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How Does Fitzgerald Present The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby believed that his wealth would give him what he desired out of life, but this dream wasn't attainable due to the negative effects of a capitalist society. The Great Gatsby is centered on a reoccurring theme of money and its effects on someone's life. The author presents Gatsby as the main character, but the narrator is Nick Carraway. Nick learns throughout the novel that Gatsby's real name is James Gatz and he was born to a farmer instead of wealth in San Francisco, which is what Gatsby stated. Gatsby worked hard to form his wealth and character. He did all of this to reach out to Daisy, his dream. "After that I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe -Paris, Venice, Rome-collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only, and trying to forget something very sad that happened to me long ago." (Fitzgerald 71) A simile is used to compare Gatsby's life style to that of a prince. Gatsby used money and his fortune to run away from his problems. He traveled …show more content…

"Oh, I've been in several things, he corrected himself. I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But I'm not in either one now." (Fitzgerald 97) This is the difference between East and West Egg. This quote explains that Gatsby had to work hard for his money. "The concept of the American Dream is based on righteousness and equality. However, the characters in The Great Gatsby are indifferent to both. Fundamentally, their selfishness and carelessness have negative influence on their relationship with other people and their surroundings." (Rubin 14) This ideal that people from East Egg had for the rich and successful individuals of New York was that inherited money was more significant than hard earned money. This obsession with wealth consumes all of the characters and provided indications to the cause Gatsby's

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