# Gatsby's Dream



## S.M. grimbldoo (Dec 14, 2012)

Gatsby’s Dream
​Over ninety years ago, in the 1920s, the American dream was flowing at full force. Like nowhere else in the world, humans had the chance to rise up from the lows of society. Many people were entranced by the allure of the American dream. Being able to better yourself was as irresistible to the lower class as a flame is to a moth. But only a few people successfully leaped into the next social pool, the rest never even made it to the lip. Gatsby was no exception. He chased his dream of rising until it all came crashing down around him. Gatsby, like many people from the 1920s sought to rise within the social ranks to the glory that he saw, but what he did not see was the revelation and tragedy that it would bring.

The American Dream that so many had perused wholeheartedly was merely a mirage. The promise of rising through social was an achievement that had been coveted for many centuries upon centuries by thousands of people. It had never been attainable; the gap between social classes was much too large for a person to leap on their own. The only way that a person could go was down. All of this changed when the country of America rose to being one of the most powerful nations on the globe. The baby country could easily trade blows with Britain, the juggernaut that had previously gone where ever it pleased and set up empires anywhere it wanted. If an entire country could leap across the ledges of power, could not a simple person? The response to this question was an overwhelming “yes.” People flooded to America and citizens doubled their efforts, all in the hopes of following the Nation’s example. But not even America had risen to its level without aid and neither could its citizens. Countless people tried and failed, only a handful succeeded and none without some form of support. Perhaps the finest example of this failure is George Wilson.

George Wilson, the average American, never even had a chance at fulfilling the American Dream. Wilson lived in the Valley of Ashes, a “farm where ashes grow like wheat” (27). The neighborhood was chalk full of rejects and failures. People who had fallen from their makeshift ladders or those who never even had the chance to start. George Wilson was one that had failed before he even started. He owned a dismal garage right on the edge of the Valley of Ashes and made his living as a lowly mechanic. His greatest accomplishment was marrying Myrtle, but even that was not close to the American Dream. He still was poor and he was still low-class, marrying Myrtle had done nothing at all to change that. The Valley stands out like an eyesore in the “land of opportunity.” So many people lived the same as before if not worse off when they were supposed to be able to spring from one level to the next. The sad reality was that Wilson did not even have the chance of success. It would be normal for a few to fall short of the American Dream, people always do, but Wilson could not even begin to climb. The American Dream was not all that it claimed to be. Myrtle also reached for the American Dream, but Wilson could not provide the stepping stool that she needed, another man, however, could.

            Myrtle Watson’s own version of the American Dream led to her violent death. Myrtle Watson had married to George Wilson, a poor man. She was not happy with being poor, she wanted to be richer and to have more respect. But being a woman, her chances of ever being anything else than a lower-class housewife were null. The only way she would have a chance of rising was to marry with a wealthy man, but Wilson was not and he had already failed at the American Dream. Her outlet came in the form of Tom Buchanan. Tom took a liking to Myrtle and she openly had an affair with him. The only person to not know of the affair was Wilson. Myrtle continued with the hopes that she would have a stable relationship with Tom and that she could finally have access to all of the money and respect that she wanted. Being so close to her goal yet still being stuck with Wilson drove her to near insanity. . He threatened to move away from West and East Egg and Myrtle’s dream began to falter. She took the premature leap to the next ledge in the form of stepping out in front of Gatsby car. She fled from Wilson’s Garage and out into the streets. She saw Gatsby’s car, which she recognized to be Tom’s, and “She ran out to speak to him and he wouldn’t stop.” (166). The car crashed through her and tore all of her dreams to shreds. In the end, she died as a poor woman. Myrtle’s dreams had been rent by an automobile, Gatsby’s punctured by sharp words.

