Great Gatsby

The United States is known for being the land of opportunities in other words "The American dream". In the novel The Great Gatsby, the American dream figures prominently in this story. The character in this novel all have their own views and takes in the American dream. In the novel, most characters wanted to pursue happiness and wealth and will do anything to achieve it. This novel takes place in the 1920s and during this time there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor. During this time there were corrupts ways to which led to some people to get wealthy very quickly. Perusing the American dream can be the right thing to do but in times like in the novel for the characters it wasn't the best thing to do due to Gatsby and Myrtle deaths.

Myrtle is an example in the novel of why pursuing her American dream wasn't possible and failed. The upper-class status lures myrtle to have an affair with Tom, Daisy's husband. the American dream for Myrtle was being rich and famous and to achieve this she slept with tom. in the novel myrtle talks about how she made a mistake in marrying George Wilson," The only crazy I was was when I was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. he borrowed somebody's best suit to get married in and never told me about it..." (Fitzgerald, 37). With what Myrtle said she materialist and what he saw in tom is that he is wealthy and he would be able to buy the things she likes, unlike her husband George. Later on in the novel, daisy kills myrtle in a car accident. Therefore in Myrtle situation, she did not take the corrects steps to achieve her American dream because it caused her to die.

When getting the first glimpse of Gatsby in the beginning of the  novel he's was reaching out for the green light and this was referring to his goal that was out of his reach, later on, in the novel it is learned that his great desire to reunite with Daisy. Gatsby is a wealthy man known for his spectacular parties in his mansion. But Gatsby didn't start from being wealthy before that he was a poor guy from North Dakota. In many cases of the upper class, they achieve their wealth through honest hard work, unlike Gatsby he had to obtain his wealth from crime. Even though he went from rags to riches his American dream is incomplete he wanted Daisy. Gatsby eventually reunites with Daisy and show her what a great man he has become and to impress Daisy with what he has. Daisy goes back to Tom. Gatsby dies in the end, he didn't get what he wanted because his desires took over to what he truly is. Gatsby's American dream, unfortunately, led to his death.

The American dream is significant in the novel The Great Gatsby although it leads to deaths it is evident that the American dream can bring out to who you truly arent and have negative outcomes like in the novel. These two characters did not realize that money does not buy happiness.