Putt-Putt Quanpadung

English (F Block)
Mrs. Hunt
November 3, 2016
Great Gatsby
The American Dream is defined as someone starting low in the social class, and working
hard towards wealth. The author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, portrayed the
American Dream as a life of hard work in hopes of having a wealthy and prosperous future
through the characterization of the title character Jay Gatsby. The characters had dreams of
pursuing the American Dream. Many of them achieved wealth, but failed to obtain happiness. In
the novel Fitzgerald portrays a society corrupted by the true meaning of the American Dream
through Myrtle Wilson, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanans hollow pursuit of wealth.
The American dream not only causes corruption but has caused destruction.
By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolizes the American
dream. Jay Gatsby sees wealth as a solution to all his problems. Gatsby believed in the green
light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no
matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.And one fine morning
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. (Fitzgerald, 216)
Gatsbys main goal in his life was to better himself. However, that changed when he got
distracted and fell in love with Daisy Buchanan, his main goal was now to better himself so he
could get Daisy. Gatsby got the money, but all he needed was love and family. She was his ticket
to happiness. Once he finally got her, he could not accept that shes materialistic and relies on

money. Gatsby shows how he accomplished the American dream, he can never be happy because
the American dream has no boundaries, and he never had closure on family and love.
Myrtle Wilson is a model of how the political and social ideals of the United States of
America conflict with each other, so the American Dream becomes a disaster. The desire for a
luxurious life is what lures Myrtle to have an affair with Tom Buchanan. This irrational decision
harms her marriage with her husband, George Wilson, since they do not have as much money as
the Buchanan. Myrtle has a dream and hope for the life of the rich and famous. Tom Buchanan
comes from old money, which means he lives a luxurious and the rich and famous life that
Myrtle is looking for. When Myrtle first got married to George, she thought she made the right
decision and that she was crazy about him, but that changed. She said, The only crazy I was was
when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebodys best suit to
get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one say when he was
out" (Fitzgerald, 37) This shows how greedy she is for wealth. This shows how materialistic
Myrtle is, and she did not appreciate how George could not afford his own suit to get married in.
She looks at Tom in a different way. She looks at him as someone who can afford to buy their
own suit for their own wedding
Daisy is also used to represent the flaw in the American dream, being that she and the
whole upper class will never accept Gatsby and all he has done to achieve his wealth because
they think that he did not come from old money like them. Daisy Buchanan hope of happiness is
what her she hopes on achieving. Later in the novel she found out that she married the wrong
man, Tom Buchanan, who changed her and her views on life. In the beginning of the book she
figured out that Tom has been having an affair behind her back with Myrtle. Tom and Daisys
relationship is does not fit in the ideal of the American Dream. Tom seems to be abusive with

Daisy and does not care about her. Being married to Tom makes her feel like she has everything,
including wealth, love and happiness, but in reality the only thing she has is wealth.
In conclusion, in the novel, Fitzgerald portrays a society corrupted by the true meaning of
the American Dream through Myrtle Wilson, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanans hollow pursuit
of wealth. Gatsby was on the road of accomplishing the American Dream because he had the
wealth, but he was just missing a perfect family and love. While Myrtle shows someone seeking
for the American Dream and never really achieving it, which makes them more greedy for it.
And Daisy represents the flaw in the American Dream.