The declaration of the American dream in The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the decline of the American Dream in one particular of his most famous novels, The Great Gatsby. Despite the fact that this book only requires spot over a couple of months, it represents the whole time period of the 1920s, in which society, mostly on the East Coast, sees the decay of the American Dream. What after was the concept of difficult operate and prosperity becomes perverted idealism and pathetic optimism. In this novel, Gatsby and other characters represent the corrupt American Dream.

When Gatsby’s genuine past has been revealed, it seems as though he embodies the American Dream. After a young fisherman and clam digger, he becomes a self-produced wealthy man by means of difficult function, in spite of being the son of unsuccessful parents. Nick states, “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm men and women- his imagination had never genuinely accepted them as his parents at all” (104). The fact that Gatsby has accomplished far more than his parents is 1 definition of the American Dream. He also has a mentor, Dan Cody, who influences Gatsby at a young age. Cody himself is a self-produced millionaire. As Nick explains, “Cody was fifty years old then, a solution of the Nevada silver fields, of the Yukon, of each rush for metal considering that Seventy-5. The transactions in Montana copper that created him several instances a millionaire discovered him physically robust…”(105). Living on Cody’s expensive yacht, Gatsby becomes accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle of the rich and dedicates himself to turn out to be a wealthy, profitable man.

Gatsby’s dream, even so, becomes corrupt. He makes use of “get-wealthy-quick” schemes and throws outlandish and more than-the-prime parties to get the consideration of his love, Daisy. It is even intimated that he sells grain alcohol over the counter. Tom states, “I discovered out what your ‘drug stores’ had been. He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug retailers right here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That’s one particular of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasn’t far wrong” (141). Gatsby simply replies, “What about it?” (141). Gatsby also is connected with other illegal activities and gambling. Gatsby desires Daisy so badly that he after was willing to give up his noble dreams for money and material possessions. His idealism, nonetheless, becomes perverted. The wish for personal happiness and individualism is no longer the American Dream it has been consumed by materials and pleasures. Gatsby drives about in his Rolls-Royce, shows off his numerous expensive shirts, and lives in an obscenely massive mansion, but all of these objects are entirely unnecessary and certainly do not make him happy. Nick describes the time when Gatsby shows off his shirts:

“He took out a pile of shirts and started throwing them one by one just before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table. Even though we admired he brought out far more and the soft rich heap mounted greater.”

“I’ve got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends more than a selection of items at the beginning of each and every season, spring and fall,” Gatsby says (97).

Gatsby is just flaunting his wealth in an try to attract Daisy.

The parties that Gatsby throws are completely “empty”. Many people show up to these parties, but all of them do it for themselves and their meaningless pursuits of pleasure. Nick explains the parties that Gatsby has. He says,

“…the vehicles from New York are parked five deep in the drive, and currently the halls and salons and verandas are gaudy with principal colors…The bar is in full swing and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside till the air is alive with chatter and laughter and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot and enthusiastic meetings amongst females who in no way knew every other’s names” (44).

These people are fake, greedy, and hollow. They do not genuinely care about Gatsby or every other, but rather come just simply because they can. Once more, they are pursuing material possessions and cheap pleasure. In truth, they do not even show up to Gatsby’s funeral. Nick and Owl Eyes talk about this at Gatsby’s grave.

“I couldn’t get to the house.” [Owl Eyes states]

“Neither could anybody else.”

“Go on! Why, my God! They employed to go there by the hundreds. The poor son-of-a-bitch.”

Their idealisms are perverted, and their actions are immoral. The parties that Gatsby throws only worsen these morals and idealisms.

Morality is not the only value that has gone astray in this novel. Gatsby’s optimism is corrupt as properly. He has the unobtainable goal of winning Daisy over. He puts her on a pedestal and idealizes her, even even though she is not worthy of Gatsby’s consideration. The object of Gatsby’s dream (Daisy) is unworthy, just like the objects of the corrupted American Dream (pleasure and funds) are unworthy. Nick tries to explain this to him by saying, “They’re a rotten crowd. You are worth the complete damn bunch put together” (162). Simply because Gatsby cannot earn Daisy’s love, he is forced to earn all of his money illegally in order to impress her. However due to the fact of their various social statuses, he cannot reach this purpose.

Social status is yet another instance of the dream’s corruption. Residents on West Egg, which includes Gatsby, can't win the affection of the residents of East Egg. Even although men and women living in West Egg have made their own income themselves and worked tough to do so, they have not gained the respect of East Egg, whose residents have old income. Gatsby thinks that he can break the barrier amongst the two classes, but in reality, it is not possible. He tries to bring back the previous, when his dream had worth. He says, “Can’t repeat the previous? Why of course you can!” (116). Gatsby dedicates his whole life to this illusion of a dream, and when he lastly realizes it is not possible, there is nothing left to do but die. Nick narrates, “He had paid a high price tag for living as well extended with a single dream. A new globe, material with out being genuine, exactly where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about…” (169). His dream is not possible and cannot bring happiness to him, and, therefore, is an illusion.

Gatsby is not the only character in this book to represent the perversion of the American Dream. His partner and accomplice, Meyer Wolfsheim, is involved in all sorts of illegal activities in order to achieve his wealth. Gatsby says, “He’s a gambler. He’s the man who fixed the World’s Series back in 1919” (78). Jordan Baker is one more example. Nick says, “There was a row that almost reached the newspapers- a suggestion that she had moved her ball from a negative lie in the semi-final round” (62). Both of these characters have accomplished illegal and unfair issues to obtain their accomplishments. This is surely not a component of the standard view of the American Dream, exactly where hard perform will accomplish something.

When most men and women first read The Wonderful Gatsby, they believe it is a really like story among Gatsby and Daisy. Right after more thought and reading, it becomes clear that Fitzgerald is attempting to convey a bigger message. It is that in the 1920s, the standard American Dream was taken over by the intense wish for income and pleasure. The American dream had become a perverted idealism and a pathetic optimism. Folks in the course of this time ambitiously chased unobtainable ambitions, and numerous have been left in despair. There is considerably far more to the “Jazz Age” than flapper girls and illegal alcohol. Americans began to see the decay of the American Dream.