Gatsby recounts his time in the war, his studies in Oxford, and then explains how he acquired his wealth, telling Nick that he had inherited it from his parents (Fitzgerald 42-43). Through his recall, Gatsby embodies success, showing that he is very well off to Nick. His relentless pursuit of self-improvement serves as the epitome of the American Dream. Societal values and opportunities shape Gatsby’s aspirations “by the materials which American society offered him” sdkfjahsdkfjashkd (Fussel 7). The rise and fall of Jay Gatsby is a direct comparison to how the shift in the American Dream is an unrealistic expectation that is inherently flawed at its core. The success of Jay Gatsby is immediately juxtaposed when the reader learns the true identity of Jay Gatsby, Jimmy Gatz. Jay Gatsby is everything Jimmy Gatz wanted to be, prevalent in the way he “dreamed of a life of unlimited possibility” and how he set himself up for success (Berman 128). However, his dream transformed from one of humble beginnings to one of baseless …show more content…
“The Great Gatsby and the Good American Life.” Jay Gatsby, Editor Harold Bloom, Chelsea House Publications, 2004, pp. 125. 125-135. 125-135. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Collier Books, 1992. http://www.collierbooks.com/collier-books/. Fussel, Edwin S. “Fitzgerald’s Brave New World.” Jay Gatsby, Editor Harold Bloom, Chelsea House Publications, 2004, pp. 113-117. 7-11. The. Hilgart, John. The. The Great Gatsby's Aesthetics of Non-Identity." Arizona Quarterly: A Journal of American Literature, Culture, and Theory, vol. 78, no. 1, pp. 113-117. 59. No. of the. 1, 2003, p. 87-116. Project MUSE, https://doi.org/10.1353/arq.2003.0023. Kersh, J. “The Great Gatsby: Major and Minor Characters in The Great Gatsby.” eNotes: The Great Gatsby. Editor: Penny Satoris. Enotes.com Inc, October 2002. Removed HTML --. Parkinson, Kathleen. A. A. “Alternative Worlds.” The Great Gatsby, Penguin Books, 1987. pp. 51-59. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Smiljanic, Sinisa. “The American Dream in The Great Gatsby.” Academia.edu, April 2011,