Roaring Twenties”, was an era of decay of set values. The evidence of over catching
greed and the empty pursuit of pleasure. This has given the people the opportunity to
become whatever they desire. A person who works hard can become successful; this is
what the American Dream is centered around. A person who is a hard worker and
persistent can reach any goal he strives for. The American Dream changed as America
did. People became more and more infatuated with possessions.
The three main characters in the story are Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby also known
as James Gatz but had legally changed his name at the age of seventeen, and Daisy
Buchanan. Nick Carraway is a Midwestern educated at Yale. He has high moral
standards and highly tolerant. He passes judgments of others, if they fall short of his high
standards. His honesty gives him the position of confidence to those with troubled
esteem.
Daisy Buchanan is Nick Carraway’s cousin and the wife of Tom Buchanan.
Daisy is a woman that Jay had a love affair with when he was younger, but he could
never have her because he was not in her social class. Gatsby was the one she fell in love
with she promised to wait for his return after the war has ended. But after meeting Tom
and seeing how wealthy he was, she broke her promise to Gatsby and married Tom. Jay
then began to do anything to get the money that it would take to get in her class, even
illegal activities. Once he reached this level of wealth, he moved close to Daisy to try to
get her. The only thing that really mattered to Jay was Daisy. To try to meet Daisy, Jay
threw enormous parties. He finally reunites with Daisy and he begins to show off how
rich he is to try to impress her. Jay is convinced that Daisy is now in love with him, and is
willing to do anything for her.
Tom Buchanan is a man that has no dream. Tom Buchanan is Daisy’s husband.
Tom is a very wealthy man, but has inherited it all and does not work. He sits around, and
plays polo and collects cars. The rest of his time he spends having an affair. Tom does
not try to keep this affair a big secret; she even calls him at home. It doesn’t matter to
Tom if anyone knows or not. Because of his money, he has become an arrogant, unkind
man. He doesn’t worry about anyone else’s feeling than his own. He doesn’t care about
Daisy or he wouldn’t have an affair. He doesn’t care about the woman he is having an
affair with because once he broke her nose for saying something he didn’t like. Tom’s
lack of a dream made his life meaningless. Tom had everything he could every want right
from the beginning. He had nothing to work for. This made Tom’s life pointless. Life is
all about the working toward a dream. His wealth corrupted him and he had no
compassion for what he had done.
Jay Gatsby, the central character of the novel, a young man, a war veteran who
is very wealthy lives in West Egg, Long Island. He has worked from nothing to become a
very successful man. Jay is successful in the meaning that he is very rich and has
everything most of the people in the novel would want. This is not what Jay is striving for
though. Jay doesn’t care about the money, cars, and enormous house he has. Love is
Jay’s goal, he worked for all the wealth and popularity to get to the love of his life, Daisy.
Jay Gatsby had lavish parties in his gothic style mansion every Saturday night. People
who attend the Saturday night parties don’t know who James Gatsby is. They don’t
know where he comes from, or how he made his money. Nick, the keeper of secrets,
learns that Gatsby came from North Dakota and that all his wealth comes from
bootlegging and other illegal activities presented by Meyer Wolfshein. Jay’s American
Dream may seem to be one filled with riches and possessions, but it really isn’t. He
works for all the things for his one true dream, Daisy, a goal that he never could have
possessed.
Daisy is a mix between Jay and Tom. Daisy has a dream, her dream is to be truly
loved, and she isn’t getting that from Tom. She married Tom just for his money. But
Daisy also wants all the popularity and wealth that she has with Tom. She knows she
can’t have both, and is torn between these two desires. She knows about Tom’s affair but
ignores them fearing she may lose her rich lifestyle. Daisy may love Jay, but it doesn’t
matter, because of her obsession with keeping the life she has. She fears that expressing
her love for Jay may put it all at risk. Daisy is never truly happy, but happiness is very
important to her. Daisy’s life is filled with boredom where she wonders what will happen
next.
The 1920’s depicted in the story, however easy money and related social
values have corrupted this dream (the American Dream), especially on the East coast.
The new plotline reflects Tom’s and Gatsby’s assessment, the dream of regaining the
love of Daisy is destroyed by their difference in social statuses. Crime is being done to
make enough money to impress Daisy, and the appetite for material things that show her
lifestyle.
The novel ends with Daisy pulling Myrtle in an auto accident, Gatsby helping the
blame, showing his love for Daisy. Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson shoots Gatsby
before committing suicide. Wilson then kills himself. Nick, Owl eyes and Gatsby father,
are the only people to attend Gatsby’ funeral.
The American Dream can mean different things to different people. Some people
look for love, some for money, others for fame, or maybe something different. Their
success comes in how and if they reach these goals. Some people have everything they
think they want, but their lives are miserable. They have nothing to dream about, but
dreaming is what makes life worth living. The American Dream can’t be based on
possessions; there has to be more to it than that. The American Dream can’t be put in one
sentence, because it means something different to everyone. Jay worked hard but never
reached his goal. Tom never had a dream to try to fulfill and that made his life miserable.
Daisy had a dream, and could have reached out and grabbed it, but was to afraid to.
