Examples Of Hope In The Great Gatsby

Persistent hope and the idea of the American dream is a prevalent theme in The Great Gatsby. The American dream is often perceived as the ability to have opportunities and gain economic stability, but in the novel it is represented as extreme wealth and materialism. This is expressed by the extravagant parties and materials Gatsby surrounds himself with in order to receive recognition from people as a successful person, “according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes “ (Fitzgerald 91). Gatsby’s hard work still does not get him “accepted” into the same status as the inherited rich and affects his aspiration to get Daisy back. This represents that hard work will not always result as planned with extensive opportunities and rewards,

The ideal of the American dream is shot down when the connection between hard work and lack of success are represented in the novel. Moreover, Gatsby’s hope to relive the past make him devote to the possibility that Daisy will tell Tom she never loved him. In a sense, Daisy represents Gatsby’s dream and Gatsby represents to the reader, a person striving for the American Dream. Gatsby’s hope is described by the green light across his house, “he stretched out his arms toward the dark water...nothing except a single green light” (Fitzgerald 21). The green light symbolizes his desire and closeness to his dream but fails to grasp it because of his history and social status. Gatsby’s past and Tom, pose as obstacles for Gatsby, something that can also be portrayed as individual struggles when in purse of the American dream. Gatsby’s persistent hope to be with Daisy embodies the everlasting idea that hard work will lead to success. Much like Gatsby is unable to reach his dream, many people realize that the idea of the American dream is not simply achieved or presented the same to