The Fallacy of the American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The...

The Roaring Twenties, The Jazz Age; these were just some of the names for the 1920s. However, all those fancy names do not actually describe the essential motivations of the people in the 1920s. In actuality, the 1920s were an age of conformity, false aspirations due to the American dream, and the obsession with social class statuses. What is the American dream? The simplest version of the American dream is a nice house and family, with the white picket fence in the front yard. For many families this dream came true, but for others, it was not quite possible to achieve. In Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, Nick gives his thoughts on Gatsby after things between him and Daisy fall through. He says â€Å"He must have felt he had lost the old warm†¦show more content†¦I’ve gotten to be a terrible pessimist about things†¦ The idea is if we don’t look out the white race, will be utterly submerged†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fitzgerald. 1). Being different in the 1920s, whether it be the color of your skin or the social class you were part of, gave you a hard time to go through life normally like everyone else. According to an online editor, the 1920s were described as the decade of conformity, intolerance, and conservatism. America was so conformed back in the 1920s that high intolerance for other races was built up and hard to get away from. Because of the materialistic lifestyles of people back in the 1920s, it was not a surprise that most people resulted to conformity. No one wanted to stand out or be different, much like it is today. The obsession with social class impacts peoples lives greatly. You do not have a say what social class you are born into, unfortunately that class transcends into every aspect of your life, no matter how hard you try to rid it. In The Great Gatsby, social class is clearly shown between the lives of the families in East Egg, to the families living in West Egg. There is barely a difference in lifestyles besides the type of money each family has required, whether it is old money or new money. â€Å"One things sure and nothings surer. The rich get richer and the poor get children† (Fitzgerald. 5). There is really no way to erase your past or where you came from; when you are poor, you are poor,Show MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1591 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is set in America during a period known as the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† or the â€Å"Jazz Age†. The central protagonist of the novel – Jay Gatsby, highlights some of the disadvantages of living in the 1920’s, predominantly through his problems. Gatsby’s unrequited love for Daisy, is emblematic of his plight because despite his wealth he is unable to transcend the distinct class system that existed during the 1920’s. This is indirectly conveyed throughRead More Failure and the Degeneration of America in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby1042 Words   |  5 Pages   The Great Gatsby is a bold and damning social commentary of America which critiques its degeneration from a nation of infinite hope and opportunity to a place of moral destitution. The novel is set during the Roaring Twenties, an era of outrageous excesses, wild lavish parties and sadly, an era of regret and lost potential. As the audience, they take us on a journey guided and influenced by the moral voice of Nick Carraway, a character who is simultaneously enchanted andRead More The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. F. Scott Fitzgerald aims to show that the myth of the American dream is fading away. The American values of brotherhood and peace have been eradicated and replaced with ideas of immediate prosperity and wealth. 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Scott Fitzgerald Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pages and it has coloured my entire life and works.’ The short story of Winter Dreams was written around the same time that Fitzgerald was developing ideas for The Great Gatsby. Whilst this wasn’t published until 1925, Winter Dreams dà ©buted in 1922 and the similarities between the novel an d short story were intentional. Winter Dreams became a short draft, which Fitzgerald based The Great Gatsby on. Both resemble Fitzgerald’s real life; although both were written before most of the comparable events occurredRead MoreGreat Gatsby - the Green Light1554 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald deals on one level with Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, but on a deeper level also deals with the Great American Dream. The novel starts and ends with a reference to the green light at the end of the dock, indicating an important symbolism. The first time Nick catches sight of Jay Gatsby, Gatsby â€Å"stretched his arms towards the dark water [†¦] [Nick] distinguished nothing except a single green light [†¦] that might have been at the end of a dock.† (Fitzgerald 2000:25)Read MorePsychology and Author’s Purpose in the Great Gatsby2923 Words   |  12 PagesPsychology and Author’s Purpose in The Great Gatsby It was 1931, six years after the publication of The Great Gatsby, when historian James Truslow Adams coined the term The American Dream (â€Å"The Epic of America†, 415). Yet, his was a new take on an old concept. F. Scott Fitzgerald did not have to wait for Adams to brilliantly propose that the ideal of social equality and the pursuit of Happiness is a dream like enterprise, which has little to do with reality (US 1776). In the 1920’sRead MoreGreat Gatsby - the Green Light1560 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald deals on one level with Jay Gatsby’s hopes and dreams, but on a deeper level also deals with the Great American Dream. The novel starts and ends with a reference to the green light at the end of the dock, indicating an important symbolism. The first time Nick catches sight of Jay Gatsby, Gatsby â€Å"stretched his arms towards the dark water [†¦] [Nick] distinguished nothing except a single green light [†¦] that might have been at the end of a dock.† (Fitzgerald 2000:25)Read MoreMargaret Fuller s Woman Of The Twentieth Century Essay1813 Words   |  8 Pages Man in the Twentieth Century In her novel Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845), Margaret Fuller discusses the essence of marriage as a union and how the past ties in with dreams of the future. When describing the sacrament of marriage and unity, Fuller expresses that the â€Å"highest grade of marriage union†¦ may be expressed as pilgrimage toward a common shrine.† In other words, Fuller’s idea of marriage is built upon the theory that marriage is a two-person ordeal, and both parties involved must