Jocelyn LampkinMrs. WaltonEnglish IIIApril 10, 2014Literary Analysis of Jay Gatsby and the American DreamThe novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the 1920s, one of the greatest decades in American history. It was a time when everyone wanted to “get rich quick.” Americans believe that if they have enough money, they can buy their happiness through materialistic spending, increase their social power, and eventually manipulate wasted time. F. Scott Fitzgerald's characterization of Jay Gatsby embodies the American dream: nice car, family, money, the whole white picket fence with a dog scene that Americans visualize. Throughout the novel, readers are exposed to some of Gatsby's "great" accomplishments. But not all “great” things in life end up being truly great, and Gatsby is an example of the fall of the American dream. Gatsby comes from a small town in North Dakota and once lived with "idle, unsuccessful farmers", but then he meets a "fast and extravagant" man named Dan Cody who changes his life forever. This is the man who raised Gatsby from his current poverty to become a wealthy man and who now owns a "colossal Long Island mansion", as if he came from rags to riches (ch 1). A dream that recurs throughout the book is to regain lost time and memories. The green light at the end of Daisy's platform is the symbol of both the American dream and Gatsby's dream of repeating the past and finding Daisy. Even five years after he left for war, he still finds a way to get her attention. He does this by throwing extravagant parties that everyone attends and to improve his social connections and, better yet, to see if Daisy will show up. He uses most of his money for her as a way to show middle of paper......that her memories existed. Many thoughts come to mind about a loved one while we are at war. All rich characters have a similar way of dealing with problems. It's all about knocking out and destroying anything in their path. One might infer that these characters simply cannot wait for a problem to be solved in their free time. Therefore, the idea of ​​redeeming someone in your life comes to mind and probably doesn't work. Gatsby's way of dealing with problems revolves around money and constantly pleasing others. No matter how hard Gatsby tries to “reach out and touch the light” and no matter how hard he “fights against the tide,” he learns that you cannot please everyone. He finds out after his plan to be with Daisy again falls apart. Therefore, even Gatsby's extreme wealth and materialistic spending were not enough to pursue the "American Dream ».’.