Losing the Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel The
Great Gatsby
by Barry Wright
Essay: Losing the Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel The Great Gatsby
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, George Wilson, and Tom Buchanan strive for
contentment by achieving their American Dreams. For Gatsby, the American Dream consists of a higher social
status, so he can pursue happiness in a relationship with Daisy Buchanan. He reveals his determination for this
high status by rising from the poor lower class and living in wealthy West Egg, however, his inability to achieve his
American Dream illustrates the impracticality of the dream. Furthermore, Wilson’s self-owned car repairs business
portrays his hard work. The love he retains for his wife Myrtle Wilson influences his dream of making her pleased
with money and moving out West. Similar to Gatsby, he fails at achieving his dream despite his great efforts, thus,
his failure represents the impossibility of achieving the American Dream. Moreover, Tom Buchanan has wealth and
status living in East Egg. He already achieves an American Dream of status and wealth, the certain desires that
Gatsby and Wilson focus on, however, he lacks contentment in his marriage, so he cannot achieve his American
Dream of finding happiness in a relationship. The characters portray much dissimilarity with their characteristics,
and Fitzgerald utilizes their features to relate each of them to a different aspect of the American Dream that
focuses on the pursuit of happiness, however, he uses the characters’ ultimate discontent and failure to attain their
dreams to convey the inability of achieving the American Dream.
Fitzgerald displays Gatsby, Wilson, and Tom with varying lifestyles to illustrate them with differences in
characteristics. Gatsby’s rise from the lower class to new money in West Egg illustrates his ambition and
determination for...