Gatsby Essay

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Abe Granoff
Mrs. Bathke
English 3A
10.12.12
Your Life. Your Dream

Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is an outlook on society in the 1920’s. In this particular society, Gatsby falls right into the heart of it. Gatsby is an accurate example of what its like to attempt to live out the America Dream, and how one strives to achieve it. The American Dream is the idea help by many that through hard work, determination, and courage, one can achieve prosperity and succeed what they set out to do. In other words, with a strong capital and a support system, whether it is a family, or even friends, one can achieve anything. Gatsby has the money, but in the end, what he really wants is Daisy Buchanan. On the other hand Nicks “American Dream” seems to be un-apparent, but the difference between Nick and Gatsby is that Gatsby has money and knows his American Dream while Nick isn’t drowning in wealth and doesn’t really share his dream. The question is, is the American Dream truly in the eyes of the beholder, because on one hand Gatsby knows his American Dream, but on the other Nick does not. Gatsby spent his whole life striving for one thing. The American Dream, which for him is mainly dominated by Daisy. In chapter nine of the book the reader sees that Gatsby started striving to meet the American Dream at young age. The reader learns of a book of Gatsby's. He has his everyday routine planned out in this book. Things like "Read one improving book or magazine per week." Show That Gatsby wants to improve himself to a point where he can succeed. That isn't all Gatsby did to improve his chances of success though. He even went to the extent of changing his name from James Gatz, to Jay Gatsby in an attempt to create a new, successful man that people could admire. When he met Daisy he was training to be an officer in Louisville, he fell in love with her. The reader also learns that Gatsby made his fortune through criminal activity, as he was willing to do anything to gain the social position he thought necessary to win Daisy. In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald portrays Daisy to represent the American Dream to suggest that Gatsby has to work to get Daisy, similar to how an American would have to work to achieve the American Dream. Had Gatsby lived and won Daisy over, (not to say she is a prize), and then he would have achieved “…extreme success of some kind.” (Packet) which is what the American Dream is all about, achieving something that you're working to, so in the end you feel successful. If Moss Hart, a struggling citizen during the time of the Great Depression, was able to “rally from the great depths of the depression”(Packet) then surely Gatsby can overcome a little competition and win Daisy over in the end, and achieve his personal “American Dream.” Unfortunately Gatsby’s pursuit of the American Dream was cut short after being murdered by George Wilson. Nick could not be further opposites from Gatsby. Nick who is just the average man does not share the American Dream, contrary to Gatsby, who is rich and finds his American Dream to be winning over the beautiful Daisy. Daisy is so beautiful that her cousin, Nick, can’t help to be taken in by Daisy’s many charms.
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