Great Gatsby and the American Dream
Imagine living in a giant seaside mansion with every material possession imaginable. Servants cater to every need, while expensive cars provide rides to the most exclusive clubs. To most people this is the American Dream. Although to many people the American Dream means many different things, it usually involves having a successful life with material excess. In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main characters all believe that they have attained this dream, but by the end of the book the truth is discovered. Three symbols in the novel-the green light, the eyes of T.J. Eckelberg, and West Egg- help reveal the theme that the American Dream of freedom and spiritual wealth has been perverted by material gains. The green light on Tom and Daisy's dock is one important symbol in The Great Gatsby. This small green light is located on the end of the Buchanans' dock and can be seen flashing across the bay. These properties are significant because they relate to how Gatsby feels about Daisy. Gatsby's dreams about living with Daisy are very distant and "flash" on and off. For example, in the beginning of the book Gatsby has not seen Daisy since he left for war so many years ag
These symbols are supported by the fact that the main characters are all wealthy and end up losing their spiritual wealth by committing adultery, and lose their freedom by becoming enslaved to their money. Nick lives in West Egg, the less fashionable shore of Long Island Sound. As a result every night he goes out to stare at the green light and dream about her. Finally, they think that they have attained it, only to realize they have lost all freedom and are now enslaved to the nightmare of maintaining wealth at whatever cost. This billboard is located in the Valley of Ashes and has a mysterious appearance. This symbolizes that the truths about the affairs will be known and dealt with. This is significant to the story because this aspect of Gatsby's life is one of the factors that first drove Daisy to him-he now has wealth. Gatsby then relapses into dreaming about her again. This is fulfilled when Wilson discovers the identity of his wife's supposed killer and redeems his wife's death. A second symbol in the book is the advertisement with T. West Egg is significant to the theme because the West Egg citizens feel like they can live this type of life because of their money, and when they want to change, they can not.
Common topics in this essay:
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God Wilson,
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Scott Fitzgerald,
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