Hope, prosperity and happiness are the main symbols of the American dream. However, F Scott Fitzgerald, in his book The Great Gatsby, shows a different perspective of the American dream. Dreams are what people towards reaching something better every day. They are a compelling force. Fitzgerald's view of the American dream enlightens those that use the principles of their dreams to their fantasies. Jay Gatsby is seen as a man who takes his dream too far until he cannot distinguish between the reality from his false life of riches. The insatiable desires subvert the ideal principles of the American dream for power and wealth in humanity. Gatsby tries to find real happiness in life through wealth and power, but he cannot find it making him engage in criminal behaviours. Due to these criminal behaviours, Gatsby was a false version of the American dream.
Jay Gatsby symbolizes limitless prestige and wealth. He is also a shining beacon for those aspiring to be rich. To those that are not rich, they see Gatsby as having attained the American dream of having fortune and fame. However, instead of being satisfied with what he has, Gatsby believes that through his wealth, he can reproduce the perception of himself into a god of wealth that is flawless (Fitzgerald).
The American dream can be interpreted in many ways, but Gatsby only dwells onto the wealth concept. He fails to see that he can also toil and work hard to improve his character. As a result, Gatsby cannot find true happiness through his wealth, although he attains higher social status (Fitzgerald). He takes pleasure from materialistic items that make his soul dull and cold, and he only covets money, failing to realize that the American dream is also about finding contentment in living.
Gatsby aims at bringing consummation to his life that appears to be empty through his wealth. This only improves his image to the society through his higher states of living, prestige and power. However, when he is impoverishing, this is the same society that initially rejects him (Traficoj et al.). Gatsby believes that he is made a son of God by wealth, making him process material objects that are vulgar, vast and irrelevant to happiness through his father's business. To attain these treasures, Gatsby exploits all his opportunities and engages himself in illegal activities (Fitzgerald). He loses the true meaning of the American dream, and it fades into a forever uncommunicable omen. As he continues to seek contentment, Gatsby purchases ay objects that he feels would bring happiness and satisfy his desires. In trying to find happiness through his wealth, he turns to the past where opulence is just a dream.
When people cannot achieve happiness in their lives, they may see it as empty and meaningless. The Great Jay Gatsby experiences this scenario in his life, and the wealth destroys him that he covets so much. He serves as a metaphor for today's society that happiness cannot be acquired through money, prestige or power ("BBC NEWS"). The study shows that lust for money and other possessions of material objects hinder people from attaining happiness by taking materialism to extreme levels such that their lives and fate are liked to their wealth just like Gatsby. It is also evident that consumerism is a factor that people and nations are happier lack because they do not have much in their disposal to acquire whatever they want. Therefore, they find happiness in their disposal, which is love and companionship from people surrounding them.
