How Does Gatsby Define Happiness

In today 's society, people spend their whole life searching for happiness. It can be argued that people will never find true happiness, because as humans, we don 't know what it means to be truly happy. Many believe that achieving true happiness can only be done by achieving the American Dream first. However, once an individual achieves the American Dream, will he or she truly be happy? Is money happiness? Through characters Jay Gatsby from the novel "The Great Gatsby", and Christopher Gardner from the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", true happiness will be compared and contrasted as it pertains to the American Dream and the two characters.

James Gatsby was man who had completed the first step in achieving the American Dream. He had money, lots of it. He also had an enormous house with a huge property. Unfortunately, he didn 't achieve his money the good old "American way". He didn 't work honestly for his money. He was a bootlegger who used Drug Stores as a front to sell liquor. His motivation in making all this money was his only love Daisy. On the outside, Gatsby was living the life and there was nothing more a man could want in life. On the inside he was lonely, and the only thing he wanted, money couldn 't buy.
Firstly, they both knew what it was like to be poor. Secondly, they both had lovers who left them for being so poor. Thirdly, both of them weren 't achieving happiness within themselves. They were trying to make other people happy, which would make them happy. Christopher Gardner was trying to make his son happy, and provide him with a good life once his wife left. Gatsby was trying to make Daisy happy by taking her away from Tom and impressing her with his riches. Lastly, both wanted more out of life. They wouldn 't settle for what they already had. Christopher wanted to be able to support a family, and make them happy. Gatsby on the other hand kept trying to relive the past. Both wanted