Jose Spindola

Mr. Oh

10-09-16

Critique analysis of the American dream by Fitzgerald

The American dream is the untainted idea that through hard work and perseverance, one can

climb up the social ladder and secure wealth. In Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, the author criticizes

this Dream by using a combination of literary device like motif, diction, and symbolism to expose the

audience to his reality of the american dream, which is that problems arise when human greed pollute this

reverie.

One of the first instances of the author's criticism come when setting the plot and comparing the

different natures of East egg, West egg, and the Valley of Ashes. East egg is home to old money like

Tom Buchanan who throughout the story condescended West eggers. Next, West egg is home to new

money for individuals who struck it rich in the roaring twenties through bonds, business, and illegitimate

business. Finally, the Valley of ashes is home to the waste created by these two factions and of the Eyes

of T.J. Eckleburg. East eggers, for all their elegance, lack in heart using money to facilitate their lives and

to escape prosecution as does Daisy and Tom does at the end of the Novel. Next, West eggers and their

strut lack social grace because they try to reimagine themselves as they perceive higher social classes as

does Gatsby with his enormous mansion, pink suit, and his distinctive Rolls Royce. Through this we

begin to learn that both east and West eggers are flawed in their style of life as, for East eggers

condescend the West eggers, and there are West eggers like Gatsby who worry about their image above

all else. The Valley of Ashes through symbolism represents a lack of morals and with it the degradation
of the American dream. The valley of ashes serves as the scenery for the first and last encounter with

Tom's mistress all while the T.J Eckleburg watches and judges in silence. Not only does does it

symbolize a loss of morals but the continual struggle of the average man seeking and failing to achieve a

better life as represented by Wilson.

Through diction the author also reveals Daisys true face and feelings towards the world once

again leading to the deterioration of the american dream by revealing a shallow and snobbish gesture.

Nick, after a quick chat with Daisy said she looked at me as with an absolute smirk as if she had

asserted her membership in a rather distinguished secrete society to which she and Tom belonged. Even

when disclosing an intimate feeling of detest towards her current situation, Daisy manages to make Nick

less than herself and places herself atop a pedestal for which he can gaze on. Once again, this reveals

Daisy and West Eggers hold and view those who do not share the same background as them in contempt.

This reveals that in order for Daisy to feel herself, she must drag others down in order for her to feel in

place; this is another critique on the american dream by the author which, in short, represents the superior

attitude of the era by stiff necks like Daisy which correlate with a lack of morals.

Perhaps the author's most ironic criticism on the American dream is Gatsbys self earned fortune

and his attitude of insufficiency towards it. Towards the end of the story we learn that Gatsby brought

himself up from nothing and began his growth with general resolves such as save $3.00 per week.

Throughout the story we learn that Gatsby is living the high life yet feels unfulfilled as if he, wanted to

recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. This reveals greed

and humans ever growing and unquenchable thirst for more than what they currently have which can

lead, like in Gatsby case, to self destruction. This is the ultimate blow towards the american dream,

because if a need is ever growing it can never be achieved and remains just that: a dream.
 In the end, Fitzgerald managed to tear down the perfect illusion of the american dream by

revealing various consequences that come with wealth and those who pursue it. It can all be summed up

in the degradation of moral values such as compassion and understanding with the growth of greed. Like

time, the American dream is fleeting and can never really be achieved.

Work cited:

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.