F. Scott Fitzgerald's Concept of the American Dream
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is largely concerned with the American obsession with wealth. Throughout the novel, the concept of the American dream is equated with the attainment of wealth. Even Gatsby's desire to win Daisy's love is ultimately shown to be a symbol for this dream. Fitzgerald does not glorify the American obsession with wealth in The Great Gatsby; in fact, he condemns it by emphasizing the tragic downfall of the book's title character. In this regard, Brand has noted that The Great Gatsby is "a mythic critique of the American dream" (1100). The overall message of Fitzgerald's novel is that wealth and material gain are elusive, transitory, and unreal. In addition, Fitzgerald makes the point that the desire for wealth is often a corrupting influence. Thus, in the words of Fidel-Honigman, The Great Gatsby "analyzes acquisition and possession of material wealth in terms of deception, disillusion, and futility" (155). There are numerous symbols and images in The Great Gatsby which serve to highlight this theme. For example, the illusory nature of wealth is shown by Fitzgerald's description of the city as "sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money" (69). This is immediately followed by an image of death, as Nick and Gatsby drive past a funeral procession. The corrupting influence of wealth is symbolized by the ashes and dust which settle over the city. In addition to images such as these, the characters who live in the upper
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orld was founded securely on a fairy's wing" (100). Later in the novel, the point is emphasized that Gatsby gave up his connection with reality in order to live in his fantasy world. Thus, Gatsby sees a rose as "grotesque" and the sunlight as "raw," giving up such things for "a new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about" (Fitzgerald 162).
The phoniest thing about Gatsby's wealth is that it was gained through corrupt means. Thus, his chain of "drug-stores" turns out to be a front for a bootlegging operation. Behind his illegally gained wealth, Gatsby carries a powerful dream. This dream is to become fully accepted by the other wealthy people who surround him. In particular, he hopes to be accepted by Daisy, a rich girl whom he failed to win over when he was young and poor. None of his friends is aware of this aspect of Gatsby's dream. Thus: "The lawn and drive had been crowded with the faces of those who guessed at his corruption--and he had stood on those steps, concealing his incorruptible dream, as he waved them goodby" (Fitzgerald 154-155). True to the overall theme of Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby's dream is both illusory and corrupt. Thus, as noted
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Approximate Word count = 1870
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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