Gatsby's Pursuit of the American Dream

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the downfall


of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goal.   The attempt to capture the American Dream is central to


many novels.   This dream is different for different people, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, the dream is


that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness.   This happiness is something for which he must


reach into the past to have and for which he must revive and old dream.


Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the the story, is one character who longs for the past.   Suprisingly


he devotes most of his adult life trying to recapture it and, finally, dies in its pursuit.   In the past, Jay had a


love affair with the affluent Daisy.   Knowing he could not marry her because of the difference in their


social status, he leaves her to amass wealth to reach her economic standards.   Once he acquires this wealth,


he moves near to Daisy,"Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay (83)," and


throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance she might show up at one of them.   He, himself, does not


attend his parties but watches them from a distance.   When this dream doesn't happen, he asks around


casually if anyone knows her.   Soon he meets Nick Carraway, a cousin of Daisy, who agrees to set up a


meeting, "He wants to know...if you'll invite Daisy to your house some afternoon and then let him come


over       (83)."Gatsby's personal dream symboli!


zes the larger American Dream where all have the oppurtunity to get what they want.


Later, as we see in the Plaza Hotel, Jay still believes that Daisy loves him.   He is convinced of this


as is shown when he takes the blame for Myrtle's death. "Was Daisy driving?"   "Yes...but of course I'll say


I was." (151)   He also watches and protects Daisy as she returns home. "How long...