The American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Essay Sample

As some people work for their money and success, along the way they achieve it with the risk of losing true happiness. An ideal American Dreamer is not someone who is lazy but rather ambitious and driven for a greater purpose. The American Dream represents the vision of someone working to accomplish their goal no matter where they came from or what obstacles they might have faced. Similarly, things can go wrong with this vision as found in Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s historical fiction novel, The Great Gatsby. The book values the American Dream, the true meaning, and the reality behind living it. The novel talks about Jay Gatsby’s path to completing his dream with all of the ups and downs included. Gatsby represents both the success and the decline of the American Dream by his rise in socal status to his fall from facing the truth and depicts Fitzgerald’s description of the American Dream throughout the novel.

Unquestionably, Gatsby represents the success of the American Dream as he came from a poor background and rose to a high social status. Gatsby was unhappy with his poor lifestyle and he wanted more out of his life; he was determined to live a successful life with lots of money from a young age. After Gatsby’s death, his father claimed to have found a book from when he was young which said “Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some revolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind?” (Fitzgerald 173). The book of his adolescent intentions shows how motivated and determined Gatsby was to be successful. As a kid he was inspired to become something great no matter how he got there. He was ambitious and was a hard worker before he met Daisy, but his American Dream lifestyle continued as his love for her grew. He wanted to be with her so he tried to satisfy her inclination towards wealthy people and in doing so, he felt the need to rise to a greater and higher status than Tom. When Gatsby is with Daisy, “His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God.” (Fitzgerald 110). This quote represents how Gatsby is so consumed by having Daisy that a simple kiss would change his whole mindset. Being with her seemed like the last check on his list as he had already claimed everything else. In this moment, he had won, he could settle knowing he had achieved happiness, love, and the American Dream. 

Nevertheless, Gatsby symbolizes the decline of the American Dream as his life was ruined by obsessing over an idea that ultimately killed him. Gatsby was consumed by the idea of obtaining Daisy and he chose to remind others of his past with her as that was all he had with her. He wanted to assert dominance over Tom in hopes that she would pick him instead. On the contrary, when Gatsby is trying to get Daisy to tell Tom everything, she plays the victim which reveals to Gatsby a stabbing feeling leading Gatsby to say, “You loved me too?” (Fitzgerald 132). Heartbroken, he realizes that Daisy is not ready to leave Tom and Gatsby gets frustrated because his dream is slipping from his grasp. He does not know how to feel as his one true goal is disappearing. Gatsby was finally killed by the death of his own dream. He believed all the things Daisy said in hopes of her finally choosing him. As his life seemed so great with the house, the cars, the money, the parties, none of it was as important as Daisy. When Gatsby dies, Nick is the only one he has left as no one knew the real him or liked him anymore. “I wanted to get somebody for him. I wanted to go into the room where he lay and reassure him: I'll get somebody for you, Gatsby. Don't worry. Just trust me and I'll get somebody for you--” (Fitzgerald 164). As Gatsby had an amazing life, his dream was the reason he could not enjoy his life. Once his dream was left unfinished, his sadness took over, leaving him and his dream to die. 

Equally important, Fitzgerald believed that the American Dream is an opportunity presented to people to gain success but conclusively, never obtain true happiness and Gatsby symbolizes this belief. Fitzgerald’s view of the American Dream was represented by Gatsby as he symbolized the growth to success to reach a goal and the decline due to the lack of happiness. Once Gatsby had Daisy, it became clear as in this quote, “Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her…His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one” (Fitzgerald 93). This quote symbolizes the moment Gatsby had Daisy and her love. She was with him and he achieved his goal of obtaining her. He no longer felt the need to reach out for her as he had her in his possession. Regardless, the sadness and grief of no longer being with Daisy overtook Gatsby. He lost his happiness over chasing his dream that was unattainable from the start. At the end of the novel, Nick thinks about Gatsby and says, “I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come such a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close he could hardly fail to grasp it. But what he did not know was that it was already behind him, somewhere in the vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night” (Fitzgerald 180). This represents the chase that Gatsby went through to get Daisy only to be killed by her decision of choosing money and Tom over him. He was so consumed by trying to win her over, he never achieved happiness as he was stuck on his goal. Fitzgerald’s language in this novel shows how much Gatsby wanted to pursue his dream that even though he went through such lengths to secure wealth, lived a good life, and was a well known name, his obsession with Daisy loving him is all he wanted, ruining his life and chance at happiness. 

Ultimately, Gatsby showed the ups and downs of living the American Dream and Fitzgerald made it clear with the symbolism and language in his novel. Gatsby was the ideal vision of the increase and decrease of the American Dream as he worked to achieve success only to be diminished by the need to have a life with the women he loves. He symbolizes the American Dream as he got his own money by himself and was motivated to be successful ever since he was a kid. On the other hand, was demoralized by his desire to have everything the way he pleased. The reality behind it is that the wish that he held onto for so long was no longer attainable and ate him up inside as he was not everything she wanted. In the same fashion, the idea of the American Dream is something people have to work for but instead of focusing on an object, happiness should come first. The American Dream is obtainable but can consume and destroy those who accomplish it because of an ongoing struggle to strive for more.