Le 1 Anna Le Boloyan/Thorne Humanities 11 8 January 2013 False Hopes The Great Gatsby by F.

Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that displays the disillusionment of the American Dream post-war through the lives of his characters in the story. The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and upward social mobility achieved through hard work. (Wikipedia.com) The lost generation, people who were born in the time of World War I and the Roaring Twenties, believed that hard work is not the only way to achieve the American Dream. Illegal activities such as bootlegging help skyrocket the fortune for some Americans. In the 1920s, people abandoned the idea of hard work for wealth and a life of ease. Tom Buchanan, Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are examples of a lost generation who falsely believe that the American Dream is purely materialistic, that achieving riches and high social-status is what all Americans strive for and want to have. They believe that the American Dream is not something that a person can achieve only just by hard work, but through other ways as well without struggling for it. The characters demonstrate false beliefs of the American Dream because of post-war depression; they are disillusioned by being focused on materialistic gain, achieving wealth, and conception of having a good time. Tom Buchanan strives for the ultimate success in life. He wants the finest things in his possession, as well as a perfect wife, a high social status and prosperity. Tom was born into his inheritance, never having to work hard for his own wealth and to earn his social status. His

Le 2 wealthy upbringings lead him to become the ignorant and immoral man that he is. He is overly confident and thinks that he is better than most of society. Nick states that Tom appeared to be egotistic he seemed to say, just because Im stronger and more of man than you are. (10). Although Tom has achieved the ultimate American Dream having riches, an impeccable wife, and societys acceptance without having to exert himself, he still desires more than what he has. He goes into an affair with another mistress named Myrtle, feeling that one woman is not enough for his needs. Toms got some woman in New York. (18). Myrtle is a woman of commonalty which gives Tom total control over her. Myrtle relies on Tom to help her get into the high social clique, even to the point of letting Tom dominate over her to the point of beating her. his wife had come from the city with her face bruised and her nose swollen. (167). Toms thirst for more is even made known to Nick who says, "Tom would drift on forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game" (8). His appetite for excellency causes Tom to deteriorate on the inside, no matter how many fine things in life that he will have, his hunger will never be sustained. Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart" (24). Daisy Buchanan is a young woman who is married to Tom Buchanan whilst having an affair with Jay Gatsby. Daisy is a type of girl who enjoys being the highlight of attention, especially the adoration from men. I told her how I had stopped off in Chicago for a day on my way east and how a dozen people had sent their love through me. Do they miss me? she cried ecstatically. (12). She loves the life of luxury, and therefore tries to find the best man out there to suit to her material need even if she doesnt love him. Thats what I get for marrying a brute of a man, a great big hulking physical specimen of a (15). Your wife doesnt love you, said Gatsby. (139). Daisys ambitions lie on the fact that she wants to be with someone

Le 3 that can shower her with affection, while being able to keep up with the demands of her living standards. She falls in love with Gatsby who had all the fine riches that Daisy could ever want. You know I love you, she murmured. (123). When she visits Gatsbys house for the first time, she becomes overwhelmed at the site of his fancy abode that she begins to cry over his shirts. Theyre such beautiful shirts, she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. It makes me sad because Ive never seen suchsuch beautiful shirts before. (99). Daisy belief of the American Dream is purely focused on material gains and being love. She only lives in the moment, and does not think out her plan for life. She is a good example of a disillusioned woman in the 1920s, only living in the moment since the present is not good as it seems and being in love to fill in the hole of despair. Jay Gatsby is a hopeless romantic who came into riches through illegal means to pursue a married woman. Gatsby was born into a poor family; he felt embarrassed by it that fact and changed his name to conceal his true identity. James Gatzthat was really, or at least legally, his name. (104). His dream was to marry his one true love, Daisy Fay Buchanan. He had to become wealthy quickly and efficiently if he wanted to be with her. Gatsby turned to a few resources to rapidly gain his wealth. I was in the drug business and then I was in the oil business. But Im not in either one now. (97). He turns to bootlegging as a fast way to achieve his fortune. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him and I wasnt far wrong. (143). Gatsby had to resort to illegal matters to gain fast riches, instead of working for his fortune. He tries to gain his American Dream quickly as he can so that he can achieve his ultimate dream of being with Daisy. The characters in the story all are disillusioned in some way by the aftereffects of World War 1. The characters were all either focused on material gain or the idea of a fast paced fun life.

Le 4 The American Dream ceased to exist as achieving prosperity through hard work, but instead came to be as something centered on materialism. The Great Gatsby portrays the characters as a great example of the lost generation who were victims of tragedy, World War 1. All they hoped for was something more, and in the end they fell in debt to their actions.