...The American Dream describes the desire for one to achieve a sense of fulfillment and happiness through hard work and determination. Each person has their own version of The American Dream and their attitude of achieving it can vastly vary. In the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author displays The American Dream through a corrupt love and the idea of becoming wealthy and having the ability to acquire anything. Jay Gatsby does not truly love Daisy, rather he sees her as an object he must acquire in order to achieve his personal vision of the American Dream. First of all, Gatsby wants success and views Daisy as the means to achieving it. Second, Daisy is treated and viewed as a possession that Jay Gatsby has to attain under any circumstances to fulfill his American Dream. Lastly, Gatsby is trying to set up an image and reputation for...
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...Gatsby In the book The Great Gatsby by some guy, the American Dream is depicted as something that can be either achieved or neglected by several characters of different age and personality. Through the novel readers can learn how hard it is to obtain this dream because at any given moment, individuals can be faced with obstacles and barriers. Despite the great amount of wealth that he inherited, Jay Gatsby never truly achieves his American Dream because his love for Daisy is never rekindled after he returns from war since Daisy is never able to fully let go of Tom and his money. First and foremost, Daisy’s love for Gatsby is never rekindled after he comes back from war. Jay Gatsby says that he embraced the war and it gave him a new life...
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...ideals of the 1920’s by illustrating the iniquity of these prospects. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, plays the role of the wealthy cultural icon, throwing grand parties while being adored by many. His intentions, however, resonate on a deeper level than simply rising above in social status. All that Gatsby does is based around winning the heart of his deep-rooted love, Daisy Buchanan. While Daisy is beautiful, her beauty is not what mesmerizes...
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...There are many characteristics that identify Jay Gatsby as a tragic hero. Some of the characteristics of that a tragic hero must have; include greatness, a weakness or a flaw, an undeserved fate and a fates’ that are not deserved and the punishment exceeding they get exceeds the crime. they committed. Jay Gatsby encompasses has all of these the characteristics of a tragic hero. Although, the author tries to portray Gatsby as a perfect person, there are still some flaws that are still noticeable. Gatsby's great life unwinds with the death of the Furthermore, even Gatsby’s ending shows that he was tragic hero. We know that Jay Gatsby was esteemed has greatness by the way others spoke of him. Nick describes him as a . He was very well mannered person and everyone who knew knows him looked up to him (pg. 53-54). He wasn’t one of the rubbish people who got recklessly get drunk, and he also didn’t doesn’t act careless like the rich (pg. 54, 188). Meyer Wolfshiem said of him, “fine fellow isn’t he”,” which shows that even Wolfshiem liked Jay Gatsby (pg. 76). In addition, even the title of the book is called, “The “Great Gatsby”,” which shows that the author Nick thought that Gatsby was a great person. Also, when Nick was leaving for his train, he told Gatsby that he's “worth he worth’s the whole bunch”, which includes Daisy, Tom and Jordan, and that shows, that Nick thought that he is exceptionally extremely great as a person and is better than most ((pg. 162)...
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...Essay on “The Great Gatsby” by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The book ”The Great Gatsby” written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, processes lots of different themes. One of those themes is the so-called “American dream”, a dream of success. One of the main characters, Jay Gatsby, you could say is living this dream. His life is extravagant and filled with all the material goods money can buy, Yes Jay Gatsby has it all, or does he? All of this is seen from our narrator’s point of view Nick Carraway, who also along with Gatsby is one of the main characters. In my essay on ”The Great Gatsby” I have chosen to keep my focus on chapter 3, the chapter takes place at Nick Carraway’s first party at Jay Gatsby’s Place. As mentioned earlier the narrator of the book is Nick Carraway, with a 1st person limited point of view, so we hear every thought Nick Carraway has “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house …”. The fact that we hear every thought Carraway has helps us relate and understand the way he acts. Negatively 1st person narrative is unreliable to the reader, because we only se the situation from one point of view. It’s also a disadvantage because the main character isn’t aware of all events. And therefore as a reader we are very eager to hear what’s going on and what the other characters are thinking. In the book there is also use of direct Talk between the Reader and the narrator “Reading over what I have written so far, I see that I have …”. Because of this we get...
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... Fitzgerald is showing the many changes happening during the 1920’s society, and how it affected the idea of the American dream. Fitzgerald shows the strive for the wealth, which defined the American dream in the 1920’s and which continues to defines as a desire for wealth and success today. In the book, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is showing the corruption of the American dream by throwing parties, making love and having money. After WWII, there was an economic boom which left people suddenly rich, and they were referred to as the “new money.” There quickly became a difference between the “new money” and the people who were previously wealthy. What used to “pursuit of happiness” is now the pursuit of money and greed. The “new money” people don’t like the “old money” people. Jay Gatsby throws parties throughout the summer to show of how much money he has. “There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer night.” ( ) This quote shows that Gatsby has a lot of money because he can afford to throw parties throughout the summer. Money is everything in the world today and it was a huge part in the world back in the 1920’s economy too. The Great Gatsby also symbolizes love throughout the story. There were love affairs between married couples and single people. The biggest affair out of all the characters was definitely Daisy and Gatsby. Jay Gatsby has the biggest crush on Daisy and he symbolizes her by a green light that he sees across the bay at night. “Gatsby...
