Essay on The Great Gatsby The Corruption of the American...

In 1931 James Truslow Adams published a book named ‘Epic of America’ in which he popularized the concept of The American Dream. In this book he stated â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and once that phrase was written, The American Dream became what we truly know it as nowadays. It is the right of freedom, prosperity, equality and pursuit of happiness through hard work. However, The American Dream is an ironic concept seeing as it never seems fully attainable. Although it is supposed to represent independence, liberty and the ability to make something of one’s self, most people nowadays find†¦show more content†¦People such as Tom Buchanan who were known as ‘old money’ did not display their wealth as much as ‘new money’. They were accustomed to the riches they had, whereas the ‘new money’ had only recently earned their wealth in the 1920’s and frequently felt the need to boast their riches to the public. Gatsby was well known in the area for throwing huge extravagant parties where there would only be high class guests. The parties had exquisite meals, extraordinary lights and were essentially the ‘must go to’ party in New York. However, the reason behind all the events was not to boast on his wealth but to capture Daisy Buchanan’s attention and hopefully re-gain her love. Corruption is evident in these parties, a vast majority of the guests simply attended Gatsby’s parties to enjoy the glamour they believed to be The American Dream. But as Nick Carraway states in the novel: â€Å"I looked around. Most of the remaining women were now having ï ¬ ghts with men said to be their husbands†¦. One of the men was talking with curious intensity to a young actress, and his wife after attempting to laugh at t he situation in a digniï ¬ ed and indifferent way broke down entirely and resorted to ï ¬â€šank attacks- at intervals she appeared suddenly at his side like an angry diamond, and hissed ‘You promised!’ into his ear† (Chapter 3, Page 45. Line 18-25 Nick Carraway) The hollowness of the American Dream is emphasized. The wealthy in the novel were believed to possessShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby : The Corruption Of The American Dream1771 Words   |  8 PagesThe Great Gatsby: The Corruption of the American Dream The Great Gatsby may appear as a novel containing dramatic, twisted relationships; however, the main theme has to do with the culture of the 1920s, and how it leads to the downfall of the American Dream. The 1920s were an age of change: politically and socially. The nation’s wealth nearly doubled, leading many Americans into a prosperous society, while others experienced extreme poverty (The Roaring). People began performing, women wore flapperRead MoreThe Corruption of the American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby1345 Words   |  6 PagesFitzgerald portrays the American Dream, originally a set of goals that included freedom, settlement, and an honest life with the possibility of upward social and economic mobility earned through hard work, as corrupted and debased by the egotistic materialism of the 1920s, an era which Fitzgerald characterizes chiefly by its greed and lavish hedonism, in his celebrated novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, s eeks to discredit the supposed purity of the American Dream and belief that anyoneRead MoreEssay on The Corruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby1302 Words   |  6 Pages On April 10, 1925 F. 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In the 1920s when The Great Gatsby was written the Jazz Age was taking hold and the American Dream became more about material possessionsRead MoreBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes: the Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby1477 Words   |  6 PagesBroken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to exposeRead More Corruption of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1438 Words   |  6 Pages Broken Dreams and Fallen Themes In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald employs the use of characters, themes, and symbolism to convey the idea of the American Dream and its corruption through the aspects of wealth, family, and status. In regards to wealth and success, Fitzgerald makes clear the growing corruption of the American Dream by using Gatsby himself as a symbol for the corrupted dream throughout the text. In addition, when portraying the family the characters in Great Gatsby are used to exposeRead MoreCorruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald855 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the high class during the 1920’s through the eyes of a man named Nick Carraway. 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Scott Fitzgerald1707 Words   |  7 Pagesthe main principle and guideline of life. Labeled as the American Dream, Americans are pressed to work hard and honest under the idea that they will have an equal opportunity to obtain riches and glory . But is the pursuit of wealth really as pure and honest as it may seem? Holding this same idea and question, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, a young man by the name of Nick Carraway begins his pursuit towards the American Dream. The novel begins with Nick arriving at his new yet shabby