The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 2365 Words

James Truslow Adams, the author of The Epic of America, once said, â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. † (The American) The American Dream is one thing uniquely American, a shared ideal among American people of all the different religions, socioeconomic classes, and lifestyles. It is a promise of hope and possibilities that America has been holding onto since its foundation, a promise of life’s meaningfulness and of one’s ability to reinvent oneself. Is there only one interpretation of the American Dream? For many, it is an idea that has been constantly evolving and redefined. Since the 1920s, the†¦show more content†¦The Founding Fathers declared that people inherently have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As the country progressed to the 1920s, America as a whole nation gained greater wealth than it ever had. On the other hand, the young generations were haunted by the memories of World War I as â€Å"their faith in the moral guideposts that had earlier given them hope, were no longer valid† (â€Å"The Lost†). The 1920s was marked by a rebellious and materialistic culture that contained bootleg liquor, luxurious parties, and a new wild jazz music. People began to acquire things and money in replacement of inner fulfillments, and the common view on the American Dream was affected as well. One reason The Great Gatsby is arguably the Great American Novel is that it reveals the corruption of the American Dream through materialism. The main character, Jay Gatsby, was a man who believed in the American Dream and pursued it boldly. Rising from obscure poverty to immense wealth, he was a perfect example of the self-made man. Daisy Fay, a beautiful rich girl, was the embodiment of the American Dream to Gatsby—her beauty, her wealth, and her delicacy characterized a life he wanted to have.â€Å"She was the first ‘nice’ girl he had ever known.† (Fitzgerald 158). Gatsby set on a quest of winning Daisy’s love ever since he first met her. â€Å"He has lived not