Gatsby American Dream Failure

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As Ben Casselman observes, the middle class hasn’t seen its wage rise in 15 years. In fact, the percentage of middle-class households in this nation is actually falling. Median household income has fallen since the financial crisis of 2008, while income for the wealthiest of Americans has actually risen, proving that American dream is only a dream. This theme is prevalent in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby. To reach his dream, Jay Gatsby tried his best to be wealthy to win back his love, Daisy. But people didn’t respect him because he owns new money. It was difficult for him to get Daisy back because his fake illusion for Daisy. Fitzgerald uses setting, metaphor, and characterization to develop a theme that American dream is …show more content…
Scott Fitzgerald also uses metaphor to develop the theme the American dream is only a dream. After the terrible car accident, Gatsby told Nick that Daisy is the one who was driving the car at that time but he will take the blame for her. To make sure Daisy is safe, Gatsby was waiting in front of her house. “ I walked away and let him standing there in the moonlight- watching over nothing.” [Fitzgerald 145]. The scene is a metaphor for Gatsby’s undying love for Daisy and his dream is crumbled. Gatsby tries his best to get Daisy back, but he realized that Daisy is not as good as what he thought. Most importantly, Daisy said that she loves Gatsby but also loves Tom. The reason why Nick describe that Gatsby was watching over nothing is his dream already crumbled. Gatsby was staring at Daisy’s house to make sure she is safe, but she did not even think about Gatsby but was eating with Tom. At the end of the book, after Gatsby’s death, Nick said that “so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past, “[Fitzgerald 180]. In this sentence, Boats represent people like Gatsby who has American dream, current represent that the difficulty they faced when they are chasing their dream. After meeting Daisy again, Gatsby thought that he was so close to his dream. However, after Gatsby met Daisy daughter and been told that she loves him but also loves Tom, He still can not realized that he was not moving forward to his dream, but keep moving back. He …show more content…
After Miss. Baker explain the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy to Nick, Gatsby asked Nick to invite Daisy to come to Nick’s house for tea. After five years, Gatsby can finally meet her again, when he was staring at Daisy’s face Nick realized that “ There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams [...] No amount of fire of freshness can challenge what a man will store up his ghostly heart. “( Fitzgerald 95). Gatsby’s dream predestinate to crumble because he kept building up Daisy and lived in the illusion for all this years. The obsessiveness for him to Daisy who only living in his dream was crumbled by the moment he met Daisy who is in reality. Even he realized that, he still does not give up Daisy, he invited Daisy to come to one of his party. However, after Daisy left, Gatsby told Nick that “ ‘she didn’t like it,’ he said immediately. [...] ‘i feel far away from her,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to make her understand.’ ” ( Fitzgerald 109 ) Gatsby assumed that Daisy did not have a good time on his party, she did not like it. He also said that he felt far away from Daisy, Gatsby noticed that Daisy changed, she is not the girl who understand him anymore. That’s also the moment that Gatsby’s dream starts crumble. His american dream only is a dream not only because Daisy tumble his dream but because Gatsby’s unhealthy obsession
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