 James Truslow Adams,‭ ‬in‭ ‬The Epic of America,‭ ‬defined the American dream as‭ “‬that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man,‭ ‬with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement‭” (‬415‭)‬. However,‭ ‬arguably the most important aspect of true happiness is overlooked in the way it is perceived by most people. The typical image of the American dream includes a spouse,‭ ‬children,‭ ‬a big house and a nice car. People rarely consider the importance of true fulfillment,‭ ‬which comes not from material possessions,‭ ‬but from within. By chasing the poorly perceived American dream,‭ ‬many people found themselves wealthy,‭ ‬but ultimately unhappy. F. Scott Fitzgerald directly addresses this issue in his novel‭ ‬The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses his characters,‭ ‬specifically Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan,‭ ‬to highlight the dehumanizing nature of upward mobility and the American dream,‭ ‬a major theme of the work. Neither Gatsby nor Daisy ever fully realize their dreams,‭ ‬despite their financial and social successes. Fitzgerald’s societal statement is well grounded,‭ ‬given the decade he wrote his book in,‭ ‬and serves as a warning,‭ ‬both to his and future generations. 

	Jay Gatsby starts off as the mysteriously wealthy neighbor of Nick Carraway,‎ ‏well known for throwing lavish parties,‭ ‬but as the plot develops,‭ ‬Nick begins to realize that Jay is actually miserable. His wealth is not enough to make him happy‭; ‬all he wants is his first and only love back. Nick points this out when he says:‭ ‬

While Gatsby was stationed in Louisville,‭ ‬Kentucky—just‭ “‬a penniless young man without a past,‭”—‬he fell in love with Daisy‭ (‬Fitzgerald‭ ‬149‭)‬. However,‭ ‬when he left the states to fight in the war,‭ ‬Daisy married Tom Buchanan,‭ ‬despite her promise to wait for him to return so they could be wed. This blow left Gatsby heartbroken.

Because Daisy left him for a man with more money than he,‭ ‬Gatsby figured that if he were to become wealthy as well,‭ ‬it would solve all of his problems and send Daisy back into his arms. Losing Daisy was a serious blow to Gatsby’s self-esteem,‭ ‬so his pursuit of Daisy is also to some extent a quest to retrieve that pride. He convinces himself that money and social status is all he needs,‭ ‬and he‭ “‬fails to see that the Buchanans,‭ ‬representative of a class with its origins and ways of life nourished by wealth,‭ ‬are sordid and spiritually barren‭” (‬Stavola‭ ‬131‭)‬. Fitzgerald makes Gatsby’s dream perfectly clear:‭ ‬



The word‭ “‬free‭” ‬is used intentionally,‭ ‬in order to imply that Daisy feels restrained in her marriage,‭ ‬kept from being with the man she loves. This shows the extent of Gatsby’s capacity as a dreamer,‭ ‬as well as his subsequent disillusionment. He believes that Daisy only loved Tom‭ “‬just for a minute,‭ ‬when they were first married—and loved‭ [‬him‭] ‬more even then‭” (‬Fitzgerald‭ ‬152‭)‬.