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...F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, demonstrates that Jay Gatsby lives a life of the American Dream gone wrong by lowering his morals with the corrupt nature of greed, Jay only focuses on the past to move forward in his own grand dream for himself, and how Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism during the Roaring Twenties exemplifies theme areas in the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, the cars represent a form of status. Nick takes taxis while Gatsby drives his custom made, cream-yellow car. According to Dan Seiters, “It is a rich cream color, a combination of the white of the dream and the yellow of money, of reality in a narrow sense,” (1). After Daisy kills Myrtle a bystander talks about the car and says, “It was a yellow car....
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...Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby, the wealthy protagonist portrays the image of sophistication as well as the American Dream. His character helped display the idea that as a human being, we will constantly develop a greed for many different things, in belief that happiness will be achieved through it. Through the actions which Gatsby chose to take in pursuit for the American dream, readers were able to be see that materialism, and money cannot buy and achieve us happiness. This idea was also portrayed through Daisy Buchanan, a rich lady who is the center of Gatsby's dream. Jay Gatsby, was not always the rich and sophisticated man he was elucidated as in the novel. He had originally come from a family of "shiftless and unsuccessful farm people" from South Dakota. He had carried a strong hatred towards the poverty as shown through the attitude he carried towards his parents; he "had never really accepted them as his parents at all". From the poverty, he had developed the goal and aspiration in achieving the American Dream as he believed that he would be able to also attract Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life, as well as obtain the wealth and lifestyle he aspired to live with. Later on in the novel, this dream helped show that wealth does not necessarily bring happiness, as shown through Gatsby's actions and feelings. Jay Gatsby, or previously known as "Jay Gatz" had undergone a journey of reinventing himself to pursue his idea of the American Dream. His idea of the dream, was obtaining...
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...Fitzgerald. One of his main characters, an old sport named Jay Gatsby, is recognized by his friend Nick Carraway for his extreme dreaming and hope. Jay Gatsby, throughout the novel, is portrayed to refuse to see the negative, and always look towards the positive. He has a great sense of hope throughout the story, never giving up on what he came for, Daisy. Fitzgerald portrays Gatsby’s hopes and dreams by showing the reader that this is a gift, a curse, and why it makes him ‘The Great Gatsby.’ Jay Gatsby is a over-the-head dreamer. His head is always in the clouds, dreaming about what he could be or what could happen in his life. Since his dream of wealth is granted, he moves on to his dream of happiness, wanting Miss Daisy Buchanan. He meets her one night at a party before he goes off to world war one. But, he mistakenly falls ever so deep in love with her. Throughout the five years they are apart, all he could do is dream about their life together after he gets home. He stay’s completely positive with his dreams, knowing that if he dreams hard enough, they will come true....
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...| | The American Nightmare: Money's Hidden CurseThe American dream stands as a symbol for hope, prosperity, and happiness. But F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, examines the American dream from a different perspective, one that sheds light on those who contort these principles to their own selfish fantasies. Fitzgerald renders Jay Gatsby as a man who takes the Dream too far, and becomes unable to distinguish his false life of riches from reality. This 'unique' American novel describes how humanity's insatiable desires for wealth and power subvert the idyllic principles of the American vision. Jay Gatsby is the personification of limitless wealth and prestige, a shining beacon for the aspiring rich. Nick Carraway declares that there is "something glorious" about Gatsby, and that he is filled with "some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life"(8). It appears to mere mortals who are not blessed with riches, that Gatsby fulfills the American dream of achieving fame and fortune. But instead of being content with his greenbacks, Gatsby believes that he can replicate the "Platonic conception of himself" (89) and become the flawless god of wealth that he depicts. The American dream has many interpretations, but Gatsby latches onto the concept of wealth alone, failing to see that he can improve his character through hard work and toil as well. One understanding of the American dream, bettering oneself to achieve a higher social status, sadly spurs people like Gatsby to...
