Jocelyn LampkinMrs. WaltonEnglish IIIApril 10, 2014Literary Analysis of Jay Gatsby and the American DreamThe novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald dates back to the 1920s, one of the most important decades in American history. It was a time when everyone wanted to “get rich quick”. Americans believe that if they have enough money, they can buy their happiness through materialistic spending, increase social power, and possibly manipulate lost time. F. Scott Fitzgerald's characterization of Jay Gatsby embodies the American dream: nice car, family, money, all the white picket fence with a dog scene that Americans visualize. Throughout the novel readers are exposed to some of Gatsby's "great" successes. But not all "big" things in life end up being truly great, and Gatsby is an example of the fall of the American dream. Gatsby comes from a small town in North Dakota and once lived with "feckless and unsuccessful farmers," but then he meets a "smart and extravagantly ambitious" man named Dan Cody who changes his life forever. He is the man who brought Gatsby from his current poverty to a rich man and now owns a “colossal mansion on Long Island,” as if he had gone from rags to riches (ch. 1). A dream that recurs throughout the book is that of recovering lost time and memories. The green light at the end of Daisy's pier is symbolic of both the American dream and Gatsby's dream of repeating the past and reuniting with Daisy. Even after five years have passed since he left for the war, he still finds a way to get her attention. He does this by throwing extravagant parties that everyone attends and to increase his social connections and better yet to see if Daisy will show up. He uses most of his money on her as a way to show... middle of paper... what memories existed. Many thoughts go through one's mind about loved ones while at war. All rich characters have a similar way of dealing with problems. This is to knock out and destroy anything in their path. One might infer that these characters are looking forward to a problem being solved in their free time. Therefore the thought of getting someone back into your life comes to mind and most likely it doesn't work. Gatsby's way of dealing with problems revolves around money and constantly pleasing others. No matter how much Gatsby tries to “reach out and touch the light” and no matter how hard he “fights against the current,” he learns that you can't please everyone. He learns this after his plan to be with Daisy again fails. Therefore, even Gatsby's extreme wealth and materialistic spending were not enough to chase the "American Dream".’.