The Great Gatsby American Dream Theme
The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, introduces us to the narrator, Nick Carraway, who tells the story of how he became a friend of a mysterious, wealthy man, Gatsby, and how he learned of Gatsby’s tragic life story. Interestingly, there are many themes and ideas that the novel, The Great Gatsby explores but Gatsby’s pursuit of the American dream is one of its prominent themes. The novel explores the idea in multiple ways and some of these ways being symbolism, dialogue and actions of the characters. Ultimately, The Great Gatsby provokes the reader to consider what the American dream truly is and at what expense should it be pursued. Carraway enables us to understand that Jay Gatsby decided the pursuit of the American dream
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He threw lavish parties and spent ridiculous amounts of money to flaunt his wealth. When most think about what obtaining the American dream looks like, it appears as a house, a well taken care of family, generations of security, many different general ideas with clear relatable images. Conversely, Nick reveals Gatsby imagines his dream realized when he marries Daisy. Also the image of his dream is represented as a green light at Daisy’s house seen across the bay from Nick’s house (p. 99). His single-minded vision of success is something that most cannot fully comprehend. Most hope to woo and marry the person of their dreams, but usually this alone does not authenticate their level of success. Gatsby’s dream of success was earlier described as vital, because James Gatz conception of Gatsby completely disintegrates when Daisy becomes decisively unobtainable. In conclusion, Nick came to learn that a true and worthy American dream is one where values are sustained in the pursuit of wealth and success. In the beginning of the novel Gatsby was admired as long as he remained a mystery. As soon as the mystery fell away, so did the delusion that Gatsby was a man to deeply admire for his wealth. Consequently, Nick also learned that old money didn’t translate to a successful, happy and respectable life either. So the American dream can be modest, without excesses and without ridiculous amounts of money within the 1920s or until the end of
He threw lavish parties and spent ridiculous amounts of money to flaunt his wealth. When most think about what obtaining the American dream looks like, it appears as a house, a well taken care of family, generations of security, many different general ideas with clear relatable images. Conversely, Nick reveals Gatsby imagines his dream realized when he marries Daisy. Also the image of his dream is represented as a green light at Daisy’s house seen across the bay from Nick’s house (p. 99). His single-minded vision of success is something that most cannot fully comprehend. Most hope to woo and marry the person of their dreams, but usually this alone does not authenticate their level of success. Gatsby’s dream of success was earlier described as vital, because James Gatz conception of Gatsby completely disintegrates when Daisy becomes decisively unobtainable. In conclusion, Nick came to learn that a true and worthy American dream is one where values are sustained in the pursuit of wealth and success. In the beginning of the novel Gatsby was admired as long as he remained a mystery. As soon as the mystery fell away, so did the delusion that Gatsby was a man to deeply admire for his wealth. Consequently, Nick also learned that old money didn’t translate to a successful, happy and respectable life either. So the American dream can be modest, without excesses and without ridiculous amounts of money within the 1920s or until the end of