Representation of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, demonstrates the faults in man confusing mental conceptions with reality. The protagonist Dominick Cobb not only loses his wife to suicide after returning to reality, but he himself becomes lost in the mindscape and lives a life formed from his subconscious to cope with his internal struggles. Similar to Dominick, several characters in literature fantasize and repress reality in order to maintain their hope in life, even if this is a subliminal lie. One such novel is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where not only several characters wear metaphorical masks in order to conceal their true selves, but also uses different places to symbolize the attempts of obtaining a dream many Americans desire. The American Dream is defined as the opportunity to attain any and every goal one seeks in the United States. In his novel, Fitzgerald uses various locations in order to demonstrate that the American Dream is not attainable for everyone.

West Egg is a representation of new money, viewed as a place for those who have achieved the American Dream. Using the West Egg as a representation of new money, Fitzgerald shows that people are not completely able to achieve the American Dream. Despite this land of lavishness and riches, many of those who live within West Egg find themselves unhappy and missing something. They try to cover this feeling by creating an image of perfection. In an attempt to construct this false façade, Gatsby designs his mansion to exude wealth.  His manor is described as a “factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy”, made from marble and ivy, covering a massive span of land (5). It’s excessive, distasteful, and so wildly expensive that it is tacky. In order to achieve what he thinks is the "American Dream", Gatsby has gone to great lengths to design his house like how he thinks a rich person would. Gatsby thinks that by putting up a front to the world, others will view him as successful. This false image creates emptiness within Gatsby, which leads him to chase after Daisy as he believes that a relationship will fill that gap in his life. Gatsby becomes extremely nervous when preparing to meet Daisy, which is seen when his world starts to physically alter in order to illustrate his anxiety. As Gatsby anxiously waits, the wind “[blows] the wires” and “[makes] the lights go off and on again” (81). Gatsby’s nervousness and anxiety is illustrated through the wind blowing the wires and the lights turning on and off as if he is having an internal struggle that is physically manifesting itself. Gatsby fluctuates between his fictitious personality and the nervous, genuine emotion he expresses when preparing to meet Daisy. Gatsby is trying to be honest and humble but he is having an anxiety attack. West Egg is surrounded by innovation like “electric trains” but its people are always “plunging home through the rain” (95). The weather represents the constant hurdling people face when trying to obtain the American Dream even after they think they have it. The people in West Egg might be enjoying lavish parties and living a high life, but the poor weather conditions negate this and demonstrate a perpetual battle people face when trying to obtain their dreams.

The Valley of Ashes creates a dull environment representing people who have failed or continue to chase the American Dream with no sight of hope. Fitzgerald utilizes the Valley of Ashes to illustrate that the American Dream isn't achievable for all. The Valley of Ashes is filled with ash that “[grows] like wheat into ridges and hills” and is full of “men who move dimly” through “the powdery air” (23). The ash represents the failure of attaining the American Dream as the dream has died and has left a dark memory. The Valley of Ashes represents failure at the American Dream, and the amount of attempts rises as the ash continues to reign down upon itself. The reason men move so dimly through the town is because they feel down due to the fact that they continue to fail at being rich and successful. The housing in the Valley of Ashes differs a lot from West or East Egg, as many of the homes have a “small living-room, a small dining-room, a small bedroom, and a bath” but feel very “crowded” (29). The small housing in the Valley of Ashes gives an accurate depiction of how a working class person would live. The living conditions are drastically different from any other location. The crowdedness represents the idea that there are mass amounts of people who have failed at attaining the American Dream.

East Egg is a representation of old money, the people who had already been rich before the mass groups of American Dream chasers. Using the East Egg as a representation of old money, Fitzgerald shows that people can still live a life of riches without the American Dream. East Egg is filled with “white palaces” and is on the coast with “glittered along the water,” (Fitzgerald 5). The beautiful scenery of East Egg creates the idea that it is the purest location in the novel. The palaces being white supports this idea because the color white is often associated with purity, innocence, and successfulness. While Gatsby is enjoying the lavish life of East Egg he stands out “at the end of a dock” glancing over to see “nothing except a single green light” in the water which made him “[tremble]” (21). The green light represents Gatsby’s reach for his unattainable dreams. Gatsby notices the green light in East Egg and not West Egg, this is to demonstrate East Eggs righteousness. While at Daisy and Tom’s mansion, Nick notices “a rosy-colored porch,” the “sunset,” and lastly “four candles [that] flickered on the table in the diminished wind" (11). There is no need for the candles to be lit as there is still sun. They are lit because Tom and Daisy want to give the appearance of perfection, to conceal their true selves.

The various locations in the novel are used as a way to illustrate how not everyone is able to obtain the American Dream. Fitzgerald implies that although some people believe they have obtained it, humans still search for more, and therefore, the American Dream is unattainable. The meek submission of continuously working for this ideal will only give a person a moment of content fullness but a longing for more. The act of obtaining this dream is unfeasible and only brings more hardship to man.