What Does The American Dream Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

We see symbols everywhere around the world. They have different meanings and can mean to look deeper into something, a warning, or even just a connection. When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the Great Gatsby he used many different symbols and each represented something. Symbols are one of the main way Fitzgerald shows the themes. One of the themes being the American Dream. Fitzgerald used Daisy, Gatsby’s name change, and money as symbols to signify the theme.

Gatsby idea of the American dream was with Daisy. She’s the golden girl, she’s the ideal housewife. Gatsby and Nick we are talking waiting for Daisy and Tom to go into the city. Gatsby said that Daisy’s voice was “full of money” and it was a lightbulb for Nick. Nick described Daisy as “high

He wanted to fit in with everyone else so he changed his German last name Gatz to Gatsby so he can fit with the Americans more and it was the changing point in his life. Nick our narrator starts telling us about Gatsby’s past and how it all started with his name change. “James Gatz,” that was Jay Gatsby’s legal name until thar age of 17 when “he saw Dan Cody’s yacht,” that moment changed everything for him (98). We meet Dan Cody and he’s a rich older man, Gatsby’s mentor. When Gatsby meet him he realized he wanted to change his name to something more American and classy. He changed his name to fit in more with the richer class and to be more Americanized. His name change was a major symbolization for his new life and following the American dream. When he changed his name it was the changing point in his life where he realized he had a chance of something better for his future

He is highly successful with his money and lives a lavish life. He is so proud of his mansion. He worked hard to get his big mansion he shows it off and he’s highly obsessed with his house looking good for whenever Daisy comes across it. When Gatsby showed up to Nick’s house for tea, he asked Nick and Daisy to go over his house, when Daisy was in the restroom freshening up he asked Nick “my house looks well, doesn’t it,”(89) he wants to show his house off because it shows how far he’s become. He even brought his home “across the bay” from Daisy’s. Before they go to Gatsby’s place he asked Nick about his house looking well, that goes to show that he is trying to impress Daisy. He wants to show off his success by his big mansion house. By Gatsby showing off his house to Daisy he can achieve his dream of having a happy family where they live in his house. He has the money to provide for Daisy and their future family and he worked hard for his house and wouldn’t want to run away. He bought the house specifically for Daisy and he wants to stay because it shows how far he's become in the last couple