The Great Gatsby3
The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The attempt to capture the American Dream is central to many novels. This dream is different for different people, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness. To get this happiness Jay must reach into the past and relive an old dream and in order to do this he must have wealth and power. Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the the story, is one character who longs for the past. Surprisingly he devotes most of his adult life trying to recapture it and, finally, dies in its pursuit. In the past, Jay had a love affair with the affluent Daisy. Knowing he could not marry her because of the difference in their social status, he leaves her to amass wealth to reach her economic standards. Once he acquires this wealth, he moves near to Daisy, "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay (83)," and throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance she might show up at one of them. He, himself, does not attend his parties but watches them from a distance. When this dream doesn't happen, he asks around casually if an
It only leaves you wanting more and once you are caught up in the obsession of materialism it seems like you can never have enough. The belief by the majority of Americans that wealth and happiness are the same is a result of an economy that encourages consumption and social conditions that lead us to think that we need material possessions to be happy. Materialistic attitudes are a result of the free-market economy in this country. But why did Gatsby feel he needed to show off his material wealth to win Daisy's love? It is believed that people seek material possessions and fulfillment for what they lack in other areas of their lives, like human relationships. Later, as we see in the Plaza Hotel, Jay still believes that Daisy loves him. Gatsby doesn't rest until his American Dream is finally fulfilled. The idea of the American Dream still holds true in today's time, be it wealth, love, or fame. This is true today, and it was true during the 1920's, the setting of F. The 1920's were also an era of blatant materialism and consumption and the pursuit for private wealth took priority over what was good for society in general. " Gatsby's personal dream symbolizes the larger American Dream where all have the opportunity to get what they want. Soon he meets Nick Carraway, a cousin of Daisy, who agrees to set up a meeting, "He wants to know. The Depression that followed the 1920's was an agonizing economic time for the American people but it had the positive effect of forcing people to reexamine their focus on material possessions and personal wealth to what was good for the country as a whole.
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Acceptance Essays
