The American Dream And The Pursuit Of Happiness In The Great Gatsby

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (United States Declaration of Independence). In much the same way as the authors of the founding fathers, the American Dream can be defined simply as the pursuit and the achievement of happiness. Clarifications, like not needing to use underhanded means, are not necessary because it is readily apparent that these means do not provide happiness nor liberty. In other words, the American Dream is attainable through hard work, determination, and the fruits of honest labor, even though it is embodied negatively in literary contexts and positively in historical terms. To achieve the aforementioned American dream, the correct mindset and determination are critical, but do not always lead to happiness. This is especially apparent as Nick relates about Gatsby:
And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already …show more content…
Careful examination will reveal that the two novels have set up a red herring in which Gatsby and Willy are allegedly the pinnacle in pursuing the American dream. In reality, however, Gatsby and Willy are both not truly determined individuals, but rather shady, underhanded charlatans who purport themselves as someone else. What the novels exhibit is not a realistic view, but rather a cynical, pessimistic one which could lead some to believe that the American dream was not present or never did