Gatsby Daisy's Downfall

Superior Essays
The American Dream became an unattainable fantasy for Jay Gatsby. The American Dream is the belief that any person, regardless of their current situations, can become successful if the necessary work is exercised. The novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is based in the 1920s: the time where the American Dream equaled the pinnacle of success. It was Old money versus New money. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald expresses that money is the center of many characters ' lives by the constant battle of who has more wealth. However, that money could not equate to happiness. In this novel, the ultimate goal was to attain wealth and status, and everything else was not important. Because of that goal, the ultimate downfall was greed. Fitzgerald …show more content…
Gatsby pretended to be someone that he was not when he first met Daisy. He seduced the girl whose happiness solely depends on money and property. It was successful that night, which directs us towards the roles of women during this time, because Fitzgerald uses women to build the American Dream by focusing on their beauty and status. He thoroughly examines the objectification of women.“Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth…” (Fitzgerald 14). Daisy was every mans’ fantasy and she recycled her beauty in order to receive what she desired in life. Daisy was born into family of wealth and she expected nothing less out of her life. She represented the ultimate goal of the American Dream. However, women did not carry the power in the household. Gatsby believed that Daisy will do whatever he thinks in his mind at the time. He keeps persuading himself that Daisy will come around.“He talked a lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (Meeham). The dreams and visions of Gatsby and Daisy are unrealistic, …show more content…
The 1920s were a time of great post-war economic growth, and Fitzgerald accurately expresses that during the time in this novel. The world he presents in The Great Gatsby clearly seems to be headed for disaster. They solely strive for money and materialistic items. They invest all of their efforts focusing on the American Dream. Because of that, they failed to find what really produces happiness, and that happiness is not found in their

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