Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – these three unalienable rights, hallowed through the Declaration of independence, are the pillars of the great American dream. Through this dream, the founding fathers envisioned a virtuous nation free of religious and economic persecution, a land where citizens could live decent lives of their own choosing regardless of status at birth. However, this agrarian modesty did not last. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald depicts a 1920's America swollen with prodigality, empty desires and a tragic decay of moral values. Much of this can be seen in the story's protagonist, Jay Gatsby, who, because of his desire for a woman, lives a life of crime and materialism. Many are inclined to say that this perversion does not fit into Jefferson's American dream. However, it is precisely Gatsby's hope for life, choices, and quest for Daisy Buchanan that truly characterizes an achievement of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – an achievement of the great American dream.
             Jay Gatsby lives a life of perpetual hope and intense passion, adhering to the true spirit of the American right to life. From the very beginning he has faith that a destiny much greater than his impoverished upbringing belongs to him. As a result, he ventures off from his humble North Dakota lifestyle at seventeen to seek the fortune and prominence that, he believes, is rightfully his. This incredible zest for life propels him to seek out opportunities at every corner, eventually leading him to lavish millionaire Dan Cody who takes Gatsby in as his assistant and fuels his burning desire for wealth. Growing with this desire is his contempt for poverty and the disgrace he feels by his modest past. Unsurprisingly, he drops out of St. Olaf's college after two weeks, being unable to face both the humiliation of the janitorial job with which he pays his tuition and the school's "ferocious in...