How The American Dream Evolved

The American dream is an iconic idea that has been a part of the nation for centuries.
In the Great Gatsby, the American Dream has a materialistic view of what was wanted
within America, having money, a big house, a significant other, and all the work. However,
the American Dream now has become more of an ideological concept like truly having an
equal country with equal opportunities for all.
Throughout the book, we got to see Gatsby's ‘dream’ and how he chose to achieve it.
He always wanted to strive for Daisy, she was the only one that Gatsby thought he could
have. The book states, "If it wasn't for the mist we could see your home across the bay," said
Gatsby. " It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a
dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one“ ( 92-93). From this quote, we
can see that Gatsby thought of Daisy as an object that he could only dream to achieve.
Gatsby always saw a green light across the water towards East Egg which simultaneously
signified his dream of having Daisy. But once he had a moment with her, it almost felt like
the dream died. He forgot how Daisy was just a normal person and was so caught up in his
own fantasies.
One way Gatsby tried to achieve his dream was by becoming wealthy. Gatsby was not
always this big name who always threw parties. He came from humble beginnings as a son of
farmers and had to be a soldier in the war. Although that was his origin, he never believed
that to be his true life, he created the persona ‘Gatsby’ after finding inspiration to be of a
higher class after witnessing the vast size of Dan Cody’s yacht. In the book, it says, “James
Gatz -- that was really, or at least legally, his name. He had changed it at the age of seventeen
and at the specific moment he had witnessed the beginning of his career -- when he saw Dan
Cody’s yacht drop anchor over the most insidious flat on Lake Superior” (pg 98). This
connects to his dream of Daisy because later, this was how he was going to try and close to
Daisy again. Gatsby had gotten the determination to put in the work, legal or not, to obtain
what he wanted.
The modern world has changed greatly since The Great Gatsby. Not everyone in
America wants to be rich and wants social status. People now often dream of how they want
the world to look and change how it is now. It is now more common for people to dream of
things way bigger than themselves. An article written by The New York Times, it states
“People of different ethnicities, religions, and sexualities are climbing the
social/political/economic ladder and beginning to reap the same benefits as others. As we
progress in our efforts for true equality and lack of prejudices, I have hope that my
generation will be able to make this not only the American dream but the American reality”.
This statement was said by a high school student named Caitlyn Pellerin. This shows how
the mindset toward the American dream has shifted from a selfish, materialistic sense to
more of a concept of how people want society to look. It seems like people now want things
to be done that can’t be completed by one person. The article has another student named
Elona K. who speaks about her view of the American dream. The article states “imagine a
world where you were with the person you love most, holding hands, never letting go. The
touch and warmth of them make you feel at home. Like nothing in this world can ever
inhibit your goals. The real American dream is to enjoy the luxuries together. To inhabit the
most love that your body can handle and to relish in it”. This quote talks about how the
American dream is not about just having whatever you want. The American dream is about
being able to let everyone enjoy life and what it has to offer.
The American dream has evolved since the economic boom of the 1920s. The country
went through some of the darkest times such as the great depression which really put a
perspective on what should be achieved in this country. People started to realize this country
was bigger than just themselves. The American dream turned from a materialistic future to a
future of happiness where anyone can thrive.