The Great Gatsby is considered one of America’s greatest literary works of the 1920s. The American Dream describes the American Dream as a dream that everyone can attain success and a better social standing by working hard. Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream in Jazz Age through the exploration of ideas such as fulfillment, equal opportunities, and hardwork throughout his novel. Jay Gatsby, the protagonist, is a young man who enjoys luxury and wealth while being stationed at a South military camp. He falls for a beautiful young woman. Fitzgerald’s personal situation is echoed in this novel. Fitzgerald challenges the American Dream by exploring how happiness can be achieved even when it is realized. The green light, a recurring motif in American Dreams, is the first to be introduced. “He extended his arms towards the dark water in an interesting way. I couldn’t believe he was shaking. I glanced outward, involuntarily. There was only one green light, minutely distant, that could have been the end. The symbol for the American dream that is impossible to achieve is the green lamp. In Gatsby’s instance, it is Daisy. This image illustrates that the American Dream can never be achieved because we are always looking for something better than us. “You always have an orange light at the end your dock.” “Now it’s again a light on a dock.” This proves that happiness is not possible when the dream is achieved. “There must’ve been moments that Daisy lost her dream that afternoon–not through her fault, but because the colossal vitality in his illusion.” Gatsby’s mistakes that ultimately cost his life highlight the deceitful nature of the American Dream. Fitzgerald invites readers think about the difficulties involved in achieving American Dream. Fitzgerald rejects the notion that everyone has equal opportunities. This is clearly seen in the juxtaposition with the Buchanans and Wilsons. Tom and Daisy, who are the “old-money” people don’t need to work for anything, are Tom and Daisy. Myrtle & George, on other hand are “no income” people living in the valley full of ashes. They spend their days trying desperately to find their way out. Fitzgerald conveys the bleak atmosphere of The Valley of Ashes by using connotation. “A line of grey cars crawls along a track, emits a ghastly creak and stops. Then, the ash-grey people swarm with lead spades and create an impenetrable cloud that obscures their operations from your view. George and Myrtle become less humanized because of the connotations that “ghastly creak,” and “ash grey men”. Fitzgerald, on contrary, uses words with positive connotations that create images of East and West eggs. “The lights become brighter as earth lurches towards the sun, so now the orchestra is singing yellow cocktail music, with the opera of voice pitches a higher key.” The lights are symbolic of the glamour and luxurious parties, while yellow signifies wealth, materialism and social status. This chapter and chapter three juxtaposition reinforces the idea that Tom is more powerful than Daisy and more successful than people who work hard. The stark dichotomy that exists between wealth or poverty makes it seem that the American Dream can only come to those who have been blessed with wealth. This is contrary to the belief that all people are entitled to equal opportunities. Fitzgerald critiques the notion that hard work is the key to American success throughout the novel. Gatsby’s original intentions for the American Dream were influenced by society’s view of materialism. “He stayed here two weeks. He was dismayed with the society’s indifference to his destiny, its drums, and destiny itself. And he despised the janitors job.” Gatsby’s hierarchical perceptions of those who work hard and even the nature hard work. Chapter 6 of the novel makes it clear that Gatsby never worked hard to earn his success. This contrasts with American Dream ideals. “He’s an illegal bootlegger,” the young women said. Fitzgerald also questions the American Dream and suggests that hard work does not guarantee success.
