The Great Gatsby: Pursuit of a poisoned dream

F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, serves as a timeless portrayal of the American Dream. The novel opens by exploring a deep fascination with this ideal.

The term “American Dream” refers to the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or their socio-economic status, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American Dream, though originating in the United States, represents a broader idea that resonates globally. While the term is specific to America, its core principles of striving for success, self-improvement, and a better life are universal themes. Many cultures have similar dreams tied to upward mobility and personal fulfilment, even if they are shaped by different historical and social contexts.

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses his characters to illustrate the ways the pursuit of the American Dream has become focused on material wealth and social acceptance, often at the expense of genuine happiness or fulfilment.

Jay Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of wealth and luxury in order to win Daisy’s love reflects the idea of self-made success, a core aspect of the American Dream. His attempts to integrate into this world reveal that money alone cannot buy acceptance or authenticity. However, Fitzgerald reveals the dark side of this ambition, highlighting how Gatsby’s dream is driven by materialism and a yearning for acceptance within the elitist world of East Egg, which he can never fully attain. Through characters like Tom and Daisy Buchanan, who were born into privilege, Fitzgerald illustrates how the American Dream can be exclusive, favouring those who inherit wealth rather than those who earn it.

Myrtle Wilson is another character driven by material ambition, but as a member of the working class, her pursuit of the American Dream is limited by her social standing. Myrtle sees Tom as her ticket to a better life and eagerly participates in an affair with him, enjoying the luxuries he provides temporarily.

By the novel’s tragic end, Gatsby’s dream collapses, suggesting that the American Dream is often unattainable and fraught with illusions. The Great Gatsby ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of obsessive ambition and the superficiality of a dream defined solely by wealth and social status.

However, we might wonder whether Fitzgerald is presenting the American Dream as inherently corrupt and deceitful, or if it is the people of that era who distorted and corrupted it. No matter how we interpret the concept of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald delivers a compelling critique of a materialistic society and the impact it can have on one’s hopes and aspirations.