Old Money Vs New Money Great Gatsby Essay Example

asserts, "Yes you can, old sport." The American Dream shares numerous similarities with Gatsby's dream, particularly in their emphasis on material pursuits and their somewhat surreal nature.

The American dream used to be centered around self-improvement, wealth, and success achieved through hard work, determination, luck, courage, and virtuous behavior. However, in the modern era, this notion has drastically changed. The American Dream has now been reduced to the pursuit of wealth and material success at any cost. This transformation can be seen in Gatsby's aspirations, which shifted from self-improvement and accomplishment to a singular focus on acquiring wealth for the sake of impressing Daisy. Gatsby's path to fortune through involvement in organized crime clearly deviated from the original principles of the American Dream. His dishonesty ultimately prevented him from being able to exist within Daisy's social circle, as their worlds were fundamentally incompatible. By prioritizing his dream above all else, irrespective of honesty or morality, Gatsby ensured that his desire would never be fulfilled. This pattern extends beyond Gatsby and reflects the larger corruption of the American Dream. Those individuals who pursue the American Dream without ethical considerations are destined for unattainable dreams or, if they do amass wealth, their dream loses meaning due to their inherent immorality. Significantly, in the novel, it is evident that Tom, Daisy, and Jordan, who are immoral and deceitful characters, happen to possess great wealth.The displacement of the "fresh, green promise" of the world by the "gloomy," "gray" Valley of Ashes physically represents the corruption and destruction of the American Dream.

The Great Gatsby showcases the idea that the quest for happiness through material possessions cannot be achieved without having

a moral compass. The characters in the book, detached from their Mid-Western customs and values, exist in a distorted version of the American Dream. They are unable to experience true happiness due to their lack of inner strength. This mirrors the current societal trend of lacking roots and corrupting the American Dream. Without a belief system or something meaningful to cling to, genuine success is unattainable.

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