            Gatsby’s grand dreams were deflated when his lies ran out of fuel. Gatsby was born and grew up poor. Following suit with the rest of the Americans, he sought to elevate himself. His dream carnated itself in Daisy, a beautiful and rich woman that a poor boy like him could not hope to woo. But woo her he did. She fell in love with Gatsby, under the assumption that he had money and his dream nearly became reality. He managed to reach outstanding ranks within the military, but it was not enough. He lacked the money that he would need to be with Daisy. He became a bootlegger and got the money to fulfill his original goal of rising, but it was still not enough, Daisy was now his goal and his dream would not be complete without her. Though she was married, he managed to snag her once again. Tom provided himself as the wall for Gatsby’s lies to hit. Tom brought forth the extent which Gatsby had gone to get his status and Daisy ran away from Gatsby with tail tucked, “Her frightened eyes told that whatever intentions, whatever courage she had had, were definitely gone.” (142). With that, Gatsby’s dream came to an end. He had leapt for Daisy and landed on his face. Gatsby may have achieved immense wealth, but his true dream had been utterly destroyed while in his grasp.

People were killed and true colors were revealed because Gatsby pursued his impossible dream. All of the tragedy that came about was caused by Gatsby’s unwavering hunt for Daisy. He fought with all of his might to get Daisy back into his arms, but he was only met with tragedy. Daisy turned her back on him once she found out haw he got his money. She chose her reputation over love. Daisy was so upset by the discovery that she accidentally hit and killed Myrtle. Wilson was so grief stricken that he picked up a gun and shot Gatsby in what he thought was revenge. Gatsby stood upon a large pile of illusions that brought him closer to the pedestal that Daisy stood upon. But it was still too far high up, for when Gatsby jumped for it, he missed it and found the ground miles below him instead. Gatsby followed a glimmer of hope up a stairway that lead only to a long fall. He got too close to the flame and his wings were burned.

Works Cited
​Fitzgerald, F. Scott, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. _The Great Gatsby_. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.


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## farefar (Dec 16, 2012)

S.M. grimbldoo said:


> People were killed and true colors were revealed because Gatsby pursued his impossible dream. All of the tragedy that came about was caused by Gatsby’s unwavering hunt for Daisy.​


​I think this was a great take on the novel however my only qualm was with this sentence. I believe that Gatsby was the American Dream. He had his plan clear before him, all he had to do was take the steps. However he was one of the many who slipped up and never got back up. A dream is not reality it is a wish. Whether that wish comes true has nothing to do with probability. The steps Gatsby took towards his dream were what unraveled him. At every twist in the novel Gatsby had a choice. The choices were impossible not the dream.

Other than that aspect I enjoyed your review and look forward to reading more of your writings.


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## S.M. grimbldoo (Dec 16, 2012)

farefar said:


> I think this was a great take on the novel however my only qualm was with this sentence. I believe that Gatsby was the American Dream. He had his plan clear before him, all he had to do was take the steps. However he was one of the many who slipped up and never got back up. A dream is not reality it is a wish. Whether that wish comes true has nothing to do with probability. The steps Gatsby took towards his dream were what unraveled him. At every twist in the novel Gatsby had a choice. The choices were impossible not the dream.


I did not state that the American Dream as a whole was a lie, I stated that it was impossible to achieve on your own, and that you could do it alone was a lie (I do see where my statements say otherwise, I guess I shouldn't have procrastinated :-|).


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## farefar (Dec 16, 2012)

S.M. grimbldoo said:


> I did not state that the American Dream as a whole was a lie, I stated that it was impossible to achieve on your own, and that you could do it alone was a lie (I do see where my statements say otherwise, I guess I shouldn't have procrastinated :-|).



Well I did only get a glimpse of your thought train and with this clarification I agree with you. I view The Great Gatsby as a definition of the true American Dream.


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## jay.doshi90 (Dec 31, 2012)

This is good stuff, I am a big fan of the Great Gatsby like many people and this is a great take on that.

I always think Gatsby dug his own grave before he even started. He lied to the girl and made her fall in love with someone he wasn't. That was his biggest mistake and he had to live his entire life based on that. It's funny what women can do to a man. Gatsby is an example of that. A success at life but a failure at love. I hope this wasn't the American Dream.

Good stuff, really like your post. You seem like a big Gatsby fan like me . Nice to meet and read a work by someone like you.

Good stuff.

Cheers,
Jay Doshi


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## S.M. grimbldoo (Jan 11, 2013)

jay.doshi90 said:


> Good stuff, really like your post. You seem like a big Gatsby fan like me . Nice to meet and read a work by someone like you.


Thank you. My appreciation for _The Great Gatsby _is not necessarily for the story, but for the quality of Fitzgerald's writing.


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