Tracy Yang

5/12/2015
Mrs. Franks
English II

The Great Gatsby Essay

The novel of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald suggest that if its worthy to pay the
price of life for chasing a dream? In 1920s New York reached the pinnacle of social statue and
wealth, many people believed they had reached the American dream, they make a spectacle of
their wealth with fancy and fashionable proprietorship of incredibly luxuries, but behind the
flashy appearance the true value of humanity and a simple dream are abandoned. The
American dream believed in equality and freedom of pursuit happiness, but it ends up being
materialism, segregation of classes, selfish pursuit of ones desire, blindly pursuing dream and
suffering. The idea of American dream has been twisted and misunderstanding to fill full selfs
pleasure, Mr. Fitzgerald create the theme by using symbolism to represent the counterfactual
of the society.
The examples that proves the American dream had become obsession of materialism.
Said by Daisy Buchanan describing Jay Gatsbys shirts Theyre such beautiful shirts, she
sobbed..It makes me sad because Ive never seen such such beautiful shirts before.
(Chapter 5, Page 59). Daisys realization of Gatsbys wealth making her emotion empathy
toward the lost years of her life and Gatsbys latent love, representing ones love and emotion
can be effect by the wealth and obsession of material. Another example is Said by Jay Gatsby
and Nick Carraway about the indiscreet voice of Daisy Buchanan Her voice is full of money, he
said suddenly. That was it, Id never understood before. It was full of money..........kings
daughter, the golden girl (Chapter 7 Page 76). Daisys voice suggested she is from a wealthy

Tracy Yang
5/12/2015
Mrs. Franks
English II

family and may had been properly educated, with her linguistic markers of wealth and privilege
of society status her sort of high and musical voice sound like money had built up to it.
Second example that stand out throughout the book is the segregation of classes that
end up being negative turning point of the story. On the way with Tom Buchanan to see his
mistress, Nick Carraway described This is a Valley of ashes a fantastic farm where ashes grow
like wet into ridges and hills and geotactic garden.crumbling through the powdery air.
(Chapter 2 Page 16) The Valley of ashes, a desolate area of the land in between West Egg and
New York, represent the moral and social decay hidden by the wealthy and industrial hard
working lower class people whose environmental suffering representing symbols of dead.
Another way to look at this is through Nick Carraway describing Daisy and Tom Buchanan They
were careless people, Tom and Daisy they smashed up things and creatures and then
retreated back into their moneyclean up the mess they had made..(Chapter 9 Page 114)
Daisy and Tom Buchanans wealth and no sense of obligation to others allow them to lie and
run away from difficulties and left the wreckage behind for someone else with integrity and
honor to clean up.
Another strong indication throughout the book is peoples selfishness of pursuit their
desire, they please themselves to have an ecstatic and gleeful life with all the materiality and
wealth they can possibly get. In the apartment of Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson, Nick
Carraway described Daisy! Daisy! Daisy! shouted Mrs. Wilson. Tom Buchanan broke her
nose with his open hand. (Chapter 2 Page 25) Tom's explosive anger is revealed as frustration
of the lie he told Myrtle Wilson about Daisy Buchanan and the selfish intention that he

Tracy Yang
5/12/2015
Mrs. Franks
English II

wouldnt leave Daisy Buchanan for Myrtle Wilson but he also want to last the forbidden
relationship with Myrtle. Another strong example is when Nick Carraway tried to reason with
Jay Gatsby that he cannot repeat his past with Daisy Buchanan. I wouldnt ask too much of
her, I ventured. You cant repeat the past. Cant repeat the past? he cried incredulously.
Why of course you can!(Chapter 6 Page 70) Gatsbys selfish imaging of literally repeat the
past within his illusion through his force, Daisy will tell Tom she never loved him at all so he and
Daisy can escape memory and go back and begin their relationship again.
The most conclusive of example that proves the American dream had been abandoned
and becoming blindly pursuing dream is through Nick Carraway describing Jay Gatsbys
unreachable dream, Gatsby believe in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year
recedes before us.Stretch out our arms farther.....And one fine morning So we beat on,
boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (Chapter 9 Page 115) It is too
simplistic to say green light is symbolic of Gatsbys hope, and hes longing for Daisy. The green
light proves Gatsbys inability to move on from the past, shows Gatsby has been trying to goes
against the current situation to recreate the past, and Gatsby has spent his whole life longing
for money, success, acceptance from the society, and Daisys love, but with all the luxurious he
can possibly reach, the gaping hole inside of him never feels complete. The unreachable dream
that feel just off in the distance is what green light really represent.
The most conclusive of examples that proves the American dream had been abandoned
and becoming suffering is through Nick Carraway describing the terrible crash that killed Myrtle
Wilson. A moment later she rushed out into the dusk, waving her hands and

Tracy Yang
5/12/2015
Mrs. Franks
English II

shouting.choked a little in giving up the tremendous vitality she had stored so

long.(Chapter 7 Page 88) Myrtle Wilsons death reveal the truth that she had endeavor to fit in
the society and craving to be accepted, at the end she pays the price of death. Another example
is through Daisy Buchanan response to the way society seek women in the roaring twenties.
And I hope shell be a fool thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little
fool.(Chapter 1 Page 13) Daisys truthful comment toward the women status in the society,
does not only shows shes clever but also imply that the life of an ignorance woman is more
joyful. Reason being a fool doesnt have to realize the harsh realities of the real world. Daisy is
treated as a beautiful pawn, it suggests that beauty is an essential strength a woman can use to
barter for a wealthy husband. And lastly, As Nick Carraway explain about Gatsbys torment "The
truth was that Jay Gatsby...sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of
God...he invented...Jay Gatsby...and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (Chapter 6
Page 63) Gatsby is the one who endures the most of suffering, he could never possibly feeling
belonged on either side of the social status. Gatsby has went through an extraordinary path to
make himself appear to be completely different person, Gatsby throws luxurious and elaborate
party that creates an entire image of himself as an educated and capable man who to try to win
Daisys favor. At the end Gatsby lose his life because of his love for Daisy Buchanan
representing his idea of the American Dream.
The American dream that millions has been chasing is the prefect idea of pleasant and
worth living life, but The Great Gatsby novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald has suggested differently.
Materialism, segregation of classes, selfish pursuit of ones desire, blindly pursuing dream and

Tracy Yang
5/12/2015
Mrs. Franks
English II

suffering had been mistaken and confused the idea of American dream. The idea had lose its
true value, and become the excuse for degenerates and fallen society. F. Scott Fitzgerald had
giving a harsh criticized of the American society through the novel of The Great Gatsby, it could
be described as the harsh and bitter truth of the American society through the American
dream, but no one could argued that the hard to swallow truth presenting in The Great Gatsby
is the best reflect of the abominable and outrageous of the American society.