald writes about in The Great Gatsby shows the American dream in a way that was never seen before. The book follows Tom, Daisy, Nick, Myrtle, Jordan, and Gatsby pursue their dreams and also shy away from their dreams. Those characters are individuals who are not afraid to live their lives and wish, but they often conform to society. The Great Gatsby embodies the death of a preconceived American dream, but the birth of a new American dream which focuses on the improvement of individual wealth, belongings, status and prosperity rather than wealth for all. The American dream from The Great Gatsby greatly differs from
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The corruption of Gatsby’s dream comes from himself, society and his “friends.” Kimberly Pumphrey claims that “Jimmy Gatz was always a dreamer,” which he was as he consistently worked towards a better version of himself (“God Bless America”). Gatz’s view of the American dream held on to the idea of improving his mind and working hard to reach his goal (“God Bless America”). Gatsby’s corruption of his dream starts as he obsesses over Daisy; this is the turning point of his downward spiral. He falls into the trap that the American dream is solely about money and status. His realization through corruption that the American dream was only about money comes to the surface as readers find that he made his money illegally (Fitzgerald Ch. …show more content…
Throughout The Great Gatsby, other’s judge Gatsby as he attempt to gain acceptance and love from others (“Undergraduate Review”). Gatsby was on the right track to attaining his dream of self- invention, until society said that the American dream was only about money and status. In The Great Gatsby social standing is determined by financial status and where the character live (Fitzgerald Ch. 2). For example, the Wilsons; the only working class in the novel live in the Valley of Ashes which is nothing compared to the Eggs (“God Bless America”). The 1920s society was mainly concerned with consumerism and materialism leading to a further effect on the American dream. Fitzgerald simply brings attention to the fact that society forces it is view of the American dream on the characters throughout the book as they redefine the American dream as the “culmination of wealth” (“God Bless
The corruption of Gatsby’s dream comes from himself, society and his “friends.” Kimberly Pumphrey claims that “Jimmy Gatz was always a dreamer,” which he was as he consistently worked towards a better version of himself (“God Bless America”). Gatz’s view of the American dream held on to the idea of improving his mind and working hard to reach his goal (“God Bless America”). Gatsby’s corruption of his dream starts as he obsesses over Daisy; this is the turning point of his downward spiral. He falls into the trap that the American dream is solely about money and status. His realization through corruption that the American dream was only about money comes to the surface as readers find that he made his money illegally (Fitzgerald Ch. …show more content…
Throughout The Great Gatsby, other’s judge Gatsby as he attempt to gain acceptance and love from others (“Undergraduate Review”). Gatsby was on the right track to attaining his dream of self- invention, until society said that the American dream was only about money and status. In The Great Gatsby social standing is determined by financial status and where the character live (Fitzgerald Ch. 2). For example, the Wilsons; the only working class in the novel live in the Valley of Ashes which is nothing compared to the Eggs (“God Bless America”). The 1920s society was mainly concerned with consumerism and materialism leading to a further effect on the American dream. Fitzgerald simply brings attention to the fact that society forces it is view of the American dream on the characters throughout the book as they redefine the American dream as the “culmination of wealth” (“God Bless