How Does Gatsby Represent The American Dream

Money and success are what the American Dream is all about and what people seek to find when coming to the United States. So what does it mean to be part of the upper class or the so-called one percent”. According to the 2018 Global Wealth Report from Credit Suisse Research Institute, one needs a net worth of $871,320 U.S. Credit.” Suisse defines net worth, or “wealth,” as “the value of financial assets and real assets (principally housing) owned by households, minus their debts.” More than 19 million Americans are in the one percent worldwide, Credit Suisse reports, far more than from any other country, while “China is now clearly established in second place in the world wealth hierarchy,” with 4.2 million citizens among the world’s top 1 percent(Shawncarterm). America has the highest amount of people in the so-called one percent, so does this correlate with the American Dream and why people come to America to get rich and be a successful person overall? Does the American Dream really exist or is it an illusion and also does it matter how one achieves the American Dream? Is The Great Gatsby is more about the corruption of the American Dream rather than really showing it

At the beginning of the novel, readers are introduced to a character named Gatsby a wealthy mysterious man that is well known in West Egg, but no one knows where he got all his wealth from and are told he made his way up from rags to riches by hard work. However, ultimately there will be the downfall of the American Dream By luxurious things, big parties every weekend, and corruption can all play a part in it.

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The ruthless pursuit of wealth leads to the corruption of human nature and moral values. In the Novel, Fitzgerald shows corruption through his different distinct characters and the illusion of the American Dream. The superficial achievement of the American Dream, no fulfillment to anybody, joy, and peace. Instead, creates a lot more problems for the characters in the novel. What happens to Gatsby, Nick, and Daisy all represent the failure of the American Dream. Each character has a different dream as Jay Gatsby to attain happiness through Daisy and power. Nick Carraway’s dream and goal, want to become a stockbroker on the Eastern Seaboard, a highly successful career in the early 1920s, and Nick has a large number of friends already pursuing it. However, in college, he seemed to have a desire to be a writer. Then to find someone in life to show him that the American Dream isn’t an illusion. While Daisy’s dream is to reach a higher standard of living and become even richer by betraying her love and loyalty for Gatsby. The possession of money and power, no doubt, can provide material and pride satisfaction in life; but it cannot fulfill the real needs of the human heart, which is true love and genuine happiness. In order to fulfill their American Dreams, the characters in the novel have actually given up the moral values and beliefs that were once precious to them, and the result is that they reap only emptiness in their hearts and soul.

The fundamental nature of the American Dream depicted in the novel is the desire for something, and the steady assurance to arrive at one's optimistic objective. For Jay Gatsby, his fantasy is to win back the affection for Daisy, the ideal lady of his fantasy. He forfeits his uprightness so as to get rich by including in unlawful business. Gatsby feels that he can reproduce the past, which is simply the relationship and Daisy, with cash. He feels that he can intrigue Daisy with his riches so she will adore him. Gatsby's techniques of winning back Daisy's heart are to flaunt his riches and societal position, for example, associating himself with 'Oxford'; living in a sumptuous 'house', tossing luxurious gatherings, wearing pleasant costly attire; he even has 'men in England who get him garments and sends him a choice'. Gatsby accepts that with his cash and material achievement he could purchase anything in life including genuine romance and bliss. Due to his fixation to acquire Daisy's affection, he sells out his genuineness and ethical quality. 'It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart, she never loved anyone except me'(Fitzgerald 137). Here we can see that Gatsby knew deep down that Daisy did love him for who he is and not just for his wealth. With no other reason throughout everyday life, Gatsby winds up participating in illegal activities. Thusly, it is exceptionally amusing that occasionally throughout everyday life, great hopeful objective, some way or another, is accomplished by shameless and illicit methods. This is the purpose behind the disappointment of the American Dream, and the deplorability of Gatsby.