Explain The Downfall Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Downfall Of American Dream

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is about the corruption for the uncontrollable desire for wealth and pleasure to bring about one’s downfall of the American dream. The American Dream was an idea of traveling to the United States based on thought of freedom for the aspiration to live a greater life with ease. In the novel Fitzgerald demonstrates various ways of the American Dream accordingly with each character, corrupted by one’s illusion of the dream to acquire wealth, love, and pleasure.

First, the idea of the American Dream is entrenched in the United States declaration of independence that proclaims “all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable
Fitzgerald describe Gatsby as a self made individual that has become part of a high society by being a successful business man with a shady past. Being born from a poor German American family, Gatsby learns they ways of a wealthy man by his mentor Dan Cody. When Gatsby receives knowledge that Daisy married Tom Buchanan, he desires to become a man of wealth. Throughout time Gatsby manages to obtain that dream. Through the novel Gatsby tries to allure Daisy by showing his luxurious possessions to impress Daisy by his wealth as quoted here “Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiter in New York …. There was a machine in the kitchen which could extract the juice of two hundred oranges in half an hour, if a little button was pressed two hundred times by a butler’s thumb” (Fitzgerald, pp. 43-44) . Gatsby living in West Egg are newly rich gaining their money through hard work therefore Gatsby cannot obtain “old money” which is something that Daisy
In the novel the American Dream is presented with hope and perseverance through Gatsby character, as Gatsby desires to win Daisy’s love. Gatsby’s dream to attain Daisy is evident when he is first introduced in the novel, “It is late at night and we find him with his hands in his pockets… out to determine what share was his of our local heavens." While Nick continues to watch Gatsby 's movements he says: "-he [Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock" (Pg. 21-22). The green light at the end of daisy’s dock is significant in the novel. For Gatsby the green light represents his American Dream, which was attaining Daisy. Fitzgerald gives us a glimpse that being wealthy does not always bring happiness, as Gatsby had always lived with having Daisy in his thoughts. The novel describes Myrtle as poor women who lived in the Valley of Ashes married to Mr. Wilson. Myrtle American Dream was to gain wealth and status and dream to leave the Valley of Ashes. Her illusion of possessing luxuries possession creates irony, as she believed Tom was her chance of living her American Dream to gain wealth and status. However, it is her desire