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The American Dream; the belief “that every man can rise to success no matter what his beginnings.” The dream is seem as a kind of idealism throughout The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Although this manifest of society existed, the corruption and shattering of this dream comes through the transition of a belief in self-reliance, hard work, and noble goals into the pursuit of power and pleasure, a rudimentary and empty form of success. In The Great Gatsby, a reader can experience several characters’ views of this “dream” and the transition of how money can overtake harmony. Jay Gatsby himself is seen as the epitome of ‘The American Dream,’ yet struggling for what he truly desires, something that he cannot buy. The symbols in this dramatic representation of life in the rich New York society of the 1920’s create footsteps to the corruption and end of the theme, as well as provide vivid detailing to viewpoints of the characters. The corruption of the ‘American Dream’ is displayed throughout The Great Gatsby through side characters, the famous Gatsby himself, and dominant symbols. Whether the characters’ views of the rich society in which this story takes place are toward the pros or deciphering the flaws, the corruption is recognized. Nick Carraway, the narrator, holds two contradicting views of this scene. He admires the dream, the external perfection of which the people live, yet Nick realizes the vulgar materialism and corrupt practices in which people must go to extents to earn the wealth to satisfy their pleasures.
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