F. Scott Fitzgerald does not mention the idea of the American Dream a single time throughout his novel, The Great Gatsby, but despite this he makes a subtle statement on what the American Dream is in the 1920’s. The American Dream is the idea that if you live in America, and you work hard, you can get rich. Fitzgerald develops a theme around the American Dream through Gatsby, how Gatsby’s story reflects the true meaning of this dream in the 1920’s, and how the novel covers what wealth and dreams have to do with the dream itself. The goal of the American Dream is achievable, it is not something that comes easy though. Shortly after Gatsby’s death, his father gives his close friend Nick a schedule that Gatsby hid from September 12th, 1906
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In a nutshell, that quote describes what the American Dream had become in the 1920’s. We as people work against hardships so that we can rise up, despite being pulled back by something constantly. Even though Gatsby obtained his money through illegal means, he did work hard for it, and he could have been killed doing that or never got out of organized crime in a vicious circle. The upward slope to becoming great in America is not an easy one to climb, and Gatsby shows that it does take a bit of luck to truly break out as well as presenting how uncommon it is to rise up. Afterall he is the only person who earned his wealth in the novel. Despite Gatsby’s success financially, he isn’t content by the time of his death. I think Fitzgerald is trying to tell us as readers that hard work doesn’t always make you rich, but hard work will get you through life regardless and you have to look at the brighter side of things. The American Dream isn’t about gaining money, but as my teacher put it, it’s about taking two steps forward while the current pulls you one space back. It takes a while, but people have to appreciate the progress they make throughout life. Letting the strong divide in America between poor and rich can’t get you down, because as Gatsby shows, money isn’t what makes dreams come true nor …show more content…
F. Scott Fitzgerald expertly conveys this theme in The Great Gatsby without muttering about the American Dream a single time. He does this by telling the story of Gatsby, who represents and lives the American Dream, which allows him to make a pseudo comment on what the American Dream was in the 1920’s, and how wealth and dreams give the true meaning of what the American Dream truly should be to people. With every two steps we take toward our prosperity as well as our happiness, we’re brought one step back while dealing with the often unfair hardships of life. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”
In a nutshell, that quote describes what the American Dream had become in the 1920’s. We as people work against hardships so that we can rise up, despite being pulled back by something constantly. Even though Gatsby obtained his money through illegal means, he did work hard for it, and he could have been killed doing that or never got out of organized crime in a vicious circle. The upward slope to becoming great in America is not an easy one to climb, and Gatsby shows that it does take a bit of luck to truly break out as well as presenting how uncommon it is to rise up. Afterall he is the only person who earned his wealth in the novel. Despite Gatsby’s success financially, he isn’t content by the time of his death. I think Fitzgerald is trying to tell us as readers that hard work doesn’t always make you rich, but hard work will get you through life regardless and you have to look at the brighter side of things. The American Dream isn’t about gaining money, but as my teacher put it, it’s about taking two steps forward while the current pulls you one space back. It takes a while, but people have to appreciate the progress they make throughout life. Letting the strong divide in America between poor and rich can’t get you down, because as Gatsby shows, money isn’t what makes dreams come true nor …show more content…
F. Scott Fitzgerald expertly conveys this theme in The Great Gatsby without muttering about the American Dream a single time. He does this by telling the story of Gatsby, who represents and lives the American Dream, which allows him to make a pseudo comment on what the American Dream was in the 1920’s, and how wealth and dreams give the true meaning of what the American Dream truly should be to people. With every two steps we take toward our prosperity as well as our happiness, we’re brought one step back while dealing with the often unfair hardships of life. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”