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...The Great Gatsby, a reporter comes to Gatsby’s door to interview him about his personal life. Jay Gatsby’s original name was James Gatz and he was born on a North Dakota farm but went to college in St. Olaf, Minnesota. He dropped out of college and later met the wealthy Dan Cody who hired him as a personal assistant. When Dan Cody died he left Gatsby $25,000, but his mistress prevented Gatsby from claiming it. After that, Gatsby was determined to become rich and successful. Later on, Nick visits Gatsby and is shocked to find Tom Buchanan there, and the next Saturday Tom and Daisy attend one of Gatsby’s parties. After the party Gatsby is worried that Daisy did not enjoy it and Nick tells him to give up on Daisy, however, Gatsby refuses and instead tells Nick about he and Daisy’s past. The quote that best describes Jay Gatsby is, “He talked a lot about the past, and I gathered that he wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy” (110). The good qualities of Jay Gatsby are he is a loyal person and he has a good heart. The bad qualities of Gatsby are he is amoral, dishonest, and throws his money away. Fitzgerald developed this character to show how people use their wealth to get love only to discover the love is not real. Additionally, he is developed throughout the novel to be an example of how living extravagantly can be an empty life. A meaningful quote in the chapter is, “The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang...
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...“The Great Gatsby”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrays a world filled with rich societal happenings, love affairs, and corruption. Nick Carraway is the engaged narrator of the book, a curious choice considering that he is in a different class and almost in a different world than Gatsby and the other characters. Nick relates the plot of the story to the reader as a member of Gatsby’s circle. He has ambivalent feelings towards Gatsby, despising his personality and corrupted dream but feeling drawn to Gatsby’s magnificent capacity to hope. Using Nick as a moral guide, Fitzgerald attempts to guide readers on a journey through the novel to illustrate the corruption and failure of the American Dream. To achieve this, Nick’s credentials as a reliable narrator are carefully established and reinforced throughout the story. The American Dream is a sensitive and beloved topic in American culture. Discussing its failure and corruption needs to be done gently and morally. Fitzgerald understood this, and therefore acknowledged the need of a kind and cordial narrator within a materialistic society. Enter Nick Carraway, who on the first page lets readers know “In consequence, I’m inclined to reserve all judgments” pg 7. This statement already serves to set Nick up as a decent and honest man that can be trusted. To back up this statement Fitzgerald included a short section regarding Nick’s family and background. The Carraway’s claim themselves to be loyal Americans. However, when...
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...Throughout history, countless Americans have pursued the American Dream in order to create better lives for themselves. The freedom of the American Dream, with no limitations on who can achieve it, has often lured numerous people. However, many have ulterior motives behind the dream that go beyond simply obtaining better lives. The character of Jay Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is one of these people. Throughout the novel, Gatsby represents the American Dream through both his wealth and his lavish lifestyle to once again win the love of Daisy Buchanan. Besides the fictional Gatsby, millions of others throughout history have also found the American Dream to be quite attainable. The idea of the Dream is and always has been...
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...Island which is popluated by rich folk. Nick’s next-door neighbor in West Egg is a man named Jay Gatsby, who lives in a big mansion and throws parties every Saturday night. Nick becomes friends with Gatsby and learns about his extravagant life. As the play continues, the narrator meets the rest of the characters in they play. Nick's meets Daisy Buchanan and her aggressive husband Tom. He also meets Jordan Baker who becomes a love interest for Nick. Daisy's husband, Tom, has a lover named Myrtle and she lives with her husband at the industrial area between West Egg and New York. The title of this story is named after the character James Gats. He was raised in a poor family and longed for wealth and success. When he got old enough he joined the military and met a beautiful rich girl named Daisy. He couldn’t marry her because he wasn’t rich. Daisy fell for him because he was in uniform and had very good manners, so she couldn’t tell if he was poor or rich. After several years, he came back from the war, but Daisy got married with Tom. Gatsby's obsession was to become rich and win back Daisy. This obsession leads to Gatsby's downfall. Both Nick and Gatsby are similar characters. They both came from the West and worked hard for their money. They see Tom as the jerk he is and both of them keep composure as he bullies them around. Both of these men go out of their way just to please others. Jay did have different characteristics than Nick. Jay's obsession with Daisy gets the best...
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...Despaired Dreams: The Death of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. The colors and wonders of a perfect dream are indefinite. Some say that everything good comes to an end , even when it seems that your dreams are going to last forever. Holding onto your hope and perseverance are the first signs of accomplishing the American Dream, but the signs of the death of the American Dream are almost unrecognizable. Walking through life dreaming not knowing when your dream is going to end . The characters in the great gatsby are the dreamers , who have accomplished the american dream. They all fight to the top in order to to get what they want, but soon they will come crashing down. The way that Gatsby builds his world around illusions , having Gatsby being symbol of the american dream, and the desire to rise in society all display the death of the american dream in the The Great Gatsby. If our perception of life isn’t reality , then most likely we won’t be able to see life clearly. If you don’t see life clearly you won’t live up to the full potential of life. Gatsby's perception of life isn’t real. He builds his encounters with others based on...
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