The Great Gatsby – the Unachievable Dream

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is integrity of the most influential and famed phrases in the United States Declaration of liberty. The Declaration of Independence encapsulates the original conception of the Ameri shag inspiration the nonion that e actually individual, irrespective of their social up dra kick upstairsg, could have the opportunity to reach their full potential and stop a comfortable lifestyle. F. Scott Fitzgeralds The capacious Gatsby takes place during the early twentiesa metre period that demonstrates the pursuit of happiness, opportunity, freedom, equality and finally the American dreaming.myrtle Wilson, a significant character in The Great Gatsby, tries to plight happiness and her American Dream by satisfying materialistic pleasures on a quest for wealth and status. The protagonist of the novel, Jay Gatsbys quest for futureless hunch, signifies the fallen American Dream. Ultimately Fitzgerald uses symbols such as cars, to represent the Ame rican Dream itself, and he uses failed kinships to exemplify the decomposition and descent of the American Dream. with his portrayal of the main characters and symbols, Fitzgerald illustrates the fall of morals and set, exemplifying the underside of the American Dream.Fitzgerald portrays twisted relationships to represent the corrupt American Dream in The Great Gatsby. Emotional intimacy, trust, respect, and mutual goodwill constitute a positive and honorable relationship. To the contrary, the majority of the relationships displayed between the characters are impaired, and diminish the fancy of bread and butter tabu a meaningful American Dream with emphasis on a strong family. For example, tom and Daisy are married, barely Tom has an affair in brief later Tom marries Daisy. Indeed, Daisy is suspicious of Toms conduct on a trip they took together to Santa Barbara.If he unexpended the room for a minute shed look around uneasily and say wheres Tom gone and wore the most abstracted expression until she saw him advance to the door . This was in August. A week later I left-hand(a) Santa Barbara Tom ran into a wagon on the Ventura road one night, and ripped a front wheel off his car. The girl who was with him got into the papers, too, because her arm was broken- she was one of the chamber maids in the Santa Barbara. (Fitzgerald 51) In addition to the unfaithful relationship shared by Tom and Daisy, Daisy has a twisted conception of her young lady.Daisys early cynicisms towards her daughters life are shown just abtaboo an hour after the baby is born, as Daisy says, Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a fool- thats the best subject a girl could be in this world, a beautiful unforesightful fool (Fitzgerald 12). exchangeablewise, as Daisys daughter grows older, the girl is treated exchangeable a trophy that Daisy uses for show, and the nurse is left with the responsibilities of the childs care. (Fitzgerald 77). Like Daisys relationship with h er daughter, another dysfunctional relationship is between myrtle and her save George. When George suspects Myrtle of cheating, he locks her amodal value.This becomes evident when Tom exclaims, Ive got my married woman locked away up there (Fitzgerald 91). Another example of the decline of morals and values in the novel is Nicks romantic ideation of Jordan Baker, in spite of his naturalised relationship at home (Fitzgerald 40). Most importantly, though, Gatsby has a tragicalally hopeless dream of obtaining Daisys love. He pursues illegal activities in order to gain wealth and to attract Daisys affection. Clearly, the multitude of dysfunctional relationships in Fitzgeralds novel represents the misconstrual of the American Dream.Much kindred the portrayal of relationships, Fitzgerald uses cars to represent the disintegration of the American Dream. In the 1920s, cars were extremely popular, envy by all, and symbolize the vast opportunities available in the United States. Ironicall y, Myrtle, who seeks American physicalism to an extreme degree, ends up getting killed by American materialism itself. Through bulge her life, Myrtle possesses a burning desire for money. She ends up freehanded her life to Tom and getting killed by her own desires (Fitzgerald 93).Through Myrtles death, Fitzgerald conveys that dwelling too much on material objects cannot bring about a positive resolution materialism can lone(prenominal) bring about destruction. Destruction and corruption are shown through cars as well. Drinking impairs judgement and decreases inhibitions. Many of the characters drink as a pursual and drive under the influence. Since cars represent the American Dream, and drinking becomes a way of life, one can conclude that the characters go about achieving the American Dream in a misguided and dangerous manner. Myrtle tries to satisfy her desires by seeking wealth and tatus in attempts of achieving her American Dream. Myrtles husband, George, owns a car dealershi p and repair shop in the industrial waste material of the Valley of Ashes, which depict his lower tell apart. In describing Georges shop, Fitzgerald notes The interior was unprosperous and bare the merely car visible was the dust-covered wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner (Fitzgerald 27). Although George is loyal and gravelyworks, Myrtle is unsatisfied with her relationship she envies the East formalers for living her version of the American Dream period she is stuck in the Valley of Ashes, married to a low class man.Myrtle right off disrespects her husband as she goes after Tom, a blue class, wealthy, and married man, living in the East Egg. This is captured by Nicks description of Myrtle, as he notes, She smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom, looking him flush in the heart(Fitzgerald 28). In circumstance, Myrtle demands that George supply chairs so that she and Tom could contrive against George. During Toms visit, Myrtle demands Get some chairs why dont you so someone can sit down. Oh, sure, agreed Wilson hurriedly . A white ashen dust veiled eachthing in the vicinity- except his wife, Who move close to Tom. (Fitzgerald 28) Myrtle looks past social values and chooses a life of crowingery in spite of the repercussions that her actions have on her husband.Furthermore, not a single character in this novel feels remorse for George when Myrtle blatantly plans to cheat. Indeed Nick and Tom have the follo developg conversation after Myrtle plans her getaway with Tom It does her good to get away. Doesnt her husband object? Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. Hes so dumb he doesnt know hes alive. (Fitzgerald 32) Nick and Tom take George for a fool, and they feel he is vacuous because he is in the lower class. In addition to the preaching of George, Myrtles tragic death symbolize Americas obsession with material wealth. Upon hearing a car approaching, Myrtle runs out into the dusk road waving her hands in the air, at which agitate she is struck and killed by Gastbys vehicle (Fitzgerald 130).Ironically, Myrtles chamfer for American materialism ended up costing her, her life as she is killed by her own desires in her quest for the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, another victim of his own desires, represents the fallen American Dream in his failed quest to win Daisy, but ends up empty handed in the end and does not receive what he had worked so hard for. Fitzgerald illustrates Gatsbys strong desires for Daisy very early on, for at the end of chapter one lays our first clue, the grand light. Gatsby stretches out his arms toward the dark water and looks at a green light.This green light is just across the water at East Egg, proper(postnominal)ally at Daisys backyard dock. This may be the first intimation we date of Gatsbys passionate dream, but is extremely powerful nonetheless. Gatsbys tragic flaw is that he believes one can recapture the past and clasp a moment crystallized forever. From the moment Gatsby fell in love with Daisy, everything he did was for the sole purpose of winning her. This becomes evident as Jordan explains to Nick, Gatsby bought that theatre so that Daisy would be just across the bay. (Fitzgerald 76). Jordan further explains to Nick that Gatsby to a fault hopes Daisy would come by one of his parties and be impressed. He wants her to see his business firm, she explained. And your place is just next door. Oh I think he half judge her to wander into one of his parties, some night, went on Jordan, but she never did. past he began asking people casually if they knew her, and I was the first one he found. It was that night he sent for me at his dance, and you should have perceive the elaborate way he worked up to it. Fitzgerald 77) Gatsby has a blind purist of Daisy and every purchase he makes and party he throws is backing the hopes of attracting her attention. Obviously, Gatsby highly values Daisy a nd he goes above and beyond to impress her. This statement is further illustrated as Gatsby hires someone to cut Nicks grass to impress her, on the day that Daisy is going to visit (Fitzgerald 81). As well, upon Daisys arrival, Gatsby shows off his bombastic house to her, brags that it only took him three years to earn the money in the drug and oil business, and takes Daisy on a tour (Fitzgerald 87-89).Gatsby deliberately excludes the fact that much of Gatsbys money to win Daisy over comes from organized law-breaking and bootlegging. Breaking the law and lies become daily activities for Gatsby on his quest to win Daisy over. Gatsby also shows off his wealth by throwing expensive and beautiful shirts left right and centre as if they were a dime a cardinal (Fitzgerald 89). This is to suggest that Gatsby is extremely affluent to the point that his money can be thrown around without a care. Later in the novel, Daisy accidently kills Myrtle while driving Gatsbys car.Nick tries to conv ince Gatsby that he should flee so that George would not be able to track his car however Gatsby refuses as Fitzgerald notes, He wouldnt consider it. He couldnt leave Daisy until he knew her next course of action. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldnt bear to shake him free (Fitzgerald 141). Gatsby is simply uneffective to realize that his dream is not a reality, and by being so focussed on his dream he leads himself further and further into a fantasy world. When Gatsby takes Daisys hand he describes her voice as a deathless song (Fitzgerald 93).Evidently, Gatsbys idealism is replaced by his inability to see the changing world around him. Gatsby cannot comprehend that time passes and that one cannot bear on the past crystallized forever. Fitzgerald uses the clock at Nicks house to symbolize Gatsbys delusion. The clock that falls at Nicks house that was caught by Gatsby before it could hit the ground, suggests that Gatsby feels he could stop the time from passing. Gatsby s inability to see things for what they really are, are further illustrated by in his remark. Cannot repeat the past? he cried incredulously, why of course you can (Fitzgerald 106). Ironically, Gatsby becomes a parody of himself in the sense that throughout The Great Gatsby, he cannot wait to distance himself from his true past, but yet he lives his adult life trying to recapture the past he had with Daisy. Gatsby needs to limit that in order to see forward into the future, one must let go of their past. Both Daisy and Gatsby go about achieving their dream in a misguided manner, and have been corrupted by their strong desire to chance upon their own American Dream.At last, Myrtle, Gatsby, twisted relationships, and cars, serve as symbols illustrating the corruption of the American Dream shown throughout The Great Gatsby. Morals and values decay as the characters seek American materialism driven by self-indulgence. The established and newly well-fixed aim to get even richer and t hey associate themselves with the high class while looking down on the poor. The working class strive to rise up in wealth and status yet never do as revealed by a song the rich get richer and the poor get- children (Fitzgerald 92). Ultimately, Fitzgerald himself sets up the American Dream to be unachievable by his characters.A crucial element of the classic American Dream is for individuals to rise up in class based on hard work and merit. In order for this element to be possible, no specific class system may be present. On the contrary, Fitzgerald creates his novel victimisation definite class division systems such as East Egg for the established rich, West Egg for the newly rich, and the Valley of Ashes for the low working class. The dreams of the characters in this novel are to rise in status and class, indeed turning their lifelong strive for the American Dream to be ludicrous and consequently unachievable.