Failure of the American Dream (The Great Gatsby Essay Example)

The American Dream is a hopeless wish because it has been ill-defined for so long. Fitzgerald’s characters, Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, personify this death sentence of hope.  Daisy’s shallowness and Gatsby’s arrival to new riches laid the foundation for failure of the American dream. It is the interactions and relationships between the two characters that juxtapose the concepts of new and old money.

The American Dream is often misconstrued as becoming rich and having everything you’ve ever wanted in life. However, that could not be farther from the truth, because without fulfillment, the dream is nothing more than wasted money. Jay Gatsby’s purpose operates on a broader viewpoint as it relates to the American Dream. He came from a poor farming family and changed his life into one he considered successful (Chapter 6). His house was a palace with multiple servants and cars like a Rolls-Royce. He hosted parties at his house many times throughout the week (Chapter 3). However, these outward expressions drove him intrinsically. His actions were postulated on materialistic things in which he would never find fulfillment. Gatsby’s actions represent the death of the American Dream and it being unachievable because there is no solid foundation. He functioned and achieved mass success on the premises that he’d be able to impress others and win his unextinguished love back with Daisy by reliving the past with her(Chapter 6). This is why many people were not able to achieve the American Dream because they thought of it as a prize more than a state of being. This time period was defined as the “Roaring Twenties”, because  of economic prosperity. But what about internal prosperity? Fitzgerald’s creation of the tragic achievement of Gatsby parallels the truth of the perception of the American Dream.

Furthermore, within the 1920s, America faced multiple turning points, with the granting of women's suffrage leading the way. This monumental moment is indicative of what the American dream is, newfound equality, freedom, and representation, especially for women. However, this truth doesn’t exist for Daisy Buchanan. Her shallowness contradicts the idea of progressive ideology when she downright asserts that the best thing a girl can do is be a “beautiful little fool” (Chapter 1). Coming from a place of privilege, it’s not hard to imagine that Daisy is out of touch with the dismal reality for many women of that time. She had it all. So much so, that her privilege would even allow her to casually give back jewelry worth $300,000 (Chapter 4). Her affinity to unquestionably stand by her husband’s side, even when she knew he had a mistress when he was on the phone (Chapter 1), showed that Daisy did not act out of independence, but of submission. Fitzgerald's characterization of Daisy throughout the novel contradicts the growing role of women in society during the 20th  century. Daisy’s character practically gave death to the strides being made.

Lastly, the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is the biggest indicator of how Americans were prevented from the American Dream. Gatsby and Daisy were the humanization of new and old money, respectively. As mentioned before, Gatsby had earned his money while Daisy grew up and married into a life of privilege. Though he tried to take her away from her husband (Chapter 7), who is very wealthy, she ended up staying with him even though Gatsby took cover for her committing homicide (Chapter 7). In the end of the book, Gatsby dies alone with not many people by his side (Chapter 9). Her getting away with murder without reprecussions reflects how old money can do whatever they want and still retain their purpose in society. Gatsby being left alone shows that new money still has to acquire its place in society and reflects that the monetary aspect of the American Dream is an illusion. Their relationship with each other shows how there will always be a gap in social mobility, no matter how much success you achieve. The American Dream is not endless wealth or never-ending luxuries, but it is the fulfillment of oneself. 

And that is the failure of Gatsby and Daisy and of the American people.