The Hidden Mystery Behind The Unattainable Dream - 1300 Words

The Hidden Mystery Behind The Unattainable Dream The American Dream is a nationwide belief that entails the possibility for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through arduous work in a society with few barriers. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, themes of corruption, idealism, and social upheaval, create a portrait of the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale concerning the American Dream. The story primarily concerns mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his idealistic passion to achieve the American Dream, Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life. In the novel, there are two kinds of wealth, the inherited wealth of Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and the newly†¦show more content†¦Tom and Daisy Buchanan live in East Egg, also known as old money, a location where money was passed down from generation to generation. Jay Gatsby lives in West Egg, also known as new money, a location where people with newly acquired wealth settled. The Valley of Ashes, how ever, differs from both East Egg and West Egg as it is considered no money. In contrast to the upper class of the Eggs, those in the Valley of Ashes, the working class, are left in a bleak landscape with little to hope for. A major reason for the lack of social class mobility is how you acquired wealth. Nick Carraway, the narrator, states that he lives at West Egg, the-well, the less fashionable of the two, though this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them (5). Nick does not care for social class and is happy living in his house. Nick does not want to become careless as the people who live in East Egg are shown to be careless. Tom and Daisy do not like West Egg as it is filled with people of money, but with a different socioeconomic background. They are the type of people that are unwelcoming of social mobility. Even though Gatsby is wealthy, he is considered new money and the people he interacts with do not regard Gatsby a s equal to them. In chapter eight, Nick states that Gatsby had come in contact with such people, but