Presentation of the American Dream in Fitzgeralds The...

Gatsby and his American Dream How does Gatsby represent the American Dream? In the cornerstone document to the United States’ society, a thing so dear to Americans as a symbol of their country’s values, The Declaration of Independence, it is said that all men have the right to â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† This has always been taken to heart by all of American society, although the simple dream of equal opportunities and the possibility of â€Å"rags to riches† results which can be achieved by the strength of a person’s character and not the certain privileges they may have been born with. This radical concept was often difficult to grasp, and it would seem that it has never truly been shown in its pure form throughout†¦show more content†¦When he first met the aristocratic Daisy, he had found the first â€Å"nice girl† he had ever been with, and she embodied everything he strove for – wealth, aristocracy and the inner confidence inherent to those born into a secure net of money. With someone like Daisy on his arm, it was a final proof to the world that he had achieved his dream. But at this stage, Gatsby was still a poor soldier, ready to be drafted anywhere. When he returned home from the Great War, Daisy had not managed the long wait for him, and had found solace in Tom Buchanan, with his ring around her finger. This is all the background to Gasby the novel’s narrator, Nick Carraway gradually discovers about the mysterious, wealthy figure he meets five years later and attempts to help reunite with his unhappy second cousin Daisy, little realising the catastrophic damage the strength of Gatsby’s dream would have on Long Island. For Gatsby could not accept that there were some things his dreaming power could not bring him – the ability to repeat the past, or to influence the feelings of others. â€Å"The American Dream† was first classified by a man named Thomas Wolfe some ten years following the publication of Gatsby, who called it the right of †¦ every man, regardless of his birth couldn’t have, his shining, golden opportunity †¦.the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to becomeShow MoreRelatedF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pagessense, F. 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