The Death of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows a young man's attempt to accomplish the American Dream. Since Jay Gatsby was a young boy he set goals for himself to work toward self-improvement. He embraced the typical American dream: get rich, get married, and be well-liked. In order to do this he changes everything about himself; including his past, his name, and his social status. The novel reveals that a person can not change themselves in order to be better viewed by society. The end of The Great Gatsby is not only the death of Jay Gatsby, but the death and failure of the American Dream.Gatsby grew up in a poor family, and embraced the American Dream early in his childhood. He was constantly trying to come up with ways to get rich. He wanted to escape his life as a poor boy and become somebody more successful, somebody that women would fall in love with, and somebody that people would admire. He changed his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby in order to create a new identity. Gatsby changed his past, claiming to have come from a wealthy family in San Francisco rather than a farm in North Dakota, "'He invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception
Ironically, it is Gatsby's love for Daisy that killed him in the end. However, he had never had any of this, "Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself," (99). Gatsby was crushed when Daisy admits, "'Even alone I can't say I never loved Tom,'" (133). He bought a huge house, which he proudly showed off as often as possible. The American Dream was what eventually drove Gatsby to his death. He also treated himself to a plane, a luxurious car, and many expensive clothes. Gatsby was considered mysterious and his guests tried to guess about his past, but it seems as though none of his guests knew him well. He shows off his possessions as often as he possible can. In death, Gatsby proved not to be the popular figure he posed to be. Gatsby witnesses Daisy's betrayal when she was spotted talking with her husband as they held hands. Myrtle's husband then murdered Gatsby in revenge. When he is finally reunited with Daisy, he attempts to impress her with his big house and expensive belongings.
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