The American Dream Ruined The American dream was originally supposed to be prosperity, success, having a family, and being able to provide for that family without worry. Money was acquired through hard work and honesty, but The Great Gatsby presents an entirely different perspective on this dream. One example from the book is the way Gatsby gets his money--through bootlegging. He steped completely out of the guidelines of the American Dream. The American Dream was not meant to be corrupt, but during the 1920s, people like Gatsby used organized crime and other immorally wrong ways to gain their wealth.
Gatsby, however, did not realize that with the ending of the war, his prestige would end as well. Returning to America made him realize that he would have to do everything in his power to become wealthy to be worthy of Daisy’s love. Gatsby represents the American Dream in many ways and in order to accomplish his dream he knows exactly what he desires. The existence of social class in America is very important during this time period, no rich man would marry a poor woman and no poor man would wind up marrying a rich woman. Gatsby being well aware of this tries desperately to fake his status and buy his way into a high social class.Gatsby is held at arm’s length from the people that would put him into the finest part of New York, East Egg.
“The Great Gatsby” The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, focuses on America in the 1920’s and an American dream based on wealth and material excess. Fitzgerald shows that in the 1920’s social and moral values were decaying because so many people were indulging in vain and unrealistic pleasures of the world. Through the mindset of conspicuous consumption among Americans, people were overly concerned about wealth and social status. All three characters are examples of this mind set and it is why Daisy is unable to sacrifice her privileged social status with Tom to be with Gatsby. Her relationship with Gatsby was defiantly closer to the definition of love, but because of where her heart really is, she’s better suited for Tom.
Jay Gatsby was a poor boy that turned into a very wealthy man, but did he live the American Dream? Money is actually the only thing that Gatsby had a lot of. Jay Gatsby tries to live the life of The American Dream, but fails in his battle. Gatsby certainly lacks many of the qualities and fails many of the tests normally linked with greatness, but he redeems this by his exalted conception of himself. Today society sets their goals by planning the future
Love is one of the relationships that is portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”. A man named Gatsby who had went from being a poor man, became very rich. The only reason why he did all of this was for a woman named Daisy. Daisy was the women that he loved from the start, she is his dream, but since Gatsby had gone overseas, Daisy had decided to marry a man by the name of Tom Buchanan, mainly because he was much wealthier than Gatsby at the time. After Gatsby had found out what Daisy had done this affected him and crushed him because Daisy could not wait for him and had married Tom because Tom was of higher class than Gatsby.
Fitzgerald’s book is a reflection of the American Dream during his lifetime. Fitzgerald had a vision for himself and was determined to gain the lavish lifestyle as a wealthy man. He had a plan to write books that will get him noticed; he was driven by his desires to have success. He wanted to voice his opinion through his books that sometimes your ambitions are too high. No matter how much determination and energy you put in some things are not achievable.
But, he knew achieving perfection was impossible, yet he believed trying to achieve moral perfection is what the true American Dream is all about. Gatsby says, “…I carry a little business on the side…you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing.” (Fitzgerald, 83) This passage indicates how Gatsby does not earn his money the proper way. His “side-business” refers to his unknown occupation of bootlegging. The reason for Gatsby to participate in this business was to earn a nice amount of cash quickly to purchase glamorous riches, which was all done to attract the attention of Daisy.
1) Resolve: that all gambling should be illegal "A little government and a little luck are necessary in life; but only a fool trusts either of them." P.J. O'Rourke/a gambler himself and also an American political satirist and an author. In most western communities, gambling is deemed to be an entertaining method for people to possibly gain money. However, there is much clear evidence that gambling in large doses a cause great harm to participants.
Daisy had been raised to marry for money and keep her family’s name involved in old money and lavish events. Doing otherwise was socially unacceptable. When Daisy met Tom she may have once loved or still was in love with Gatsby, however Tom’s old money and social status was all that mattered to her. I don’t think social status and money are as important to Daisy as maintaining her reputation
The Negative Effects of Underage Drinking I am writing this essay because I was caught drinking under the age of alcohol consumption. I regret it deeply because I could have gotten into a lot of trouble, and it really is not worth it. I could have gotten jail time and a hefty fine if I was 18 or older and that isn’t good. Some of the negative effects of underage drinking are one, it could have ruined me chance of going to college since nobody wants a trouble maker at their school and that would’ve devastated me. Going to college is my number one priority and I could’ve lost that all in one night and it was very stupid of me.