People have always been interested in the American Dream. It is a belief that one can succeed in every area of life. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how characters in The Great Gatsby strive to realize the American dream. He also demonstrates to readers how impossible it is to attain this goal. The author achieves this by focusing solely on the actions that the characters take to realize their dreams and the insatiable feelings they experience.
Jay Gatsby is the main character in the novel and he works hard to realize his American Dream. But his social status did not allow him to realize his dream. In fact, he tried to do more to make it happen. Gatby was obsessed with Daisy, his past love, even though she was married. Gatby had intentions to reunite and built his house across from Daisy to make it easier for him to feel closer to Daisy and realize his dream. The evidence shows that no matter how hard Gatsby tried, it was impossible for him to achieve his dream given the extent to which he went. Gatsby finally dies, leaving Daisy behind. Gatsby’s life was filled with so much wealth that it seemed “his dream must seem so close that he couldn’t hardly grasp it”. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. He had already succeeded in his dream of becoming rich, but he didn’t realize that Daisy’s dream of him being with her was still possible. Gatsby didn’t know his dream was behind him. It was somewhere beyond the city …”. Fitgerald suggests that even if Gatsby had lived, he wouldn’t have known that Daisy’s desire was impossible. This would set him on a long and difficult journey to keep trying to make it happen. Gatby’s actions are a proof that the American Dream, which is unattainable, leaves people wanting but not able achieve more. Myrtle Wilson (George) and Myrtle Wilson (MYRTY) also share this fate. George Wilson, a hard worker, couldn’t leave home with Myrtle and their family because they didn’t have enough money. This led to them both dying. George Wilson, a mechanic, was unaware that Myrtle, Daisy’s wife, was cheating with him. Myrtle, a woman who desired more than her blue-collar husband could provide, had an affair. George tells Tom that he’s been sick all day… and that he’s all run down. (Fitzgerald 131) George and Myrtle are from different social classes than Tom Buchanan. George doesn’t have enough money to fulfill his American dream of moving out with his wife. Gerorge’s inability to make enough money is making it difficult for him. Geroge later suspects that Myrtle was killed when her car ran her over. George assumes that Gatsby is her lover, as he was the one who ran Myrtle into. So George kills Gatsby. (Fitzgerald 162) The couple’s death symbolizes that they couldn’t climb the social ladder because they weren’t from wealthy families and had to work hard for their needs. Fitzgerald’s novel portrays three characters who work hard to achieve the status of a high-ranking member of society: Myrtle and Gatsby. Myrtle tried to shortcut the process and go with someone already well-off to get a social upgradation, but she didn’t succeed. Wilson and Gatsby were hard workers, but they only got so far. The novel’s characters’ actions can show that the American Dream does not exist. It can also be seen that it is dangerous to attempt to achieve the American Dream. Fitzgerlad’s novel aside, many U.S polls show a consistent trend in the belief that Americans have more power than the American Dream.
Americans have had their opinions on the American Dream for many years. The American dream, which was associated with materialistic and financial security, was very popular in the 2000s. It was a more focused on equality, respect, freedom, and opportunity before that. Sandra Hanson, John Zogby compiled a journal article showing a compilation of polls that asked people from the U.S. to give their opinion on particular questions and statements. Table 7 in the journal article is designed to ask surveyors their opinion on the statement. The survey results show that they have received consistent answers over years from both “Completely Acknowledge” and “Don’t know”. Although the majority of respondents voted for either “Mostly Disagree” or “Completely Disagree”, the proportion of those who said “Completely Agree”, “Mostly Agree” or “Mostly Agree” has remained consistent over the past ten years. This survey shows that Americans are unsure whether hard work is worth it, despite having different opinions across all answers. This data shows that many Americans still don’t understand the value of hard work and make the American Dream seem unattainable. In Table 8, a survey is conducted to ask people: “Does the American Dream seem impossible to attain?” This survey collects opinions between 1995 and 2003, making this table more recent than any previous one. Table 8 shows that the percentages of those who answered the question “Yes” are slightly higher than the percentages who did not answer. This is despite the fact that this survey was done over many years. The relative change in percentages between the two categories is not apparent. The table shows that Americans have lost faith in the American Dream and its associated values in recent years. These two tables are proof that the American Dream remains elusive. The American Dream can still be found in many works of art, however. The American Dream has been represented in many forms, including movies, novels, articles, and art by other artists. F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of many authors and directors who share the American Dream. The article Hollywood Literature and Film states that “Characters become entangled in the pursuit for career success; the dream proves to be unattainable even though they are successful; and moral disorder prevails, anticipating America’s demise.” (The Hollywood Novel, 64). Authors often consider the American Dream a dangerous path which leads someone down rather than up. Although one might be successful, it is possible to fall. The authors state that the American Dream is not possible without someone going through chaos. This leads to further distance from the American Dream. This article also concluded that the American Dream had spun out of control. Images of apocalyptic visions indicate that Hollywood is anticipating the fall and destruction of American Society. The American Dream is an unrealistic idea that no one can achieve. The American Dream is a mere dream.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby demonstrates how American dreamers struggle to realize it. The author achieves this by focusing solely on the actions taken by the characters to realize their dreams. While the American Dream is seen as the ultimate life achievement, it is not achievable and may even cause death. People can work too hard and not get the results they desire. It’s a perception that adapts to the world around them and is not something you can expect to be able to maintain.
