Falsehood Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby, by F. S. Fitzgerald depicts the 1920’s Jazz Age, and how the American Dream influenced its society. During this time it was believed that with steady determination anyone could acquire a prosperous life. In his novel, Fitzgerald describes how social, cultural and economic conditions play into this belief and how each, along with the notion of the American Dream, drive his characters behavior and actions. However, demonstrated in The Great Gatsby, the dream is not what it appears on the surface to be, but rather a heap of fraud, lies, and greed as a result of the actions of Fitzgerald’s characters. It is in revealing the falsehood of the American Dream and consequently the downfall of those attempting to achieve it, in particular Gatsby himself, which this book is centered around.…show more content…
However, at the base of these different interpretations is a consistent, common theme: wealth and success leads to happiness in life. For Jay Gatsby it is exactly that. As a young boy, then Jimmy Gatz, he was accustomed to living off very little. The son of unsuccessful farmers, Jimmy throughout his childhood was never satisfied. Finally, unable to accept what he’d been given in life, when an opportunity to reinvent himself knocked on his door, he readily accepted. Thus, Jimmy Gatz became Jay Gatsby. No longer tied down to his earlier years, Gatsby was free to do whatever he wanted, including falling in love; a fatal incident that would alter his course of life forever. Upon encountering Daisy, Gatsby set his mind to do everything in his power to win her affection. Money, or rather lack of, was essentially the issue that impeded their being together. Thus from there on out, Gatsby promised himself he would never be without it again. This obligation consumed him; everything he did from that moment on was to please Daisy. Gatsby became the ultimate example of self-made
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