Gatsby as the Great American Dream

A detailed Summary of Gatsby as the Great American Dream


Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is based on the dreams of a man named Jay Gatsby. Throughout the novel, it is suggested to the reader that Gatsby is a symbol for America. He represents the possibilities of life on a level at which the material and the spiritual have been confused (Bewley 11). Gatsby's dreams, lifestyle and sense of morality represent an American vision of life at which the reality ends and an illusion begins.

First, to be an American means to have dreams. Gatsby is a dreamer, just like may Americans. All his dreams are based on one factor, Daisy Buchanan. Most Americans, achieve their goal only we they are free. Anthony Burgess suggests that "Freedom is slavery". When Gatsby realizes that he has lost her, his freedom to desire her makes him a slave to her. Since Gatsby is truly ambitious, he won't stop until he "gets the girl". To most Americans that is part of their American dream: to have a pretty girl. That is truly what Gatsby wants: to get the pretty girl who's "voice is full of money"(Fitzgerald 127). In order for him to have a chance with Daisy, he needs to have money a


Nonetheless, the first step in getting the girl is to have the money. Gatsby luckily inherits money from a friend and joins the world of "bootlegging". He gets all this and takes it a step further into the dream that Daisy wanted when she was with him. Gatsby's new lifestyle included motorboats, aquaplanes, private beaches, Rolls Royces and water towers (Bewley 16). "In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among whisperings and the champagne and stars" (Fitzgerald 43). Not only was Gatsby very popular like most Americans want to be but he also had good clothing. Daisy became very emotional when Nick writes "He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many colored disarray" (Fitzgerald 97).



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Approximate Word count = 794
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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