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The Great Gatsby: The Dream Jay Gatsby, the central character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby symbolizes the American dream. The American dream offers faith in the possibility of a better life. Its attendant illusion is the belief that material wealth alone can bring that dream to fruition. Through Gatsby, Fitzgerald brings together both these ideas. Jay Gatsby thinks money is the answer to anything he encounters. He has the best of everything. The fanciest car, the largest house, and the finest clothes. Jay has everything except the object he most desires, Daisy. Gatsby believes he can win Daisy over with wealth, that he could achieve the ideal she stood for through his material possessions. One look at Gatsby’s past and it could be seen that he was destined to get ahead in life. Mr. Gatz told Nick, “Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that. He told me I et like a hog once and I beat him for it” (182). Gatsby’s determination to gain a large bankroll is a huge part of the American dream.
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