The great gatsby

Rise and Fall of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby captures a slice of American life that reveals the dangers of excess. While the novel covers the hope and expanse of the American Dream, many would also agree that the novel is about the decline of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of the self-made man but he allows his dream to become clouded by a growing sense of desire that is far beyond his reach. Through characterization, Fitzgerald demonstrates how destructive materialism, excess, and desire can not only ruin the American Dream but a man's life.

The tragedy of The Great Gatsby is that Gatsby actually does achieve his dream, but it slips away from him when he allows himself to be sidetracked with his infatuation with Daisy. Thomas Inge maintains that the novel "deals symbolically with the failure of the American dream of success" (Inge) by concentrating on possibilities arising from "rags to riches through industry, ambition, self-reliance, honesty, and temperance" (Inge). There is nothing wrong with wanting to have the best and working hard for it but Gatsby allows his dream to become entwined with the myth of obtaining Daisy's love. Inge believes that the myth of Daisy's love "lies the genesis of what impels Gatsby" (Inge). It is a passion strong enough to compel him to achieve great things but not what he wants.

The American Dream is achieved and this is what makes us admire Gatsby. He is a self-made man and can say that he alone earned everything he had. It did not come from inheritance as the Buchanan's wealth did. While it is pleasant to enjoy wealth, the spoils of it become ugly and addictive. It is the excess that begins to ruin Gatsby. His lavishness reveals the heart of the American Dream and it begins with the home. Gatsby's home is gorgeous and elaborate with its "Marie Antoinette bedrooms and Restoration salons" (Fitzgerald 93) and its "Merton College Library" (93). His restroom is decorated with a "toilet seat of pure dull gold" (94) and his suits are crafted by a "man in England . . . who sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall" (94). All of this is wonderful and extravagant and all to impress Daisy.

Thus, once the American Dream is achieved, the decline of the myth begins. The myth is Daisy's love. We know that Gatsby built "everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes" (97). We also know that he read the Chicago paper for years just on the chance of catching a glimpse of Daisy's name" (84). When Gatsby claims Daisy's voice is "full of money" (127), we know how far gone he is. He is childish in his belief that his wealth will earn her love. When he tells Nick, "Can't repeat the past? . . . Why of course you can!" (113), we see the depth of his blind obsession. The myth destroys the dream because they are so closely connected and when one fails, the other is doomed. Gatsby cannot have not can he enjoy his lavish lifestyle without Daisy.

While Gatsby makes his mistakes, there is something about him that draws us near. Harold Bloom maintains, "Fitzgerald's oddest triumphs that we accept his vision of Gatsby's permanent innocence . . .We come to understand that Gatsby is in love neither with Daisy nor with love itself, but rather with a moment out of time that he persuades himself he shared with Daisy" (Bloom). His love is pure and we can even go as far to say that his intentions are pure as well and this is why he emerges as the victim in this novel. John Fraser agrees, adding that why we come to appreciate the man is a "tribute to the further aspect of the illusion of largeness that the novel so brilliantly and charmingly generates" (Fraser 562). Casie Hermanson agrees and adds, "Against the background of the times and of upper-class society like that represented at his parties, Gatsby's extraordinary gift for hope and his romantic readiness stand out as transcendent" (Hermanson). However, his hope cannot save him. Scott Donaldson believes that Gatsby is like "Myrtle, he is guilty of a crucial error in judgment" (Donaldson). The error is foolishly thinking that Daisy would be compelled to leave Tom because he wanted her to leave him.