Answer:
In the novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the narrator Nick Carraway tells the story of Jay Gatsby, one of the richest men in the West Egg. Gatsby was born into a poor family, but came to obtain extravagant wealth through his work with Dan Cody, a millionaire. Gatsby’s desire for wealth was driven by his dream for the love of Daisy Buchanan. Although Gatsby was able to acquire great wealth, he never acquired Daisy’s love in the end. In fact, his dream for Daisy is what ultimately led to his destruction. Through this novel, Fitzgerald conveys that the American Dream cannot be fully attained because those who believe in it are constantly striving for something better than themselves. He demonstrates that it is dangerous for one to reach for something more than what is given and expresses the idea that if people become so involved in materialistic things, they are not guaranteed happiness. Gatsby’s desire to achieve more than what he had ultimately led to his downfall, demonstrating that infinite success is not possible, as portrayed in the stock market crash preceding the Great Depression.
Gatsby is a clear embodiment of the American Dream: he was born poor and rose to achieve a higher wealth and social status. Nick explains, “[Gatsby’s] parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people… For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and a bed” (98). Although Gatsby started his life off poor, he was able to earn his way up to being rich by working with Dan Cody. His strong work ethic and ambition to achieve Daisy’s love served him well in attempting to banish his poverty stricken past. The contrast between Gatsby’s lifestyle in the past and the present is demonstrated when Nick describes Gatsby’s mansion: “a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of rawy ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (5). The American Dream is the hope that anyone can earn success if they work hard enough. Gatsby’s love for Daisy led him to achieve extravagant wealth. In the sense of rising up social rank and obtaining financial success, Gatsby achieved the American Dream.