Throughout the book the Great Gatsby we see the dream of one man, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby's dream is not merely what is known as the American Dream-the belief that anyone can rise to success no matter who they are or where they are from. Instead, it is a form of romantic idealism. It is the belief in fairytales and princesses and happy endings, a faith that life can be special, remarkable, and beautiful, and flawless. Gatsby is not interested in power or money instead he uses his power and money in his attempt to gain his ultimate dream, Daisy. He must have her and he will do anything that is required in order to win her. Unfortunately, Gatsby's faith in love and happy endings is not a realistic one and his dream is ultimately crushed. However, one question is left behind, are dreams worth fighting for or should the fear of failure prevent one from attempting to fulfill their dreams. Jay Gatsby's idealistic view of Daisy Buchanan creates a conflict for him once he is confronted by the reality. Over the course of five years, Gatsby has built Daisy up in his mind to be the perfect woman, someone that the actual Daisy could never measure up to: "No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart"(Fitzgerald). Daisy cannot help but fall short of Gatsby's dream, and so Gatsby is disappointed that the woman he loves does not exist as he imagines her to be. Though Gatsby is rich, he is of a lesser status than Daisy, and he attempts to join the upper class with Daisy. His desire for a better life stems from his faith that anything is possible if he puts his mind to it, which is also a part of the American Dream. However, Gatsby's dream collapses when he fails to win Daisy and is ultimately rejected by the higher social group. No wealth can help him and though a bullet from George Wilson's gun kills him physically, Gatsby dies spiritually when Daisy chooses Tom over him.
