Over 1,000,000 immigrants a year come to America to pursue their own American Dream. The American Dream is the ideal that everyone has the equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby business is the religion of America. He gives us a glimpse into the life of the upper class through the eyes of our narrator, Nick Carraway. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald paints a picture of the pursuit of the American Dream. Each character has their own aspirations. However, our main character Jay Gatsby, or previously known as James Gatz becomes the emblem of the American Dream. So, we follow Gatsby as he reaches to grasp his own dream. Even though Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream as being flawed and distorted he also highlights the hope and vision it gives us.
Fitzgerald views the American Dream as being “beautiful yet grotesquely flawed and distorted” (Hearne). The American Dream is beautiful because it relinquishes ambition and backbone. Fitzgerald describes the American Dream as divine as he does Gatsby through Gatsby’s “heightened sensitivity to the promises of life” and his “extraordinary give for hope”. Gatsby symbolizes the hope of Americans. Fitzgerald admires Gatsby for his ethics. When Gatsby is showing off this house like a museum display he says, “it took me just three years to earn the money that bought it” (90). Three years is not a long time to buy a mansion but, Gatsby does not stress because he is proud of his achievement. Time does not matter to Gatsby. He admires his house, “my house looks well, doesn’t it?” (89). Gatsby takes pride in his achievement and that’s what the American Dream gives us, pride. To complete his vision of the American Dream he has to have Daisy. The green light represents Gatsby’s aspiration and unattainable dream which is Daisy. When he was poor Daisy would not marry him so he took it to heart and worked hard and recreated himself all for her. Jay Gatsby, formerly James Gatz was from a poor farm family. At the young age of seventeen James Gatz reinvented himself along the south shore of Lake superior where he was introduced to Dan Cody. Through Dan Cody Gatsby got his first taste of finer things. When Gatsby talks about Daisy he wants to make it the same way it was before. Time is meaningless to Gatsby because he has hope, and even though it has been five years and Daisy is now married with a child. Gatsby’s belief in the green light and his “belief in love—his fabulous self-making enterprise it fostered—and the originating dream of the first European settlers” (Birkerts 96). Gatsby dared to dream. Even though the American Dream is distorted and flawed Fitzgerald radiates the positivity.
However, Fitzgerald reveals the limits of the American Dream. Between East Egg and West Egg “no one is truly equal, and regardless of its opportunities” (Hearne).  East egg people are old money, they have been born into money. West Egg is new money; money made from entrepreneurship. West Egg people try to copy what they perceive to be the manners of the rich; people in East Egg. For example, people from West Egg like Gatsby, are awkward and gaudy. Gatsby “wears a pink suit”, drives a “circus wagon” for a car and has an excessively large mansion (Fitzgerald 122). Gatsby’s mansion is all for show. It includes a marble pool he never uses, a tower for no reason and manicured lawns. Gatsby sluiced enormous amounts of money into his parties that he did not even partake in. He does it because that’s what he thinks the upper class does and to lure Daisy. His lavish library is a hoax. Owl Eyes points out that he’s never even touched a single book. Gatsby has this library because he thinks that will help him fit in with the old money.  Excessive materialism is a result of pursuing the American Dream. However, the more fashionable East Egg is not any better from West Egg. People from East Egg have always had money and are more snobbish and greedy. For example, Tom and Daisy both have affairs, Jordan Baker is a cheater, Daisy kills Myrtle and lets Gatsby take the blame. The East Eggers who come to Gatsby’s parties bring mistresses, crash cars and start fights. According to Fitzgerald, “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy— they smashed up things and creatures, and then retreated back into their money or vast carelessness” (179). Socioeconomic status of the rich allows them to think they are entitled to do anything they please. Fitzgerald shows the moral decay of the upper class like Tom, “ his violence is also characteristic of his sense of privilege and power over others in society” (Lena 98). The American Dream is materialistic programmatic and virtueless.
Daisy Buchanan is the missing piece to Gatsby’s dream. The American Dream allows people to believe that they can have it all, love and money. Daisy represents the American Dream and the downfall. The American Dream lures people in like Daisy does to Gatsby. The American Dream is a false hope, a hoax. Gatsby unfortunately learned the hard way as the carpet was sweep from right under his feet. Gatsby and Daisy met in 1917 when Gatsby was a lieutenant in the army. Soon they fell in love but were torn apart when Gatsby had to return to war, and ever since then Gatsby has been pursuing Daisy relentlessly. Five years later after Daisy is married with a child he buys the house across the bay from her  and he even keeps newspaper clippings of her. He throws extravagant parties to attempt to lure Daisy to his house however, Daisy does not even show up. He befriends Nick under false pretenses. Gatsby’s main goal was to con Nick into setting up an “accidental” meeting between him and Daisy because Nick lives right next to Daisy. However, Gatsby was too blinded by his love for her until it was too late. She was only after money and power, the corruption of the American Dream. She admits that she loves Gatsby but she won’t leave Tom because of appearances. She is disgusted that Gatsby is new money. Daisy totally disregards people’s lives. She killed Myrtle and let Gatsby take the fall because she knew he would do it for her in a heartbeat. When Gatsby died she didn’t even bat an eyelash. Her marriage symbolizes the decline of the American Dream. When you marry someone you are supposed to love them unconditionally Daisy is only content with the money and power of her husband, Tom. Even though their marriage is hollow. They are bored with each other, they have affairs and lie to each other.
The American Dream is founded on the ideas that anything is achievable through hard work and determination. You want it? Take it. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby embodies the American Dream. He manages to praise it and criticize it. Jay Gatsby is the American Dream in the flesh. He arose from a poor unprivileged farm family to being a millionaire with servants at his beck and call. However, everything is gilded. Fitzgerald view the American as almost beautiful because of the hope it gives us. Gatsby had so much hope that you can’t not admire. He is relentless, he will not stop stop until he achieves what he set out to do. He symbolizes the hope that Americans have. However, his main aspiration was Daisy Buchanan. He reached out so far and she slipped through his fingers. The American Dream has its limits and its flaws. Even though he has all this money he still isn’t a part of the aristocracy. FItzgerald reveals the hollowness and moral decay of the upper class. The wealthy are violent and careless. They disregard everything except themselves. Such as, Tom and Daisy and their twisted relationship. Wealth causes death and destruction. His road to happiness ended at his death. Through Gatsby’s path Fitzgerald admires and criticises the American Dream.

Works Cited
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