Gatsby and the American Dream

A detailed Summary of Gatsby and the American Dream

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is a glimpse into the elite social circles of Long Island society during the prosperous period of the 1920's. In this decade a class of "new rich" was born, and the class of "old rich" enjoyed continued prosperity. Gatsby showcases the conflict between the two groups, as the newly rich tried to carve a place for themselves in the exclusive social circles of those who inherited their wealth. The book concerns itself with Jay Gatsby's attempt to transcend social boundaries and enter this exclusive circle, to live the American dream of betterment. Fitzgerald shows that this dream has been made corrupt and unattainable by the hunger for power and insecurities of the often immoral old rich. Despite living in such a prosperous time, it is impossible for Gatsby, originally a poor man from North Dakota, to be accepted in privileged society.

In the first chapter of the novel the reader is introduced to the narrator Nick Carraway and to many of the story's central characters, all of which come from privileged backgrounds. It is only at the end of the chapter that we meet Jay Gatsby. Nick observes him walking alone in the early evening:

n his leisurely movements and the secure position of his feet upon the lawn suggested that it was Mr. Gatsby himself, come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens...he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way...I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away... (Fitzgerald 25-26)

Daisy and her husband Tom are both from privileged families, much like Nick. Daisy is a former love interest of Gatsby's from the war that he has spent years trying to find again. Daisy represents not only love, but also the key Gatsby needs to enter the elite social circle he has spent his life aspiring to. "Her voice is full of money" (127) he tells Nick, illustrating the difference between working for one's fortune, and inheriting it. Gatsby has spent the majority of his life bettering himself, as is seen in his daily schedule found by Nick and Gatsby's father later in the novel. "Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he's got about improving his mind? He was always great for that" lamented Mr. Gatz (182). He has become very wealthy on his own account, rising from almost nothing, to a level of extravagant affluence. Gatsby loves Daisy, but it seems her ability to progress him socially that is most attractive to him. Gatsby believes in his dream, and will follow it at any cost.

Tom, who often raises the question of Gatsby's character, is hardly moral in his own right. He is having an affair with a woman right under his wife's nose, and during their child's birth, Tom was nowhere to be found (21). After the car accident with Myrtle Wilson, Tom and Daisy flee the area to avoid the police and the press. Tom even admits to holding some of the responsibility for Gatsby's death, but dismisses it saying, "I told him the truth... What if I did tell him? That fellow had it coming to him" (187). At this point Nick finally realizes that "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-They smashed

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1370
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels