Introduction
The American Dream, that long-held belief that anyone can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination, has captivated the imaginations of people for generations. F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby explores the allure and elusiveness of the American Dream during the Jazz Age boom of the 1920s. Through the tragic story of Jay Gatsby and his quixotic quest for riches and love, Fitzgerald reveals the contradictions and corruption that lay beneath the shimmering facade of the American Dream. This essay will analyze the nuanced portrayal of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and assess Fitzgerald's critique of American idealism in the prosperous yet unstable 1920s.
The Historical Roots of the American Dream
Since the very founding of America, the notion of the American Dream has been central to the nation's identity. The idea that anyone, regardless of status or birthright, could achieve success through hard work is woven into the very fabric of American culture. However, the American Dream has also evolved with the changing tides of history. During the Roaring Twenties, a period of economic growth and excess materialism, many sought riches and pleasure but lost their moral grounding along the way. The Great Gatsby, set in 1922, depicts this era and the disillusionment some felt when wealth failed to guarantee happiness. Fitzgerald's novel continues to resonate today as a cautionary tale regarding the elusiveness of the American Dream.
Jay Gatsby: A Tragic Figure Pursuing the American Dream
In The Great Gatsby, the character of Jay Gatsby embodies the tragic side of the American Dream. Gatsby is motivated by his deep love for Daisy Buchanan, a love that drives him to amass a huge fortune through bootlegging and other criminal means. As Fitzgerald writes, “Gatsby turned out alright in the end; it was what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams.” Here Fitzgerald suggests that while Gatsby achieved the outward trappings of success—the mansion, lavish parties, expensive clothes, and fleet of luxury cars—material wealth alone could not guarantee happiness. Gatsby's singular focus on winning Daisy back blinded him to the unsustainability of his achieved dream. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby's story to imply that unswerving devotion to a singular vision of the American Dream can lead to downfall.
Daisy Buchanan: The Moral Vacuity of Wealth and Privilege
In contrast to Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan represents the moral emptiness that lurked behind the American Dream during the Jazz Age boom. Daisy, born to wealth and privilege, is capricious, shallow, bored, and cynical behind her facade of charm and vivacity. Fitzgerald portrays Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan as culprits who "smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness... and let other people clean up the mess they had made." Here Fitzgerald criticizes those who pursue a warped version of the American Dream—where wealth justifies unethical behavior—while leaving others to suffer the consequences. When Daisy lets Gatsby take the blame for Myrtle Wilson's hit-and-run death, it underscores her lack of morals and accountability. Through Daisy's actions, Fitzgerald argues that the blind pursuit of wealth and pleasure cannot deliver the fulfillment promised by the American Dream. Material success means nothing without a foundation of ethics and responsibility.
The Argument That The Great Gatsby Highlights the Unattainability of the American Dream
Some argue that The Great Gatsby presents a critique that is still very relevant today—that the American Dream is simply unattainable for most people. The lavish wealth that Gatsby surrounds himself with turns out to be an illusion that blinds him from the truth. However, while Fitzgerald certainly warns about the dangers of excess materialism and individualism, his portrayal of the American Dream is more nuanced. The American Dream, while flawed, still represented hope for liberty and opportunity. Though Gatsby fails to win over Daisy and live out his dream, Nick still ends the novel with a note of hope: “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...”
Conclusion
In closing, The Great Gatsby provides a sobering look at the American Dream in the hedonistic Jazz Age, revealing its destructive tendencies but also its promise and endurance. Through Gatsby's tragic demise and the Buchanans' cruel recklessness, Fitzgerald skewers the obsession with wealth, status, and pleasure and warns against unethical materialism. But the beauty of Gatsby's dream, despite its flaws, embodies something noble in the American psyche—the eternal hope that we can transcend our past, improve our condition, and work toward something better. The American Dream thus remains something worth pursuing, even if total fulfillment remains just beyond our grasp. Fitzgerald's brilliant novel compels us to reflect on what the American Dream means, both in the past and present.
