-
Essay / The Dream Personified: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott...
The American Dream was the ideal goal for most ordinary people in 1920s America. These citizens, regardless of their social status and their family history, strove to become accomplished socialites of the first order. Although they have struggled to achieve this materialistic dream, upper-class citizens – especially those born into wealth – have already achieved this heavenly goal. In reality, it makes the rich themselves the American dream because of the granted status that ordinary people desired. This concept is incorporated in Fitzgerald's American classic, The Great Gatsby: a work of fiction that describes a poor young man named Gatsby and his relationship with the rich and beautiful Daisy Fay Buchanan. Even if at first glance the plot is primarily a love story, it describes what the American dream is. The storyline frequently mentions Daisy's status and how she was born into money as well as her carefree nature – traits similar to those of the American Dream. Because of this, Daisy's rich past, mysterious behavior, and irresponsible actions ultimately make her the embodiment of what the American dream is. Daisy's materialistic past correlates with the goal of the American Dream since the American Dream is basically "living the high life." Her great popularity resulted from this, which is evident when Jordan Baker discovers that "she was only eighteen, two years older than me, and by far the most popular...[and] presumably engaged to a man from New Orleans” ( Fitzgerald 74-75). At such a young age, Daisy is among the most scandalous rumors; the way she attracted the attention of a suitor from such a great distance illustrates her immense wealth. When it comes to the American dream, many young men strive to live a life of misery... middle of paper ... without any remorse or empathy for it. Therefore, Daisy gives an accurate representation of the American dream because of her relationship with Jay Gatsby. Works CitedBloom, Harold and Blake Hobby. The American dream. New York, NY: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2009. Print.Callahan, John F. "The Evolution of F. Scott Fitzgerald's American Dream: The 'Pursuit of Happiness' in Gatsby, Tender is the Night, and The Last Tycoon." Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. March 28, 2014Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print. Roulston, Robert and Helen H. Roulston. "The Great Gatsby: Fitzgerald's Opulent Synthesis (1925)." Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. March 26, 2014 Steinbrink, Jeffery. "'Boats Against the Tide': Mortality and the Myth of Revival in The Great Gatsby." Bloom's Literature. Facts on file, and Web. March 24. 2014. .