The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

The American dream is to achieve greatness; to make greatness from nothing. Fitzgerald knows this dream and how it can lead to destruction. He explores this in his book The Great Gatsby. His characters build masks to try to project their ideas into reality, but their dreams pull them too far from the real world and lead to their downfall. Tom, Myrtle and Gatsby construct masks to reach their dreams but these fantasies drag to a breakdown.
Myrtle wilson changed everything. Her goal was to wedge herself into 1920s high culture and he has done so even if her appearance doesn't at first reveal it. She thought she owned the city and everyone in it. She walked to a row of apartments “Throwing a regal homecoming glance around the neighborhood and
His dream and the illusions that let him chase it dragged him so far from reality that his life fell apart. The object of all his effort was Daisy Buchanan. He invented a past so he would have a chance to win over Daisy “But he had deliberately given daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was from the same stratum as her- that he was fully capable able to take care of her”Fitzgerald 144. It's amazing that Gatsby put so much effort into trying to chase down a girl he barely knew. Growing up he saw Daisy as an idol and began to craft a facade to form himself to that Idol. It’s safe to say there would not be Gatsby without Daisy. The reason for his dream is unknown but it both made him who he is and destroyed him. Gatsby returned from the war with nothing at this time his one dream, Daisy was married to Tom. This didn't stop Gatsby, he fought his way into business taking opportunities where he found them as he climbed he convinced himself that he could control more and more of his life and the world around him. He crafted a fantasy world for Daisy and himself but just like Myrtle he did not look outside of his fantasy. His love for Daisy pitts him directly against Tom this eventually led to Gatsby proclaiming his love for Daisy in front of Tom and the others. He tries to make Daisy swear that she has never loved anyone other than Gatsby as his his illusions convinced him that he was her only love. When Daisy couldn't swear that she never loved Tom Gatsby’s control began to slip this marks the beginning of his decline. It's hard to tell whether Gatsby Knew he was living a lie as he lived it so fully devoting himself perfectly there was nothing left but his facade. His facade grew out of idolizing Daisy that pushed him to cheat his way to the top and throw all the world's parties to lure her to him even just so he could ask her for tea. Everything Gatsby has done since seeing Daisy for