On the other hand, Gatsby didn´t realize that, a person from any social class background could, at any moment create a fortune, but it wouldn´t be the same as being part of the American Aristocracy, meaning the rich families with important high status history, families with old wealth. These differences between the old wealthy families and the newly rich people are shown by the East Eggers and the West Eggers. Jordan Baker, Tom and Daisy Buchannan, belong to East Egg, the only thing they are looking for is to maintain they social status, and get every time, richer and richer. On the other side, there are Gatsby and Nick Carraway, both who participated in the war and ended to have their own fortune, a wealth based on material possessions. Gatsby believed that his inner, spiritual satisfaction would be achieved by his materialist success, this meant, the much he had, the more Daisy is going to love him. For example, when Daisy first goes to Gatsby´s house, he tries to impress her with his shirts. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful shits before.” He did whatever he could to become rich, so he could gave her all the comfort and things she actually ‘deserved’, even by leading with illegal business of alcohol, which at the time was prohibited.
Gatsby’s idea of fitting in society is shown by throwing expensive and sophisticated parties. This is a clear example of the corruption that has become the idea of the American Dream and the carelessness of the time. Gatsby’s parties were perfect for people, mostly not even invited, to party until early hours in the morning, but without caring to meet the guest or knowing who he was. The only thing they cared for was the important relations they would make or being part of a newspaper article. As Carraway states, “in his blue garden people came and went like moths among the whisperings and champagne.” The only thing is, that Gatsby doesn´t understand that he will never, despite all the ‘dazzling parties’ he can pay, the beautiful, enormous mansion he has, gain Daisy’s heart, as he’ll never inherit the traditions of high class society.
Furthermore, Fitzgerald, by using his other characters represents also the so mentioned American Dream. Having a general view, it seems that the East Eggers have a perfect life, for example, Tom Buchannan has everything Gatsby could wish for. Has a beautiful wife, a daughter, who he seems not to care so much for, he has a lot of money, but he still isn´t “happy” or has reached his “goal of life”. He, underneath everything cheats on his wife with Myrtle Wilson, a woman of lower social class, that the only thing she looks for is to have more money and the life her husband has never gave her. Tom’s life ends to be as empty as Gatsby’s, as he’ll never have all the money he wants, his wife doesn’t seem to be like it, and she is basically staying with him because she feels more protected with him. The perfect stability he looks for never seems to appear. In contrast to all this, Fitzgerald represents the other side of the American Dream. Myrtle Wilson has love, but not money, while Jay Gatsby has money but not love. But in the end, none of the characters end up fulfilling their dream.
Fitzgerald seems to think that the whole idea of the American Dream is not worth it as its not probable for it to succeed. This can be seen in the fact that not even one of his characters managed to reach their own dream. Gatsby’s idea of the American dream fails as he is doomed to live in a society in which he tries so hard to fit in, but in the end it happens that that society never accepts him. At the same time, all his effort is worthless as the woman he loves is never capable of even accept in front of her husband that she is willing to look ahead for Gatsby. The problem was, Gatsby kept living on the past, on the idea that Daisy used to love him, never realizing that there were more important things for her than actually leave everything and begin a relationship with him. As his dream collapses, the only thing left for him is to die. It can be said that rather that he actually being dead at the end, his death is more a symbolism of his dream being dead. Likewise, Tom ends up without Myrtle, leaving his house with his wife, the one who had an affair with another man, and carrying the burden of guilt for, in a certain way three different people, Gatsby, Myrtle and Wilson.
Overall, it can be said that ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a clear example of the corruption of society, the fall and consequences of the so called ‘American Dream’ in the 1920s. It shows the way people will fall for money, and that they’ll try to reach whatever they wanted for by any means. The fact that greed and power ruler over human values and managed to be the factor that leads a person’s life.
