The American Dream in the Great Gatsby Essay example

The American Dream can mean different things depending on who is asked. Some will answer it is the freedom of religion, class or race, others will claim it is about the ability to choose where they want to work, what they want to wear, or what’s for breakfast the next day. For Jay Gatsby and many others, the American Dream is about gaining wealth and material possessions in an attempt to find happiness. Through his novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how the American Dream is only the concept of perfection, something that can never be acquired, but always can be reached for. Daisy Buchanon was always mesmerized by wealth. Her dream is to have a luxurious lifestyle filled splendor. Before the events of the†¦show more content†¦Even though she is married to Tom, his wealth is not enough to satisfy her. When she sees the shirts she is sad because Tom does not have the luxury of owning such a large collection of clothing. She is blinded by wealth and always seeks more than she has. She cannot fully appreciate what she has because her dream is to always have more, and she will only be happy once she has the best, an unattainable goal that is there to tantalize. To Myrtle Wilson, the American Dream is to become wealthy and high class. For her, this is impossible. She is married to a working class man who owns an auto shop in a rundown part of New York. Myrtle is so corrupted by money that she cheats on her hardworking, loving husband, in order to be with Tom Buchanon’s money. When describing her marriage, Myrtle said, â€Å"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 . . . then I lay down and cried to beat the band all afternoon† (35). She was, of course, talking about money issues. She thought her husband was wealthy, but when he had to borrow a suit, she became depressed and she believed her life was ruined. Myrtles unhealthy fixation on money ruined her marriage, and led to her becoming Tom’s mistress. Tom can supply her with the wealth she needs to feel happy. When given the chance, Tom will take Myrtle to parties just so she can wear the fancy clothing that he gave her. ThisShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream : The Great Gatsby Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream: The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but its most commonly understood as a suspicious critic of the American Dream. In the novel Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an incredible amount of money and a limited amount of social cache of in the 1920s NYC, only to be rejected by the â€Å"old money† crowd. The focus of my paper would be the pathway towards the American Dream and how it affects the person and others around. 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