The American Dream
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John Thiel
Mrs. Oliver
English III
Period 7
March 6, 2006
“The American Dream”
Jay Gatsby, the main character in the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is many things but he is mostly one thing; he is the American dream. The American Dream is defined as “the faith held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve financial prosperity” (American). Gatsby believes that if he has money then he can have anything he desires.
In the United States nothing screams wealth more then a car worth more than most homes. Gatsbys amazing car is majestic as well as a symbol for materialism. Gatsby thinks that Daisy will fall in love with himself because he has the nicest car in town and believes that is what Daisy looks for in a man, so he flaunts the car as shown in the novel when Gatsby asks ” Its pretty isnt it old sport. Havent you ever seen it before?” (Fitzgerald 68). What Gatsby does not realize is the fact that the car will be the indirect reason that he dies because Daisy uses his car to kill Myrtle and then Wilson wants revenge and he thinks because it is Gatsbys car that Gatsby kills Myrtle, so Wilson shoots Gatsby.
Another example of Gatsby using his money to buy happieness is when he is trying to impress Daisy so he dresses in his best expensive clothing. “An hour later the front door opened nervously and Gatsby in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold colored tie hurried in” (Fitgerald 88). The shirt and tie are gold and silver and those two colors represent wealth. .
Another major symbol of Gatsbys wealth is his enourmous, elegant house. “My house looks well, doesnt it? See how the whole front of it catches the light” ( Fitzgerald, 95). He knows that his house is breathetaking for Daisy and he soaks that thought up in happiness and he also starts to think that his dream is coming true, but throughout that day Gatsby kept getting kind of upset because Daisy was falling short of what his colossal dream of her was.
Money can not buy happieness was a major theme in this novel as shown when Gatsby can not get Daisy. When the two self-indulgent