Mixed up in the reputation of America is the celebrated ideal of the American Dream, the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to attain wealth through one’s labors. The American Dream is exactly what it appears to be; the opportunity of , the temptation of pleasure, the knowledge that eternal bliss lies just around the corner. But the very nature of this fantasy prevents the enjoyment of the success one has earned, as the temptation is always nagging, always insisting for more progress, urging one to work a little harder and gain a little more. The American Dream destroys any opportunity of complacency; its very essence inspires the need for progression, but makes true realization of paradise impossible. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a classic illustration of the paradox of the American Dream.
The novel begins by describing a concentrated infatuation with the American Dream. The characters are consciously American, striving towards the goals of independence and financial success. The story is seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a unique narrator in that he gradually becomes increasingly engrossed with the American Dream. He relates the tale of Jay Gatsby, but is also occupied with surviving in America, achieving financial success through his new job of selling bonds. He is surrounded by wealth, coming from a “prominent, well-to-do” (7), family and living within the “consoling proximity of millionaires” (10). It is clear that in the beginning, Nick is aware of the presence of the American Dream, or at least the presence of intense ambition in his friends and family. While Nick initially seems to be inexperienced with the idea of the Dream, Gatsby is an expert. Having been born to a poor farming household, Gatsby successfully escaped poverty and the fate of his parents. Without any notable abilities, Gatsby was able to acquire millions of dollars and achieve widespread fame in the matter of a few years. Along with the riches came the opportunity for a reinvention of his identity: “the truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself” (104). The financial success of Gatsby implies that he is well aware of the American Dream, that he has mastered his own identity and realized the potential of his labors: “Out of the corner of his eye Gatsby saw that the blocks of the sidewalk really formed a ladder and mounted to a secret place above the trees – he could climb to it, if he climbed alone, and once there he could suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder” (117). The Dream offers Gatsby the chance to “suck on the pap of life,” and therefore become a part of the “incomparable milk of wonder.” But in order to experience such fantastic revelations, he must climb to a solitary place, isolated and alienated from the rest of society, completely alone.