The notion that any hardworking individual can acquire infinite wealth in the US
The American Dream underscores the notion that any hardworking individual can acquire infinite wealth in the US, notwithstanding nationality, race, gender, and class. Unfortunately, the dream sugarcoats the reality as systemic problems such as xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and discrepancy in taxation influence wealth distribution. The rags-to-riches stories are rosy testimonies for the lucky few. In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is a limitless quest for happiness, wealth, and egocentric wellbeing that eventually lead to the downfall of promising successful people.
Jay Gatsby rose from a poor labourer to a wealthy entrepreneur. “For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam digger and a salmon fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and bed” (Fitzgerald 105). Gatsby sought wealth tirelessly as he was ashamed of living like his impoverished parents. He also discovered sea early life. Nevertheless, Gatsby detested the mature women because they spoiled him, the virgins because of their naivety, and the classy girls for their desire for things he did not desire (Fitzgerald 105). Despite the wealth and contemptuous attitude against women, he spent a substantial amount of his wealth to pursue a married woman – Daisy. The desire to win Daisy’s love motivates Gatsby to confess (falsely) to killing Myrtle Wilson, a mistake that gets him a death sentence. The bottom line is that Jay Gatsby’s futile pursuit for the happiness of his dream woman leads to his regrettable demise.
The greed for wealth overwhelms Myrtle such that she cheats with Tom Buchanan to earn some extra cash. Myrtle is married to a loving and diligent husband (George) who runs an auto shop in the valley of ashes. George strives to provide the best life to his wife, including purchasing a car that they were to drive while relocating to the West (Fitzgerald 131). However, Myrtle’s is obsessed with a lavish lifestyle. She is involved in an affair with Tom, a man who sexually objectifies her. Tom broke her nose for mentioning Daisy in a conversation. He also slept with Myrtle without intending to marry her. She is also morally bankrupt; she met Tom in the prearranged house as if they were married (Machcinski 19). Therefore, Myrtle Wilson withstands the loveless and violent relationship with Tom because of the futile fantasy of benefitting from his vast wealth.
Daisy is an egocentric sociopath as she allows Gatsby to shoulder the blame of running over Myrtle. Her dream is to maintain an elite lifestyle, which comes at the expense of hurting others. When Tom proposed that to Gatsby that they exchange cars, he hoped Daisy would ride with him in his car. However, she prefers her crash’s (Gatsby) company to her husband. Drawing on Gatsby’s description of the accident, Daisy killed Myrtle deliberately. Initially, she wanted to avoid hitting her, but she changed her mind – probably after realizing that the victim was her husband’s concubine. “‘Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and then she lost her nerve and turned back'” (Fitzgerald 154). She must have premeditated killing Myrtle; hence, the reasons she did not stop after killing her. Gatsby begged her to slow, but she refused. Daisy also had Gatsby stand guard outside their house because she feared Tom could suspect she killed her girlfriend deliberately, and brutalize her. The bottom line is that Daisy’s selfish ambition to have Tom (the shaper of her American Dream) all-to-herself compelled her to use Gatsby as the scapegoat in Myrtle’s murder.
Overall, the American Dream is a self-destructive objective to acquire wealth, happiness, and personal wellbeing, according to the Great Gatsby book. Gatsby dies in pursuit for the love of a woman who only adores his wealth while Myrtle meets her demise while running toward a man with no plans of wedding her. Similarly, Daisy kills Myrtle to avoid sharing her husband, a mission she accomplishes as the couple soon leaves for an unknown destination to allow the scandal to ebb away.