Jay Gatsby and the American Dream

The American Dream by definition is the idea that everyone in the United States has the chance to achieve success and prosperity (Encarta). This includes wealth, love, material things, and happiness. Sometimes people take the wrong ways to get these things, even resorting to criminal and illegal activity. Gatsby was no exception. Does Jay Gatsby really achieve the American Dream? If he does, how does he do it?

Jay Gatsby, born James Gatz, was born poor to an unsuccessful farming family in the Midwest. Like most, he sets specific goals and time frames for his goals to make his dreams real. He sets into plan a course of action. Gatsby’s dream is easy to see by his fierce and intense ambition. He wants wealth, and most of all, Daisy, the love of his life. Nick describes Gatsby as having “an extraordinary gift for hope”, which has never been found in any other person: If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. (p.8)

Gatsby moves to the East Coast to chase his dream. This is where he gains his wealth and climbs up the social ladder. His success comes from his faith in life, self-confidence, and the help and opportunities from Dan Cody. He is also hard working and keeps a daily schedule and general guidelines for life.

Now that Gatsby has achieved part of his dream by achieving wealth, he starts his plan to win back Daisy’s love. First he buys a big expensive mansion close to Daisy’s home, so he can always look at “ the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock” (p.90). He also buys a luxurious yellow car, yacht, fancy clothes, and stacks of books. This is to not only impress Daisy, but to show off his new found wealth and educational status. He is no longer that poor boy from the Midwest anymore and he is proud. He has many parties at his house in hope Daisy will come to them. He assumes if he continues all of this, he can buy Daisy’s love and will have fulfilled his dream. He becomes committed to do this for love, for Daisy. But money is not everything. It cannot buy love or happiness, so all Gatsby is doing to win Daisy is sure to be for nothing. Earlier in the book, in a conversation between Jordan and Daisy, Jordan refers to Gatsby and Daisy asks, “Gatsby? What Gatsby?”(p.16), implying Gatsby is no longer in her heart.

Another part of his dream is to have status. For Gatsby, this does not happen either. He has these lavish parties hoping to increase his reputation socially, but his intended idea is not achieved. The people coming to his parties, some uninvited, fail to meet their host. No one actually knows Gatsby or what he did. They just have suspicions that “he killed a man once” and he is a bootlegger. Tom does not even respect him, and believes he is his social inferior. Tom was born rich and will always belong to the rich and reputable class. Tom doubts and is disrespectful of how Gatsby received his education. Someone mentions to Tom that Gatsby is an Oxford man to which he replies showing his dislike for Gatsby “An Oxford man! Like Hell he is! (p.116) Later, during an argument, Tom states where Gatsby got his wealth, rather hatefully: “Who are you, anyhow? You’re one of that bunch that hangs around with Meyer