The Great Gastby and Downfall of the American Dream
The Great Gastby and Downfall of the American DreamBoth F.Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck wrote about the downfall of the American dream in their famous novels. The attempt to capture the American Dream is central to both novels. This dream is different for different people, for Jay, the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness, for George and Lennie, the dream was to make enough money to buy their own land. Jay Gastby, Lennie and George all dreamt the same American dream of success and wealth and yet as the plot progresses in the different books, their dreams shimmer and disappear.
Jay Gatsby, the central figure in the novel The Great Gastby one character who longs for the past. Surprisingly 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 symbolizes the larger American Dream where all have the opportunity 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.” (Fitzgerald, 151) He also watches and protects Daisy as she returns home. “How long are you going to wait?” “All night if necessary.” (Fitzgerald, 152) Jay cannot accept that the past is gone and done with. Jay is sure that he can capture his dream with wealth and influence. He believes that he acted for a good beyond his personal interest and that should guarantee success. Nick attempts to show Jay the folly of...
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