The American Illusion ?
One of the criticisms of the American dream is that the American Dream is now merely but a pursuit of material prosperity, that people work harder only to obtain greater wealth, fancier cars, and bigger homes; equating prosperity with happiness. Others say that the American dream fails to reach the poor who work tirelessly for days on end only to have this dream out of their grasp, making it a mockery than something obtainable. The Great Gatsby, a classic novel written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald in the 1920’s, the time prime of materialism and excessive consumption, exposes the deceitful American dream by exploring the confusion between truth and illusion. This novel shows the truth …show more content…
Gatsby emerged from what he believed was a disdainful background. He was not content with what he had and out of shame and a vision for a brighter future he reinvented himself as “The Great Gatsby.” When recounting Gatsby 's story Nick tells readers that “[Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself(104). Rising out of nowhere, on the surface Gatsby is an embodiment of the American dream, alas his distortion is soon revealed. It is implied much throughout the book that Gatsby obtained his wealth illegally. Tom often refers to him as a “bootlegger” and Gatsby does have heaps of alcohol for use in his elaborate parties. During the prohibition of the 1920s alcohol sales were also extremely profitable. Meyer Wolfsheim, the notorious and disreputable gambler who is responsible for fixing the 1919 world series, also claims that “he made [Gatsby].” Gatsby 's financial upbringing through Wolfsheim implies that Gatsby obtained his fortune through some sort of criminal monopoly. It can be argued that it does not matter how one obtains the American dream only relevant is the fact that one reaches their position through hard work and …show more content…
She does nothing to achieve her corrupted view of the American dream except to occasionally have an affair with Tom in an attempt to snake her way up the class ladder. Myrtle is extremely shallow and unappreciative; when discussing why she married Wilson she says, “The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never told me about it, and the man came after it one say when he was out…" (37). While Wilson shamefully borrowed a suit to make Myrtle pleased, she is too blinded with materialistic desires to recognize his chivalry. Like Gatsby, Myrtle 's fate is the same. Her confrontation with the incoming car is symbolic of her restlessness, her desire to wait no longer to get what she believes is rightfully hers. She gives her dream one last reach, one last try knowing that she either makes it or she doesn 't but in the end will no longer be waiting. Like Gatsby, her dream transcends her reach and passes her by. She is killed by Gatsby 's expensive yellow car, representing that it was her love of materialism that led to her demise. Her fate shows us how destructive and terminal this corrupt view of the American dream can be.
In the end, the perverted and corrupt views of each character 's American dream end up clashing. Gatsby
One of the criticisms of the American dream is that the American Dream is now merely but a pursuit of material prosperity, that people work harder only to obtain greater wealth, fancier cars, and bigger homes; equating prosperity with happiness. Others say that the American dream fails to reach the poor who work tirelessly for days on end only to have this dream out of their grasp, making it a mockery than something obtainable. The Great Gatsby, a classic novel written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald in the 1920’s, the time prime of materialism and excessive consumption, exposes the deceitful American dream by exploring the confusion between truth and illusion. This novel shows the truth …show more content…
Gatsby emerged from what he believed was a disdainful background. He was not content with what he had and out of shame and a vision for a brighter future he reinvented himself as “The Great Gatsby.” When recounting Gatsby 's story Nick tells readers that “[Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people — his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself(104). Rising out of nowhere, on the surface Gatsby is an embodiment of the American dream, alas his distortion is soon revealed. It is implied much throughout the book that Gatsby obtained his wealth illegally. Tom often refers to him as a “bootlegger” and Gatsby does have heaps of alcohol for use in his elaborate parties. During the prohibition of the 1920s alcohol sales were also extremely profitable. Meyer Wolfsheim, the notorious and disreputable gambler who is responsible for fixing the 1919 world series, also claims that “he made [Gatsby].” Gatsby 's financial upbringing through Wolfsheim implies that Gatsby obtained his fortune through some sort of criminal monopoly. It can be argued that it does not matter how one obtains the American dream only relevant is the fact that one reaches their position through hard work and …show more content…
She does nothing to achieve her corrupted view of the American dream except to occasionally have an affair with Tom in an attempt to snake her way up the class ladder. Myrtle is extremely shallow and unappreciative; when discussing why she married Wilson she says, “The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never told me about it, and the man came after it one say when he was out…" (37). While Wilson shamefully borrowed a suit to make Myrtle pleased, she is too blinded with materialistic desires to recognize his chivalry. Like Gatsby, Myrtle 's fate is the same. Her confrontation with the incoming car is symbolic of her restlessness, her desire to wait no longer to get what she believes is rightfully hers. She gives her dream one last reach, one last try knowing that she either makes it or she doesn 't but in the end will no longer be waiting. Like Gatsby, her dream transcends her reach and passes her by. She is killed by Gatsby 's expensive yellow car, representing that it was her love of materialism that led to her demise. Her fate shows us how destructive and terminal this corrupt view of the American dream can be.
In the end, the perverted and corrupt views of each character 's American dream end up clashing. Gatsby