American dream in The Great Gatsby Essay

In todayÊ ¼s society, it seems that everyone strives to be at the top, and for many people, the top means the most success, and success means money. The American dream- to go from nothing to the pinnacle of success- is apparent both in the novel The Great Gatsby and in the modern world. Another apparent aspect of the American Dream is second chances, Gatsby, along with many other Americans today strives for second chances, Jay Gatsby seems to be the epitome of a man trying to find the American dream. Gatsby was not always the rich extravagant man who throws luxurious parties that we meet in the beginning of the novel. His motives for rising to the top of the social ladder and acquiring wealth may be different than most peoples motives for achieving the American dream. GatsbyÊ ¼s lust for the American dream came out of his quest to one day finally be with the love of his life, Daisy. This bring up another aspect of the American dream: second chances. More than anything, Jay wants a second chance with Daisy. He â€Å"had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again† and that he could get Daisy back. He does everything in his power to try to achieve this. ! Much of the American dream seems to be materialistic, and Gatsby definitely represents these materialistic parts of the American dream. He has the big house, the nice car, and throws his money around on his extravagant parties. Ultimately though, Gatsby does not achieve the second part of the American dream; second chances. Gatsby is murdered and never gets to spend his life with Daisy which is all he ever really wanted after he got out of the war. GatsbyÊ ¼s â€Å"dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him.† Katerina Bessey Monday, December 10, 2012 12:23:31 PM ET Material wealth definitely still exists in todays society. Many peopleÊ ¼s motives for achieving this material wealth is to be accepted by society. This relates to the way that Gatsby wants to achieve material wealth so that Daisy will fall back in love with him. Daisy encompassed everything about wealth even â€Å"Her voice is full of money,† which is why Gatsby thought wealth was the only way to her heart. People often think that material wealth means success which is why it is  associated with the American dream. I do not necessarily agree with this, but it is definitely how society perceives it. I think this is especially the way todayÊ ¼s youth perceives success they think the material things like nice clothes, cars and houses show how successful a person is. In the setting of The Great Gatsby, the people who have the nice cars and homes are the ones who are perceived as successful. These people may not be the happiest, or have the most morals, but in terms of materialistic things, they are the most successful. ! Second chances always have been, and I believe always will be associated with the American dream. Gatsby and many of the other characters in the book and looking for second chances in life. People have always associated America with opportunity and second chances at things. Everybody wants to be able to have a second chance at something they fail, or something that doesnÊ ¼t go quite as planned. Today, people almost expect to get second chances at things. This seems to be largely due the precedent that was set by the American dream. American itself has been seen as the land of second chances since colonial times. People came here for new opportunities and a second chance at life. People still come to America today for that very same reason. Christianity today is another example of second chances. It allows people to Katerina Bessey Monday, December 10, 2012 12:23:31 PM ET  repent and be fully redeemed and â€Å"reborn† allowing people to achieve a new start, or a second chance.  Though the American dream has changed slightly since the 1920Ê ¼s, Jay Gatsby portrays many of the aspects of it that are still present today. Mr. GatsbyÊ ¼s lust for material wealth to gain a second chance with the love of his life and journey from â€Å"rags to riches† are still part of the American dream for many people in our modern world.