The Great Gatsby

            The deterioration of the American Dream is a copious theme throughout The Great Gatsby. Beginning in the early 19th century, immigrants inundated the United States in search of the American Dream. While nearly everyone had separate ideas on how to achieve their dream, the sole ulterior motive remains the same for all: wealth. Just as society today believes they can achieve monumental wealth in the lottery, these new Americans felt they, too, could become opulent and live a luxurious life through hard work and good values.
             As a poor child from the Midwest, Jay Gatsby dreamed to enter the business world to establish wealth and fortune. Instead, Gatsby grew up learning the illicit business of bootlegging and earned money dishonestly. Gatsby's drive to fortune is fueled though lust for Daisy Buchanan, an old friend Gatsby once knew. Daisy is married to a Tom Buchanan, a man born into wealth and therefore "old money". Gatsby never realizes that despite his best efforts to win Daisy's heart, she can never love a man with "new money". Tom is the only individual more purposeless than Daisy. With no real career, he plays with polo ponies and racecars. He treats Daisy and other women badly and he sees his violent personality emerge when he breaks his mistress' nose after she spoke Daisy's name. Jordan Baker, Daisy's wealthy friend, is a champion golfer but still possesses no morals or values. She is a proficient liar and cheat, even moving the golf ball during her matches. Like Daisy, she seems to float from one place to another with no roots not even having a home to call her own. Clearly, the most dominant example is the all-knowing eyes of T.J. Eckelberg. A symbol of God, the billboard eyes looks sadly down on the valley of ashes, which represents a wasteland that has been created by the corrupted morals and lifestyle of the wealthy. All of the wealthy characters, use people and things and the...

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