"For a transitory enchanted moment, man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent" (189). The essence of this moment, which became known as the American dream, describes America as the home of limitless dreams and boundless opportunity. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald produces two characters, Tom and Gatsby, who lie at the two opposing ends of this vast dream. The differences between Tom and Gatsby display what little is left of the American dream in the society of the 1920's. .
Jay Gatsby's early stages in life are nothing more than "a penniless young man without a past" (156). His past continuously haunts him throughout his rich, extravagant life and his search for Daisy. By continuously lying to himself and to others about such facts as being "an Oxford man," Gatsby tries to hide behind his money and his wealth. To Gatsby, his past is his only characteristic that sets him apart from the rich, yet it is also the only characteristic which he cannot change with determination, nor with money. To satisfy Daisy's desires for money and status, Gatsby willingly commits to bootlegging so he can quickly rise up to power. Tom Buchanan on the other hand, is "a national figure, one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one" (10). His past shines through his current accomplishments and status. Fitzgerald deploys these two characters in his story to portray the truth of the American dream. This dream is hardly limited only by the people's "own imaginations and ambitions." In the American society at the time, there was still a clear distinction between the traditionally rich, and the people who became wealthy through the American dream.
Wealth is not simply a sign of status, it is sign of dignity, of pride, of fame, of character and of love. This is the mindset for Tom and Gatsby and is what drives them to do many of the things that they do. Both Tom and Gatsby view their money as the key to everything they want to achieve in life.
Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, sums up the American Dream of the 1920's. ... His American Dream was to become Jay Gatsby. ... Gatsby decided to strive harder for his American Dream. ... Gatsby had achieved both wealth and popularity, but he became consumed with the last part of his American Dream, Daisy. Gatsby would never fulfill his American Dream. ...
Did Gatsby really achieve the American Dream or does his small town background keep him from it? Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream using multiple symbols in his book, The Great Gatsby. ... Because Gatsby started out poor and became rich, we might assume that Gatsby's mansion backs the American Dream. ... Gatsby cannot change where he comes from and therefore cannot fully achieve the American Dream. ... The American Dream is eluding Gatsby. ...
The American dream is a "recurring theme in American literature"(Pearson) and in American society. ... Daisy is stupefying and elusive, a crucial character who represents the American Dream (appositive phrase); when Gatsby unsuccessfully attempts to woo Daisy back, this unveils the false promise of the American Dream. ... Daisy is evidently personified as the American Dream throughout The Great Gatsby. ... Tom and Gatsby can't both have Daisy; only one of them can claim Daisy and truly achieve the American Dream. ... Lastly, the false hope of the American Dream is reflected th...
This dream has become known as the American dream. ... Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby shows the bad side of the American dream. ... From the beginning Nick is interested in Gatsby's wealth and Gatsby attributes to Nick falling into a search for the American Dream. ... To Nick it seems as though Gatsby has already reached the American dream. ... However Gatsby is not finished with his American Dream. ...
The dream is a unique American phenomenon. ... In this environment, Gatsby's destiny with Daisy becomes his individual version of the American Dream. ... Gatsby does not recognize that Daisy's image of the American Dream has been so distorted by the superficiality of her surroundings. ... In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald demonstrates that the superficial environment corrupts and tarnishes the American Dream. ... It becomes apparent that The Great Gatsby is truly an indictment of the American Dream. ...
The America Dream holds a greater significance than that of higher wages or greater motorcars. ... The biggest collapse, however, is of the American Dream. ... Gatsby is a prime example of the failure of the American Dream. ... Gatsby seems to think nothing of earning his money by illicit means, though that practice goes directly against the principles of the American Dream. ... The American Dream is just that, a dream. ...
Jay Gatsby: Achiever of the American Dream, or Fool? ... The use of the American Dream in this novel is not a very promising and hopeful source, however. ... Also, the highest point in society that a person can achieve is that of the American Dream. ... The American Dream allows Gatsby to attain such possessions over his attempt at change and these are talked about profusely by Gatsby himself. ... The American Dream in Gatsby's case was a name to call his situation, but it is not something he achieved, because it was not for himself. ...
The Great Gatsby The Corruption Of The American Dream "The Great Gatsby" is a novel written by F. ... The main themes of the novel are materialism, corruption and The American Dream. ... Daisy is Gatsby's dream - like the American Dream. ... This is tragic for Gatsby and his Dream. ... This shows how the American Dream can never truly make one happy. ...
The American dream is a constantly fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era. ... The American dream is interwoven and deeply embedded in every fabric of American life. The American dream has become the major focal point of many works of American literature. ... Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby the pursuit of the American dream is shown through the lives of the protagonists. ... After Gatsby's death Nick believes that Gatsby gave all he had for a dream that had little promise, noting that "Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out Daisy's dock ...
Fitzgerald uses the character of Jay Gatsby to show the overworking of the American Dream, leading to its failure. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of the American Dream pursuer, yet the ideal American Dream doesn't work in his case because his ambition is too great, thus overworking the Dream. The American Dream requires one to have a goal, yet goals tend to be too ambitious, as is in Gatsby's case, in which he wants to achieve something that is impossible. ... Once again showing that Gatsby loses touch on reality because of this frenzy American Dream. ... (p. 162) At t...