The American Dream as portrayed in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald

AMERICAN DREAM
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The American Dream as portrayed in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
The American dream has been a fallacy and a reality for many people who have perceived America as a land of opportunity and prosperity irrespective of their conditions at birth. Over the years, the idealism of American dream has evolved and became elusive to many people who have turned to crude methods to realize the American dream CITATION Wil11 \l 1033 (Caldwell, 2011). Many people never realize it, some realize it through illegitimate means while others live the dream. Ironically, some of the main pillars the dream is built on of gender equity, nationality, race are the main hindrances to the people who seek to realize it. Fitzgerald and Miller have captured the reality of American dream especially for the people in the low social classes in their works which illuminates our perspective on the idealism of the dream. This essay is based on the American dream theme presented in their works; The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman by Scott Fitzgerald and Arthur Miller respectively.
Fitzgerald has illustrated American dream by use of several characters to show how elusive the dream has been to some people whilst others are already living it. In this essay, a clear description of how the author has portrayed the dream is discussed in detail highlighting what it means to each person.
Gatsby, one of the main characters in the novel, is in pursuit of the American dream. He was born in impoverished conditions and worked hard to change his circumstances. At first, he tries working hard for Cody though he does not make remarkable progress towards achieving his dream. He turns to crime and quickly, he scales the social and economic ladder to be a notable figure in the society. At the peak of his achievements, Gatsby is a disturbed man, and he does not find satisfaction in his newly found wealth. He had personified the American dream in Daisy Buchanan, a married woman who he met in the army and fell in love with. He is fantastical in his thoughts that his American dream would be realized if he married Daisy. His accumulation of wealth was geared to escape poverty and win Daisy. However, in a tragic turn of events, Gatsby is unable to win Daisy and loses his life while chasing his ‘American dream.’
Myrtle is also in pursuit of the American dream, and she opts for ‘get rich quick’ method to fast-track her progress. She is Tom’s mistress, and she endures abuse just to milk money from him. She cheats on her husband, Wilson, who is a struggling businessman and also in the chase of the American dream. The American dream is founded on the principle of equity, and each person irrespective of gender can achieve it. Myrtle takes advantage of her sexuality to realize her version of the American dream. Though she enjoys the gifts and money she gets from Tom, she loses her life in what seems like a revenge by Daisy. She dies in pursuit of her dream showing a bleak view of the American Dream where women are concerned.
Tom and Daisy portray another version of the American dream for the privileged class. Both characters are born and married in wealthy and privileged families. Their marriage and way ...