Vazquez 1

Jennifer Vazquez
English 1302-Adams
1st Period
22 April 2014
American Dream
The American dream is a dream that everyone has, just in different variations. In The
Great Gatsby Fitzgerald portrays the American dream from many different points of views. Such
as Tom who inherited all his fortune and from the looks of it from an outsider he has it all but
Tom still wants to be on top. Or Gatsby who earned all his wealth to reconnect with what was
once an old love (Daisy). Even Wilson who had no wealth at all had a dream and it was to
become a successful business man the American Dream is an ideal that has been present since
American literatures onset. But what exactly is this famous American Dream? Some might say
that it is a quest for wealth, prosperity and generally a high position in society, while others
might say that it is nothing else but the act of settling down, having a family, being able to
provide for them, and basically having a good life.( Smiljani 2)
.The way that Fitzgerald portrays Toms characters dream was for him to be greedy.
Throughout the story Tom finds many ways to brag about what he has and what he has
accomplished. In the first chapter Fitzgerald has Tom tell nick Ive got a nice place here.
(Fitzgerald 7) Tom knows that Nick can see the house for himself and that Nick doesnt have
nearly as much as he does but Tom still brags about what he has. Later on in the same chapter
Fitzgerald has Daisy Tell Nick He reads deep books with long words in them. (Fitzgerald

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13) Implying that Toms character is interested in gaining knowledge. Another way that Toms
character is greedy, earlier in the chapter before the dinner at his house he says Just because
Im stronger and more of a man then you are. (Fitzgerald 7) Tom Obviously thinks highly of
himself Fitzgerald has Toms vision of the American dream was to beat every one and to be
better than anyone else.
Fitzgerald has Gatsbys character have the American dream of getting Daisy back the girl
he had once lost; he thought that once he had her back he would be truly happy. He wanted to be
closer to her so he moves in to the house thats right cross the bay. Fitzgerald has Jordan tell
Nick Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay. (Fitzgerald 79)
Jordan explained Gatsby to Nick and asked Nick to invite Daisy over to his house so Gatsby
could just happen to show up. When Nick asks why his house Jordan replies he wants her to see
his house. (Fitzgerald 80) When Gatsby and Daisy were together at first Gatsby didnt have
much money and thats why Daisy chooses Tom and his money over Gatsby. He came down
with a hundred people in four private cars and hired a whole floor of the Seelbach Hotel, and the
day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls valued at three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. (82) Gatsby uses what Dan Cody taught and that was to make his money through the
moonshine business Gatsby gets his fortune through the illegal sale of alcohol (bootlegging).
The sale of alcohol was prohibited in the United States in the 1920s. Gatsby came from the
western United States where there was old money. There he met Dan Cody who taught him how
to bootleg. As Gatsby became richer he moved to west Egg in new York.(Criticism) He
moves to be closer to daisy and so now he wants her to see how much he has accomplished
hoping she would return to him.

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Wilsons character isnt as wealthy as Gatsby or Tom but his dream was to become a
successful business man. In the story Fitzgerald has Wilson as Toms local mechanic. When
Tom stops by with Nick so he can meet Myrtle, Wilson asks about the car that Tom is supposed
to sell him. Tom says that he has a guy working on it and Fitzgerald has Wilson say Works
pretty slow, dont he? Tom replies then maybe I better sell it somewhere else but
Wilson says I dont mean that(28). Based on whats in the text Wilson doesnt have the needed
qualities to reach his goal of becoming a successful business man.
Fitzgerald Shows many different sides of the American dream Tom wanted to beat
everyone in everything. Yet Gatsbys dream was to only win Daisy back. Wilsons dream to
become successful. In the end they tried their hardest to get what they wanted and they never
reach it for various reasons such as false hope and not having the sufficient qualities.

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Work Cited
Criticism of the American dream. Literary Articals. Blogger. N.p, n.d. web. 23 April. 2014.
<http://www.literary-articles.com/2009/06/fall-down-of-american-dream-in-great.html>.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribners, 2004.Print.
The American dream in The Great Gatsby. Academia, Sinia Smiljani. Web. 2011
<http://www.academia.edu/3071602/The_American_dream_in_The_Great_Gatsby>