The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald communicates a message to readers about the characters and their failure to accomplish the “American Dream”. Nick, Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy all have ideas for the perfect life in the novel, yet none of them are able to achieve them. For Gatsby, his ideal American Dream is being rich and reuniting with the love of his life, Daisy. In the novel, Gatsby is a prime example of the characters not accomplishing their ideal American Dream. Gatsby lived his life as a poor man, until he left his one true love to go to war. Gatsby left Daisy in order to make money so that he could be rich, and they could be together. When Gatsby returned from the war, he was in for the surprise of his life; Daisy had moved on and married a new man named Tom. The real question was, does Daisy really love Tom? Daisy does agree that she loves Tom, but she…show more content…
Since Gatsby is newly rich, she cannot trust that his money will not disappear while on the other hand, Tom grew up rich so she knows his money will not disappear. She would even risk her own happiness for wealth and social stance. Tom is cheating on Daisy, and even though Daisy is well aware that Tom. Tom consciously knows that he is cheating on Daisy, but does not care he does not even feel any regret towards cheating on his wife. He says “and what’s more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time” (Fitzgerald). Daisy only puts up with Tom’s cheating because he is rich. She has spent her life with “old money” so Gatsby’s “new money” is something foreign to her, and something she is not yet comfortable with. Gatsby knows this is true, because he says to Tom “she only married you because I was poor, and she was tired of waiting for me [...]”
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