Jay Gatsby's Desire for the American Dream Essay Sample

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set on Long Island in the Jazz Era. It is Nick Carraway’s first-hand accounts and thoughts of Jay Gatsby. The American dream in the 1900s was that an individual can achieve success in life regardless of family history or social status if they only work hard enough. Jay Gatsby claimed he came from a rich family and inherited his wealth, but in reality, his family was very poor. He always saw something greater for himself though. He wanted to become something just as the American dream stated, “An individual can achieve success regardless of family history.” Gatsby Sought out in search to grasp that dream. Gatsby is a great representative of the American dream. A poor child from a poor family with little to no chance of making it anywhere becomes one of the richest and influential men in a big city.  

Gatsby has seemed to have made it to the world around him, but his American dream is not completed yet. Many characters in this novel have variations of their American dream. Gatsby's finishing touch to his dream is to have the love of his life Daisy with him for the rest of his life and have a good family with her. Gatsby has everything anyone could ever ask for, but to him, it's all for naught without Daisy. Daisy is Gatsby's American Dream. Daisy’s dream was for happiness and wealth long term. Back then they didn’t marry for love but by a man’s wealth and that is exactly what she was after, and that’s why Gatsby worked really hard so that he could become what she wanted. 

Wealth in the great Gatsby is seen as how much “stuff” someone has, Gatsby has a great number of shirts made of fine silk from far countries. Gatsby also has many influential friends due to his wealth. The wealthy are around the wealthy nobody goes down to froth with the poor.  Gatsby has many influential friends due to his money. Love in The Great Gatsby is different for many characters. Love in The Great Gatsby is being with someone who can support you. There is no true feelings or desire what they desire is money and to have wealthiness all around yourself. Gatsby has a true love for Daisy’s feelings and affection, Daisy only loves Gatsby because of his position. If Gatsby had nothing she wouldn’t love him or want to be with him. There isn’t any love amongst the wealthy, they marry for position and money they don’t marry for whom they truly want to be with. Gatsby on the other hand is amongst the wealthy but has done everything he can because of his love for daisy. He has true emotions for her. His emotions came because of the deep work he put in to be able to be with her, if he didn’t truly love her he wouldn’t have done all he could just to be with her. Marriage comes through love and it’s taken lightly in this novel. Many divorces occur and adultery is committed by almost all the characters. They are unhappy with their current situation and seem to be looking for that American Dream. A small spark that will make them truly happy.

Gatsby dreams of being with Daisy because of his true love for her, so he builds wealth so that she chooses him. Through a dream and a desire, Gatsby gained much. America is a great country where dreams can become a reality and for Gatsby that was, unfortunately, it wasn’t. Truly, the American Dream is great, but it comes through a lot of hard work nothing comes out of nothing. Sweat is put in to either have a good stable life and enjoy riches or to help your family. Or in Gatsby’s case, to impress a girl. The American dream has changed one hundred years later, now the American dream is “anyone can achieve their version of success.” Before it was more focused on money, someone’s perspective on success could be different from anybody else’s. The American Dream is focused on success and that everyone has an opportunity, but even with success happiness is still out of reach. You can obtain happiness without success but success seems to be dragged into happiness. 

The American Dream is a personal desire of obtaining success but once something is obtained people want more and become unhappy with how far they have gone. The Great Gatsby resembles The American dream in which the characters all fight for their own specific dream, and it doesn’t matter who they have to step on to get to that each character has their own flaws which are ultimately their downfall. 

Gatsby has almost a lust for Daisy which brings him to make her commit adultery with him. Gatsby has no regard for tom, Daisy’s husband, or the relationship they have. Tom, on the other hand, even tho he wants daisy to himself is still cheating on her. He doesn’t love daisy his life is about what he can achieve with his money. Money is a giant in this novel, many characters find the pleasures of silky cloth to please them to the point that their personal relationships don’t matter. Tom witnesses the good and bad side he is in the middle of all the ruckus. 

The American Dream is about making yourself a success, but nobody sees success the same. Success to an immigrant is finding a home and a steady-paying job. Whilst success to someone born in America could be the same or to have a great amount of money. How you feel can also affect what you think of success, if your unhappy you will think of yourself as unsuccessful due to the fact that you feel like your lack something materially that is pushing to your own success. In Conclusion, The Great Gatsby is the American Dream through different eyes success, love, and power through different characters and this is why it is such a beloved classic.