The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Analysis

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The central question raised throughout “The Great Gatsby” was “is the American Dream real?” The optimal values of the American Dream (independence and hard work) are overshadowed by materialism. Gatsby symbolizes the failed and corrupted American Dream. When Gatsby is presented, he is “stretching out his arms” toward “a single green light, minute and far way, that might have been the end of a dock” (24). The green light exemplifies Gatsby’s aspirations and fantasies. Towards the end of Chapter 1, Gatsby is reaching towards the green light and uses it as a docent that points him to his main aspiration, Daisy. The Valley of Ashes represent civil and moral mortification that emerged from the wealthy people’s determination to fulfill personal…show more content…
Daisy and her husband Tom represent the corruption and extremity to which people will go in order to reach the American Dream. Daisy’s version of the American Dream is living it with her husband Tom and enjoys the luxury of being married to a wealthy man. Tom has always lived in his version of the American Dream because he inherited wealth from his parents and was never obligated to perform any work-related tasks. The only thing he felt would corrupt his American Dream is if he lost Daisy considering the fact that he views her as his own possession. The material objects that Gatsby used to woo Daisy inadvertently provoked the decadence of Gatsby’s dreams. Gatsby believed that the parties he threw, homes he owned, and cars he bought would ultimately lead Daisy to leave her life with Tom for him. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in his favor; Daisy doesn’t have the courage to leave Tom or their daughter and is more than content with the high level of stability she has being married to Tom. The amount of hard work Gatsby spent building a life he felt would suit him and Daisy didn’t matter a dime to her which dissolves the hard work aspect of the American

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