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The American Dream Roles in The Great Gatsby: Pursuers, Pursued, and the Disillusioned Essay (Book Review)

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Introduction

The seemingly prosperous 1920s, or “Roaring twenties” echoes the disillusionment of the American Dream, as shown by the polarized wealth gap where the wealthy class perpetuates their power through exploiting the poor. This idea is revealed heavily in Chapters 4 and 5 of The Great Gatsby when Nick recounts his meeting with Meyer Wolfsheim in New York City and when he discloses the history of Gatsby and Daisy’s first love.

Nick’s narration of events throughout these two chapters dismantles the belief of the American Dream where ‘anyone can pull themselves up from their bootstraps’, because in reality it only yields four groups of people: “…the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.” (Gatsby 54)

Gatsby as a Representation of the Pursuing and Busy in the American Dream

Many people who want to find happiness in life follow the traditions of the American Dream. They believe that, through perseverance and sustained work, they can succeed regardless of external circumstances. Gatsby is an excellent example of “pursuing” people and mirrors them. With the dream of having the girl he loved around him, he worked hard for several years. According to Gatsby, “he had waited for five Yeats and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths” (53).

However, the factor that unites the three components, the American dream, the pursuing people, and Jay Gatsby, reflects a blind belief that this path’s ultimate goal meets the pursuer’s expectations. In other words, Gatsby sought to fulfill his dream not to get something but for the fact of doing it. On the other hand, Gatsby embodies “the busy” people because of his willingness to prove to Daisy something without understanding what exactly. As Gatsby states, “this quality was continually breaking though his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness” (43). He did not care how Daisy felt and did not evaluate the reality concerning the desired reward.

Contrasting Paths: Gatsby and Tom as the Pursued, and Nick as the Tired

It is important to emphasize that Gatsby’s and Tom’s paths are different, which leads the reader to consider another category, “the pursued.” The way Gatsby pursues Daisy is shown in his desire to achieve an endless dream. According to Gatsby, “the officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at…” (51). On the opposite, the goal of Tom is to demonstrate his wealth by using the image of Daisy. As Gatsby states, “…the day before the wedding, he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars” (51). The last category is “the tired” people, represented by Nick’s character. In the context of the American dream, this type of person is the realization of the falsity of the ultimate goal, which results in these people not trying to achieve it. In Chapter five of the book, Nick says, “They had forgotten me… Gatsby didn’t know me at all” (64). It echoes his dissonance of the American Dream in the simultaneous desire to be needed for someone but not to follow a common path.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is essential to stress the connection between the concept of the American Dream and the characters of The Great Gatsby. Each of the four types cited in the quote represents a particular position in the American dream system. Gatsby and Tom as pursuers, Daisy as pursued, and Nick as tired, perform a specific function in this chain. This factor makes the work of Scott Fitzgerald the basis for understanding the nature and features of the concept of the American Dream with the help of each of the protagonists.

Work Cited

Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925.

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"The American Dream Roles in The Great Gatsby: Pursuers, Pursued, and the Disillusioned." IvyPanda, 16 Oct. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-american-dream-roles-in-the-great-gatsby-pursuers-pursued-and-the-disillusioned/.

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IvyPanda. (2024) 'The American Dream Roles in The Great Gatsby: Pursuers, Pursued, and the Disillusioned'. 16 October.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "The American Dream Roles in The Great Gatsby: Pursuers, Pursued, and the Disillusioned." October 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-american-dream-roles-in-the-great-gatsby-pursuers-pursued-and-the-disillusioned/.

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IvyPanda. "The American Dream Roles in The Great Gatsby: Pursuers, Pursued, and the Disillusioned." October 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-american-dream-roles-in-the-great-gatsby-pursuers-pursued-and-the-disillusioned/.

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