The Great Gatsby and American Dream
The Great Gatsby is written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 that describes the story of people on Long Island in the summer of 1922. The novel mainly concerns Gatsby, a young and wealthy man and his strong passion and infatuation for Daisy. He holds party and invited various people into his mansion every weekend. All he does just aims to draw the attention of Daisy, with whom he is deeply in love. The Great Gatsby superficially seems to be a frustrated love story between Gatsby and Daisy. However, the theme of the novel is far more than a romantic story. The novel is a symbolic contemplation on the entire American in the 1920s, particularly the demise of the American dream when people endeavors …show more content…
The American Dream was firstly revealed in the famous Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are born equal and have the same rights for pursuing happiness(Albee 57). It highlights hope. Interestingly, in the novel The Great Gatsby , the American Dream takes on a shape different from its origin. By that time, the emphasis on the value of equality has went though tremendous change and people began to try whatever ways to earn as much money as they can. Seen from the surface, The Great Gatsby illustrated a frustrating love story between Gatsby and Daisy. However, the theme of the novel is far more than a romantic story. The novel is a symbolic contemplation on the entire American people’s mindset and attitude in the 1920s, particularly the demise of the American dream when people endeavors to obtain as much as fame and fortune. Therefore, the background of the story has already shown the downfall of the American Dream: readers can witness the longings for material excess and fame engulfed the original pursuits of independence, freedom and equal …show more content…
The society becomes a hollow in morality, yet overflow with greed, entertainment, luxury and dissipation, and all these have corrupted the original American dream. The World War I may exerted a direct influence on this issue. After the war ended, people who have participated in the war suddenly turned out to be disillusioned. The cruel war makes them feel empty and distrustful of the moral in the society. Apart from this, the forceful economic recovery greatly boosts the accumulation of the social wealth. These factors in combination has driven people into a mindless consuming spree. As if people are compensate of their loss in the war, they began to pursuit wealth above all other matters and at all costs. All these ultimately leads to a corrupted and shattered American dream, which is faithfully captured by Fitzgerald in his
The Great Gatsby is written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 that describes the story of people on Long Island in the summer of 1922. The novel mainly concerns Gatsby, a young and wealthy man and his strong passion and infatuation for Daisy. He holds party and invited various people into his mansion every weekend. All he does just aims to draw the attention of Daisy, with whom he is deeply in love. The Great Gatsby superficially seems to be a frustrated love story between Gatsby and Daisy. However, the theme of the novel is far more than a romantic story. The novel is a symbolic contemplation on the entire American in the 1920s, particularly the demise of the American dream when people endeavors …show more content…
The American Dream was firstly revealed in the famous Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are born equal and have the same rights for pursuing happiness(Albee 57). It highlights hope. Interestingly, in the novel The Great Gatsby , the American Dream takes on a shape different from its origin. By that time, the emphasis on the value of equality has went though tremendous change and people began to try whatever ways to earn as much money as they can. Seen from the surface, The Great Gatsby illustrated a frustrating love story between Gatsby and Daisy. However, the theme of the novel is far more than a romantic story. The novel is a symbolic contemplation on the entire American people’s mindset and attitude in the 1920s, particularly the demise of the American dream when people endeavors to obtain as much as fame and fortune. Therefore, the background of the story has already shown the downfall of the American Dream: readers can witness the longings for material excess and fame engulfed the original pursuits of independence, freedom and equal …show more content…
The society becomes a hollow in morality, yet overflow with greed, entertainment, luxury and dissipation, and all these have corrupted the original American dream. The World War I may exerted a direct influence on this issue. After the war ended, people who have participated in the war suddenly turned out to be disillusioned. The cruel war makes them feel empty and distrustful of the moral in the society. Apart from this, the forceful economic recovery greatly boosts the accumulation of the social wealth. These factors in combination has driven people into a mindless consuming spree. As if people are compensate of their loss in the war, they began to pursuit wealth above all other matters and at all costs. All these ultimately leads to a corrupted and shattered American dream, which is faithfully captured by Fitzgerald in his