The Great Gatsby American Dream Failure

The constant pursuit of the American dream is a key characteristic of “The Great Gatsby”. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates to us the very bleak and inadequate lifestyle of the very affluent who thrived off of new money during the roaring 20’s. During the 20’s many people thrived due to the sudden rise of the stock market following World War I. This led to many new wealthy individuals who had essentially achieved the American dream, at least they thought that they had. Fitzgerald who wrote “The Great Gatsby” in 1925 wants to point out the flaws that he sees in this newly attained American dream. Two main themes that are exhibited throughout the book, include materialism of the wealthy in America, and deterioration of the American Dream. These themes tie in together to get Fitzgerald’s point across that the American Dream during this time period was fading away.
The author persuades the reader of his feelings toward the American Dream by telling a story of Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, a man who seems to
Gatsby never gets to marry Daisy because he is murdered by Myrtle’s husband soon after Daisy accidentally killed Myrtle with her car. Tom loses Myrtle due to her death and he now has a marriage full of problems with Daisy. While, Tom and Gatsby are completely different in many ways they are the same in the sense that neither one of them are happy with what they have and they have now both will never get to be with the women that they love. Fitzgerald ends the story in tragedy, this is to further prove that there is no happy ending to the American dream because the dream is no more. This goes to show that no matter how wealthy you may become or how many things you have it will never be enough. Fitzgerald is saying that those who pursue the American Dream can never be fulfilled, this is because the American Dream involves us continuously trying for something more than what have