The Role Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

American Dream
Great Gatsby written by Scott Fitzgerald is a great novel that talks about the American dream. The American dream in reality is making something happen out of nothing. America started brand new at the bottom of the list of great nations and after years of hard work this nation became a world power through its economy. Once Americans reach economic success they believe that they have achieved the American dream but they are wrong. To others people in the novel like Gatsby, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy Buchanan the American dream is different for everyone. They are driven by their dreams, seeking what they believe will make them happy. The real American Dream is find true happiness in your life. Without dreams achieving their
After his failure with college, Gatsby looked for a new life. He found the hope of his fame and fortune in Cody 's yacht. "To young Gatz, that yacht represented all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald, 106). Gatsby’s name quickly changed from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. After he changed his name, his American dream started. The dream first starts off with him trying to become rich and once he accomplishes that it quickly changes into love with daisy. After Cody dies, Gatsby falls in love with Daisy. From then on Gatsby try’s to show how great he and his life is, to Daisy by showing how much money he has. Gatsby believed that all the money he made could replace the time apart he spent away from daisy when he states, " Can 't repeat the past? Why of course you can, I 'm going to fix everything just the way it was before, She 'll see" (Fitzgerald, 117) Gatsby believes that with his house, cars and crazy parties Daisy will love him. At the end Gatsby reached the American dream by coming from a poor family and making it rich but he did not achieve his dream which was happiness with Daisy. All he wants is for Daisy to love him and that does not
Tom Buchanan is a man from a family with a lot of money and the book states, "They were careless people, Tom & Daisy, they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness,” (Fitzgerald, 146). Tom’s money causes him to become mean and not have any morals. Instead of helping out his friends, he hurts them. He takes away Myrtle from her husband, and puts an end to their marriage. “He had discovered that Myrtle had some sort of life apart from him in another world, and the shock had made him physically sick.” (Fitzgerald 124). Tom thought that money would make him happy and it did not, all it did was make his life miserable. He took someone’s wife and made the husband sick. It is sad to see in the when they talk about Tom and Daisy’s marriage it states, “neither of them can stand the person they’re married to.” (Fitzgerald, 33). When you make money your God, it ruins your marriage and everything else in your life. Tom’s riches distance him from his morals, family and following the true American Dream. Having money does not mean you have reached the American Dream. If he had reached the American dream he would be happy with his life and not be taking other peoples