The Great Gatsby – the Unachievable Dream

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of enjoyment is maven of the intimately influential and famous phrases in the join States resolving power of Indep abolishence. The Declaration of Independence encapsulates the original conception of the Ameri great deal ambition the nonion that every individual, regardless of their kind upbringing, could hire the opportunity to reach their full potential and abide a comfortable lifestyle. F. Scott Fitzgeralds The groovy Gatsby takes come forth during the early 1920sa time close that demonstrates the pursuit of happiness, opportunity, freedom, equality and finally the Ameri whoremonger ambitiousness.myrtle Wilson, a significant character in The Great Gatsby, tries to pursue happiness and her the Statesn Dream by make fulling materialistic pleasures on a spare-time activity for wealth and status. The protagonist of the fabrication, Jay Gatsbys quest for consentless love, signifies the fallen American Dream. Ultimately Fitzgerald uses sy mbols such as cars, to represent the American Dream itself, and he uses failed human relationships to symbolize the degeneracy and descent of the American Dream. Through his delineation of the main characters and symbols, Fitzgerald illustrates the decay of morals and values, exemplifying the tail end of the American Dream.Fitzgerald portrays depraved relationships to represent the corrupt American Dream in The Great Gatsby. Emotional intimacy, trust, respect, and usual goodwill constitute a positive and rubicund relationship. To the contrary, the majority of the relationships displayed between the characters are nonadaptive, and diminish the go for of living out a meaningful American Dream with emphasis on a healthy family. For pattern, tom turkey and Daisy are conjoin, yet tomcat has an encounter shortly after tom marries Daisy. Indeed, Daisy is suspicious of Toms conduct on a excursionist they in additionk together to Santa Barbara.If he left the room for a min ute shed look around uneasily and say wheres Tom g single and wore the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming to the admission . This was in August. A week after I left Santa Barbara Tom ran into a wagon on the Ventura channel one shadow, and ripped a front hustle finish his car. The girl who was with him got into the papers, too, because her arm was broken- she was one of the domiciliate maids in the Santa Barbara. (Fitzgerald 51) In addition to the unfaithful relationship shared by Tom and Daisy, Daisy has a twisted conception of her daughter.Daisys early cynicisms towards her daughters life are sh aver just close an instant after the baby is born, as Daisy says, Im glad its a girl. And I hope shell be a fool- thats the best social function a girl could be in this world, a beautiful little fool (Fitzgerald 12). Likewise, as Daisys daughter grows older, the girl is treated like a trophy that Daisy uses for show, and the nurse is left with the responsibilities of the childs care. (Fitzgerald 77). Like Daisys relationship with her daughter, another(prenominal) dysfunctional relationship is between myrtle and her husband George. When George suspects myrtle of cheating, he locks her away.This becomes evident when Tom exclaims, Ive got my wife locked away up there (Fitzgerald 91). Another example of the decline of morals and values in the novel is Nicks romantic ideation of Jordan Baker, in malignity of his launch relationship at home (Fitzgerald 40). most(prenominal) importantly, though, Gatsby has a tragically hopeless dream of obtaining Daisys love. He pursues illegal activities in order to pull in wealth and to attract Daisys affection. Clearly, the multitude of dysfunctional relationships in Fitzgeralds novel represents the misconstrual of the American Dream.Much like the portrayal of relationships, Fitzgerald uses cars to represent the putrefaction of the American Dream. In the 1920s, cars were extremely popular, coveted by all, a nd symbolize the vast opportunities available in the United States. Ironically, myrtle, who expectks American materialism to an extreme degree, ends up get killed by American materialism itself. Throughout her life, myrtle possesses a burning desire for money. She ends up self-aggrandizing her life to Tom and getting killed by her own desires (Fitzgerald 93).Through myrtles death, Fitzgerald conveys that dwelling too frequently on material objects cannot bring about a positive resolution materialism can only bring about destruction. Destruction and subversion are shown through cars as well. Drinking impairs head and decreases inhibitions. Many of the characters drink as a enjoyment and drive under the influence. Since cars represent the American Dream, and crapulence becomes a way of life, one can break up that the characters go about achieving the American Dream in a misguided and dangerous manner. myrtle tries to satisfy her desires by chance onking wealth and tatus in a ttempts of achieving her American Dream. myrtles husband, George, owns a car enfranchisement and repair shop in the industrial waste material of the Valley of Ashes, which depict his impoverisheder severalise. In describing Georges shop, Fitzgerald notes The internal was unprosperous and bare the only car visible was the dusty wreck of a Ford which crouched in a dim corner (Fitzgerald 27). Although George is loyal and hardworking, Myrtle is insatiable with her relationship she envies the East Eggers for living her version of the American Dream while she is stuck in the Valley of Ashes, married to a low class man.Myrtle promptly disrespects her husband as she goes after Tom, a uplifted class, wealthy, and married man, living in the East Egg. This is captured by Nicks description of Myrtle, as he notes, She smiled slowly and, walking through her husband as if he were a ghost, shook hands with Tom, flavor him flush in the eye(Fitzgerald 28). In fact, Myrtle demands that Georg e supply chairs so that she and Tom could contrive against George. During Toms visit, Myrtle demands Get some chairs wherefore dont you so someone can sit work through. Oh, sure, agreed Wilson hurriedly . A washrag ashen dust veiled everything in the vicinity- keep out his wife, Who moved close to Tom. (Fitzgerald 28) Myrtle looks past social values and chooses a life of swelledery in spite of the repercussions that her actions have on her husband.Furthermore, not a single character in this novel feels self-reproach for George when Myrtle blatantly plans to cheat. Indeed Nick and Tom have the following conversation after Myrtle plans her getaway with Tom It does her good to get away. Doesnt her husband object? Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sis in New York. Hes so dumb he doesnt know hes alive. (Fitzgerald 32) Nick and Tom take George for a fool, and they feel he is vacuous because he is in the lower class. In addition to the treatment of George, Myrtles tragic death symbolize Americas obsession with material wealth. Upon hearing a car approaching, Myrtle runs out into the dusk road waving her hands in the air, at which tear down she is struck and killed by Gastbys vehicle (Fitzgerald 130).Ironically, Myrtles chase for American materialism finish up costing her, her life as she is killed by her own desires in her quest for the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, another victim of his own desires, represents the fallen American Dream in his failed quest to win Daisy, but ends up empty handed in the end and does not receive what he had worked so hard for. Fitzgerald illustrates Gatsbys strong desires for Daisy very early on, for at the end of chapter one lays our first clue, the park light. Gatsby stretches out his build up toward the dark weewee and looks at a green light.This green light is just across the water at East Egg, itemally at Daisys backyard dock. This may be the first intimation we go out of Gatsbys passionate dream, but is extremely all-powerful nonetheless. Gatsbys tragic flaw is that he believes one can recapture the past and keep a moment crystallized forever. From the moment Gatsby fell in love with Daisy, everything he did was for the sole purpose of loving her. This becomes evident as Jordan explains to Nick, Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay. (Fitzgerald 76). Jordan merely explains to Nick that Gatsby similarly hopes Daisy would come by one of his parties and be impressed. He wants her to see his house, she explained. And your house is just next door. Oh I think he half expected her to lay out into one of his parties, some night, went on Jordan, but she never did. Then he began asking people coolly if they knew her, and I was the first one he found. It was that night he sent for me at his dance, and you should have hear the elaborate way he worked up to it. Fitzgerald 77) Gatsby has a blind purist of Daisy and every purchase he makes and fellowship he throws is backing the hopes of attracting her attention. Obviously, Gatsby highly values Daisy and he goes above and beyond to impress her. This statement is further illustrated as Gatsby hires someone to cut Nicks grass to impress her, on the day that Daisy is button to visit (Fitzgerald 81). As well, upon Daisys arrival, Gatsby shows off his bad house to her, brags that it only took him three years to sop up the money in the drug and oil business, and takes Daisy on a tour (Fitzgerald 87-89).Gatsby deliberately excludes the fact that much of Gatsbys money to win Daisy over comes from organized crime and bootlegging. Breaking the law and lies become day-to-day activities for Gatsby on his quest to win Daisy over. Gatsby also shows off his wealth by throwing expensive and beautiful shirts left right and centre as if they were a dime a dozen (Fitzgerald 89). This is to suggest that Gatsby is extremely abounding to the point that his money can be propel around without a care. Later in t he novel, Daisy accidently kills Myrtle while driving Gatsbys car.Nick tries to influence Gatsby that he should flee so that George would not be able to track his car however Gatsby refuses as Fitzgerald notes, He wouldnt consider it. He couldnt leave Daisy until he knew her next course of action. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldnt bear to shake him free (Fitzgerald 141). Gatsby is only when unable to realize that his dream is not a reality, and by being so focussed on his dream he leads himself further and further into a fantasy world. When Gatsby takes Daisys hand he describes her section as a deathless song (Fitzgerald 93).Evidently, Gatsbys idealism is replaced by his inability to understand the changing world around him. Gatsby cannot comprehend that time passes and that one cannot keep the past crystallized forever. Fitzgerald uses the clock at Nicks house to symbolize Gatsbys delusion. The clock that falls at Nicks house that was caught by Gatsby before it could hit the ground, suggests that Gatsby feels he could stop the time from passing. Gatsbys inability to see things for what they really are, are further illustrated by in his remark. Cannot repeat the past? he cried incredulously, why of course you can (Fitzgerald 106). Ironically, Gatsby becomes a parody of himself in the champion that throughout The Great Gatsby, he cannot wait to outer space himself from his true past, but yet he lives his adult life trying to recapture the past he had with Daisy. Gatsby needs to learn that in order to see forward into the future, one must let go of their past. Both Daisy and Gatsby go about achieving their dream in a misguided manner, and have been corrupted by their strong desire to achieve their own American Dream.At last, Myrtle, Gatsby, twisted relationships, and cars, serve as symbols illustrating the corruption of the American Dream shown throughout The Great Gatsby. ethical motive and values decay as the characters seek American mat erialism driven by self-indulgence. The established and impertinently rich aim to get even richer and they comrade themselves with the high class while looking down on the poor. The working class strive to muster up up in wealth and status yet never do as revealed by a song the rich get richer and the poor get- children (Fitzgerald 92). Ultimately, Fitzgerald himself sets up the American Dream to be unattainable by his characters.A crucial element of the classic American Dream is for individuals to intensify up in class based on hard work and merit. In order for this element to be possible, no specific class system may be present. On the contrary, Fitzgerald creates his novel using definite class plane section systems such as East Egg for the established rich, West Egg for the newly rich, and the Valley of Ashes for the low working class. The dreams of the characters in this novel are to rise in status and class, thus turning their lifelong strive for the American Dream to be i nconclusive and consequently unachievable.