The United States of America was founded as a nation that gives its citizens unparalleled freedom, equality, and independence. These rights allow people to pursue and realize their hopes and dreams to the fullest of their capacities. However, in the pursuit of this "American Dream- comes the personal check that distinguishes an attainable goal from a hopeless fantasy. As Robert E. Hughes puts it, America was built by "hard-working entrepreneurs who believe[d] in the reality of their dreams- (Quotes). For every successful American who experiences the fruits of their wishes, there is another man who never accomplishes his life goal. America is driven by the notion that all people should reach for the highest platform of wealth, status, and appearance, while for most, that is a hopeless possibility. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the pursuit and reality of the American Dream through his wishful protagonist, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is an ambitious young man who seeks to obtain wealth and power through any means, with the ultimate goal of espousing to Daisy Buchanan, a charming socialite with the status to validate Gatsby's success. However, reality sets in for Gatsby when he realizes that the objects of his desires, obtaining wealth and Daisy, are worthless, and he has nothing left to live for. In The Great Gatsby, the ideal of "The American Dream- causes Gatsby to exist in a false and myopic life for which his unattainable goals inevitably lead to his downfall. .
In The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan represents the ideals of Jay Gatsby's American Dream and causes Gatsby to conform to an idealistic life in his pursuit of her. Gatsby becomes infatuated with Daisy Buchanan's aura of wealth and status when first introduced to her in 1917. From that moment, he chooses her as the guiding force behind his life. After returning from military service and learning that Daisy has already been married, Gatsby dedicates himself to replicating Daisy's status so that he can have the opportunity to once again come under her graces.
