The Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby can be interpreted the criticism of the “American dream”. In this criticism, F. Scott uses a character to retell events to help explain the American dream to come with many rewards, yet consequences, and the lost of morals.

There were a few main characters that took part into the criticism of the American dream. Nick Caraway a young man from Minnesota Yale educated, and a war veteran in World War I. He goes to New York City to learn the bond business. Nick is a Honest, tolerant guy he also is inclined to reserve judgment, Nick can be seen as a confidant friend some one you can trust to tell your secrets to. In the book nick becomes best friends with title character Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a wealthy young man living in a Gothic mansion in West Egg who throws large parties every Saturday night.

Gatsby was formally known as James Gatz who worked for a millionaire to achieve wealth. Gatsby meets Daisy in Louisville and fell in love with her. Daisy is a young woman who promised to wait for Jay Gatsby after they were aparted in war.Daisy ends up falling in love with a wealthy, and powerful man named Tom Buchanan. Tom was once a member of Nick’s social club at Yale. Tom can be over baring, sexist, racism and stubby. He also is presented to have Little to no morals at all. Tom has a mistress name Myrtle. Myrtle Wilson lives in the valley of ashes with husband George Wilson owner of a run down garage.

Daisy and Tom Buchanan have many of the rewards to living the American Dream. “there lawn started at the beach and ran toward the front door for a quarter of a mile jumping over sun dials and brick walks and burning gardens. This was said by nick in chapter one when explaining the Buchanan's. They had a beautiful house, right off the bay. With french windows and bright vines . “he brought down a string of polo ponies from lake forest”. This is showing many of the rewards and perks that there are when you live the “American dream”. Having riches such as Daisy and Tom Buchanan did, you are able to buy the the things you desire.

Al through material things are one of the rewards that you can get when you live the American dream. There are many consequences that come also. Gatsby was also a man who st rived for and lived the American dream. The material things that accompanied Gatsby by living the “American Dream” was not enough to win back Daisy. When Daisy found out that Gatsby got to where he was by being a bootlegger she began to loose interest in him. In the book it says that Gatsby became a bootlegger too keep up with Daisy’s fast paste life style. He wanted to be able to provide Daisy with the “American Dream”. At the end of the book Gatsby was shot when he was caught up in the drama that between Tom and Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle and George Wilson. This seems like one of the consequences of living the American dream lifestyle. You get caught up in things that you shouldn't’t and you have to deal with the consequences.



The characters in this novel substitute there morals with money and material things. Gatsby uses his wealth and material things to win over Daisy rather than the normal Love and happiness that most people with morals would turn to. F Scott shows the reader that Love cannot be bought, no matter how much money was spent. In the book Tom and Daisy were married for quite some years and even had a child, but they both cheated, Tom with Myrtle and Daisy with Gatsby.

Tom and Daisy both tried to find happiness with their lovers, but was scared of the risk of changing their lifestyles and came to a decision that it was not worth it, they thrown away there morals to search for happiness. They were not happy with their spouses but could not find happiness with their lovers. Happiness cannot be found or bought this was shown through Gatsby trying to win Daisy back. Tom and Daisy’s lost of morals begins to make them question others. Daisy begins to loose her love and respect for Gatsby when she found out he was a bootlegger. Tom was angry at daisy’s affair with Gatsby when him his self was committing the same crime. This was all corrupted by the fast paste of the American dream causing them to loose there morals.