In Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby,” the pursuit of the American dream is a significant issue. Anyone can be successful in America by following this ideology and belief. It is possible if people work hard regardless of class, race, nationality, or gender. The Gatsby American dream is about the hope and opportunity to have a chance at financial success. Basically, Fitzgerald addresses the American Dream and also the corruption of the idea through the characters. In this Great Gatsby literary analysis essay, the American Dream is the realization of freedom and upward social mobility through hard work and success. Fitzgerald, in the novel “The Great Gatsby” through the characters Gatsby, Myrtle, and Daisy, portrays the American Dream as the accumulation of wealth, luxurious life, and happiness in life. The corruption of the goals comes from the wrong motivation, such as the lust for money.
Accumulation of Wealth in the Great Gatsby Pursuit Essay
As the novel begins, readers see optimism for prosperity as the driving force toward achieving the American Dream for Gatsby, which is gaining wealth and success in life. According to the main character, anything is possible once he has money, which shows his overall conviction to achieve prosperity as the symbol of the American Dream (Fitzgerald, 2007). Despite his humble upbringing, Gatsby prospered and accumulated wealth by considering this essay on the Great Gatsby. In the beginning, he embodied the desire by working hard to achieve wealth. However, he saw wealth as a solution to his problems. How Gatsby represents the American Dream essay is that he pursues to get rich in shady ways. Moreover, the achievement of the goal meant getting rich by any means. Hence, the main character worked hard from humble beginnings and achieved great wealth, which was the embodiment of the American Dream.
Living a Luxurious Life among the Rich and Famous
Further on, Myrtle attributes living a luxurious life and fame as the ultimate realization of the American Dream. She loved a life that embodied desire, such as the luxuries that the rich people enjoyed. For example, Myrtle has the hope and desire for a perfect, wealthy, famous life, which is why she enjoys reading magazines that represent her hope for the lives of rich and famous people (Fitzgerald, 2007). In turn, Myrtle comes from the lower class. She does not have a lot of money to afford a luxurious life. Therefore, she aims to interact with Tom because it inches her way to an upper-class status of the rich and famous. By considering the American Dream in the Great Gatsby essay, he represents her desired life. Thus, Myrtle attributes living luxuriously among the rich and famous in society as living the American Dream.
Attainment of Happiness in Life
Additionally, Daisy’s concept of achieving the American Dream is the hope for happiness in her life. For example, Daisy’s desire to live happily forces her to stay in a marriage with her abusive husband, Tom, because of her wealth, love, and belief in living the American Dream (Fitzgerald, 2007). In this Great Gatsby American dream essay, Daisy represents the toxic side of pursuing the American Dream. It is because her attitude destroys her happiness. She hopes to achieve joy in her marriage. In this case, she pushes her to start an unfair with Gatsby searching for her desired life. Also, Daisy thinks she has everything with wealth and love, which all tie to her desires. However, she discovers she has nothing as she is unhappy. In the chase of the ideal man to with, Daisy destroys her endeavor and the American Dream, which is the hope for happiness.
Characters’ Pursuit of the American Dream
Gatsby:
- Accumulation of wealth and riches.
- Works hard to achieve the goal.
Myrtle:
- Living a luxurious life.
- Hopes to join the rich and famous class in the community.
Daisy:
- Hopes for living a life of happiness.
- Gets married in pursuit of the dream.
Corruption of the American Dream
Furthermore, Fitzgerald, through this Great Gatsby essay, shows the corrupted American Dream because he becomes very greedy and only follows the lust for money. For instance, he sees wealth as the only solution to all his problems and pursues money via shady schemes (Fitzgerald, 2007). Gatsby reinvents himself so much that he becomes hollow and disconnected from his past. His corrupted desire for wealth is motivated by his incorruptible love for Daisy. Gatsby’s failure to follow the right path shows the shortcomings brought by his desires. It is because he allows corruption and materialism to prevail over hard work and integrity. Many characters in the novel are empty and follow a corrupted goal propelled by their lust for money. Gatsby views wealth as a solution to the problems he faces. As a result, it influences him to engage in shady schemes of getting money, corrupting the American Dream.
Great Gatsby Essay Conclusion
In this Great Gatsby essay, Fitzgerald in his novel, through the characters Gatsby, Myrtle, and Daisy, portrays the American Dream as the pursuit of accumulation of wealth, living a luxurious life and living a happy life, and corruption of the desired goals comes from the wrong motivation such as the lust for money. Basically, the appetite for wealth leads to the corruption of the American Dream. Just like in society today, Gatsby does not receive respect like those who are wealthy from birth. Myrtle presents a lot of the current young people who view fame and luxurious living as the achievement of the American Dream, a perception perpetuated by celebrities. Thus, by considering this literary analysis essay, the American Dream provides hope that, through hard work, everyone has a chance at success in America.
Reference
Fitzgerald, F. S. (2007). The great Gatsby. Broadview Press.