Daisy's American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby wants nothing more than a love and a life with his long lost lover, Daisy; she is his American Dream. Gatsby holds onto a semblance of hope that some day he can achieve his dream, and he goes an extreme length to assure it happens. In the end, Gatsby’s untimely death illuminates these extreme lengths he dares to go to achieve his American Dream.
Contrary to telling Nick that he inherited his wealth, Gatsby in fact acquired a large portion of his wealth by selling bootlegged alcohol along with his infamous associate, Meyer Wolfshiem. Tom eventually reveals Gatsby’s lucrative practices, saying, ‘[Gatsby] and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and …show more content…
And I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” In a way, Gatsby begins to copy some of the qualities that Daisy became so fond of in Tom: most obviously, his wealth. Perhaps if he can mimic some of Tom’s most favorable traits, he too can win Daisy’s affection. Gatsby’s willingness to commit the crime of bootlegging alcohol during the prohibition emphasizes his readiness to do just about anything to win Daisy over, for he would face federal punishment if the law caught him. Consequently, this decision was his first step into his own grave, and at this point, his true character begins to …show more content…
Gatsby’s purchase of his mansion was his final step to his complete transformation into the great Gatsby. Symbolically, James Gatz’s death highlights the reality that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win Daisy’s affection, even if it meant entirely abandoning the life he once knew. Jordan makes Gatsby’s intentions clear to us by saying, “It wasn't a coincidence at all…Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.” With Daisy in close proximity, his chances at achieving the American Dream are more realistic than ever. As a result, Gatsby hosts elaborate parties in hopes to allure Daisy to his mansion only to find his efforts for naught when she never turns up. In reality, the parties aren't for the people who attend; they are only for Daisy. Ultimately, these parties highlight Gatsby’s undying determination to fulfill his American Dream despite his subsequent failure. Long before his physical death, Gatsby finds himself emotionally dying while his desperation to acquire his American Dream
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