Essay about Corruption of the American Dream - 1127 Words

Corruption of the American Dream The Great Gatsby is a novel based off of the American dream, which is something that everyone strives for. The author of the book F. Scott Fitzgerald has his own American dream to become a well known writer, and to have the girl of his dreams, and throughout the novel this dream reflected in The Great Gatsby within in the characters Gatsby and Daisy. Fitzgerald had developed the character Gatsby by incorporating some of his own dreams. For example Gatsby has a forbidden love for Daisy, but he cannot have her because she does not want to leave her husband, Gatsby also wants to do everything he can for Daisy but since she will not leave her husband Gatsby is doing all of this for no reason, and in the†¦show more content†¦As Fitzgerald grew up with his family in a middle class catholic family This initial religious note indicates how deeply Fitzgerald understood the American tradition of which he was so profoundly a part† (Bewley), Fitzge rald began writing at a very young age, and he had begun to get recognized and then his success in his career had taken off. Even though life had been going well for Fitzgerald there were some downfalls. As he began to get older health problems begin to appear, and his work did not earn the credibility and the recognition it deserved until a few years after his death, Fitzgerald had decided that his life was a great example of the American dream and how it can fail, therefore Fitzgerald decided that his life should be put in the form of a book, and that is why there is a resemblance between Fitzgerald’s life and Jay Gatsby’s. Gatsby’s dream â€Å"is a naà ¯ve dream based on the fallacious assumption that material possessions are synonymous with happiness, harmony, and beauty† (Fahey 70). Gatsby’s dream is corrupted because of all of the â€Å"new money† that is surrounding him. Even though Gatsby pretends like he has everything, in reality he has nothing. Gatsby throws large parties and buys expensive things because he wants to believe that he is able to blend in with the new age of society. Gatsby also has a very romantic view on life, and it really shows when his loveShow MoreRelatedThe Corruption Of The American Dream956 Words   |  4 Pages2017 The Corruption of the American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream as a set of goals that included freedom, settlement, and an honest life with the possibility of social and economic success earned through hard work, but was corrupted and degraded by the egotistical materialism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, aims to discredit the supposed purity of the American Dream and belief that anyone can attain it through hard work. Instead, he argues that the dream is aRead MoreCorruption Of The American Dream1516 Words   |  7 PagesCorruption of the American Dream The American Dream can be understood by many people to mean many different things. Even with various meanings, to the greater part of people, it is to be happy, wealthy and successful in life; however money does not always led to happiness. 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In the 1920s when The Great Gatsby was written the Jazz Age was taking hold and the American Dream became more about material possessionsRead MoreEssay on The Corruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby1302 Words   |  6 Pagesjustify their actions, and it is what everyone longs for. This theme is better known as the American dream.The Great Gatsby is representative of the American dream in multiple ways. There are some aspects of the novel that symbolize the overall corruption of the American dream; there are others that signify the love of wealth, and the division of rich and poor. What exactly is the American dream? The American dream can be described as an idea, a concept, and a way of life. It can even be described asRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Displaying the Corruption of the American Dream742 Words   |  3 PagesThe Great Gatsby: The Corruption of the American Dream In the 1920’s many people left their countries to come to America seeking for the American dream. The American Dream meant being successful and happy. Many people started to learn that they couldn’t find that happiness without the money. In Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the characters based their lives off of wealth and materialism, forgetting what the real idea of the American dream was. Throughout the story, Daisy, Gatsby and MyrtleRead MoreBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes: the Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby1477 Words   |  6 PagesBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to expose