Untitled Essay Research Paper The Failure of

Untitled Essay, Research Paper The Failure of the American Dream A society naturally breaks up into various social groups over time. Members of lower statuses constantly suppose that their problems will be resolved if they gain enough wealth to reach the upper class. Many interpret the American Dream as being this passage to high social status and, once reaching that point, not having to concern about money at all. Though, the American Dream involves more than the social and economic standings of an individual. The dream involves attaining a balance between the spiritual strength and the physical strength of an individual. Jay Gatsby, of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, fails to reach his ultimate dream of love for Daisy in that he chooses to pursue it by engaging in

a lifestyle of high class. Gatsby realizes that life of the high class demands wealth to become priority; wealth becomes his superficial goal overshadowing his quest for love. He establishes his necessity to acquire wealth, which allows him to be with Daisy. The social elite of Gatsby’s time sacrifice morality in order to attain wealth. Tom Buchanan, a man from an “enormously wealthy” family, seems to Nick to have lost all sense of being kind (Fitzgerald 10). Nick describes Tom’s physical attributes as a metaphor for his true character when remarking that Tom had a “hard mouth and a supercilious manner…arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face…always leaning aggressively forward…a cruel body…[h]is speaking voice…added to the impression of

fractiousness he conveyed” (Fitzgerald 11). The wealth Tom has inherited causes him to become arrogant and condescending to others, while losing his morals. Rather than becoming immoral from wealth as Tom has, Gatsby engages in criminal activity as his only path to being rich. His need for money had become so great that he “was in the drug business” (Fitzgerald 95). Furthermore, he lies to Nick about his past in order to cover up his criminal activity. Gatsby claims to others that he has inherited his wealth, but Nick discovers “[h]is parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people” (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby enters a world where money takes precedence over moral integrity. Materialism has already overshadowed a portion of his spiritual side. A quest for true love is

doomed for failure in the presence of immorality. Once wealth has taken priority over integrity, members of the high social class focus on immediate indulgences, rather than on long-term pleasures of life such as love. Daisy constantly strives to keep herself busy by means of social interaction or physical pleasure. She presents her worry to keep busy when saying, “What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon…and the day after that, and the next thirty years” (Fitzgerald 125). In a society that relies on immediate physical indulgences, Gatsby simply feeds the appetite of the high class by throwing parties. He believes he can create an earthly paradise for others and himself. Unfortunately, this so-called paradise exists with physical pleasures and wealth being priorities.

Furthermore, Gatsby expresses that same need to keep busy in a society of the elite. As a metaphor for Gatsby’s necessity, Nick describes him as “never quite still; there was always a tapping foot somewhere or the impatient opening and closing of a hand” (Fitzgerald 68). Gatsby fills his house “full of interesting people…who do interesting things” (Fitzgerald 96). Gatsby no longer has to rely on himself for immediate pleasures. Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth becomes so intense that it even takes priority over his yearning for love. Money and immediate pleasures become more important than being with Daisy. Gatsby’s dream is doomed to failure in that he has lost the fundamental necessities to experience love, such as honesty and moral integrity. True, binding