1. In The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams coined the term “the American Dream,” which he described as “a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank.” In his article “Rethinking the American Dream,” David Kamp suggests that modern day Americans have reinterpreted the American Dream to mean the acquisition of extreme wealth and fame. In your opinion, how does the character of Jay Gatsby—his background, his dreams, his actions—fit into these conceptions of the American dream? Is he the embodiment of the American dream, or a corruption of the concept?
Gatsby in my mind is the perfect example of the American Dream coming true. He came from a very low income farming family. Risked everything by leaving them and starting a new life on his own. After having a successful career with Cody he later joins the war after the death of Cody. This was a bold move as Gatsby could have pursued the 25,000 dollars that was left for him by Cody but taken away from Cody's wife. Although Gatsby's profession isn't the ideal way or the morally right way to make it rich he non the less does become rich with the little he has got and makes a name for himself.
ReplyDeleteBrian Culhane
Jay Gatsby fits into the conceptions about the American dream through his background, dreams, and actions. He is a wealthy man that has servants and butlers do all his housework for him, he has a lady named Daisy that he is in love with, he has cars, a mansion, and is a happy man. The "American Dream" is being able to be rich and have happiness and freedom. He grew up poor, but ended up on top. He is the embodiment of the American Dream because he worked hard when he needed money, and in the end he has a happy life. -Stephanie V
ReplyDeleteI think that Jay Gatsby is very much the embodiment of both conceptions of the American Dream. He started out poor and with no money and he made a better, richer and happier life for himself as the phrase ment when it was first used. And on the other hand he did strive for extreme wealth and somewhat fame as the newer interpretation of the phrase has come to mean. His dream was not only to make a better life for himself and not juts make enough money for him to live off of comfortably, but to have an excess of wealth so that he would become a suitable man for Daisy to marry. I think he is the embodiment of the American Dream because of how well his life fits into what it used to mean and what it now means. The events of his life and what he has striven for are exactly what the American Dream stood for and stands for today.
ReplyDelete-Megan Bernth
Jay Gatsby, without a doubt, represents the interpretation of the American Dream in which extreme wealth is acquired. He was born into a family of subtle farmers and always had a taste for the extravagant. He ends up finding wealth and lives life in extreme luxury, throwing lavish parties and owning costly things such as his mansion and a hydroplane. He is a corruption of the concept in the fact that it appears he didn't have to work much for his wealth. He met the right people at the right time and was able to make money that way. If anyone embodies the American Dream it is Tim Tebow. He is the man. -Sam Kapust
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Jay Gatsby represents the new interpretation of the American Dream. This is based on his background (which is shrouded in mystery and covered by rumors), his dreams (which were to become a wealthy man, no matter what the cost), and his actions (which are clearly like that of many wealthy mansion-owners). This new American "dream" is that of the ruthless attempt to acquire money to reach extreme wealth and fame.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby fits into a corruption of the concept of the American Dream. He acquired extreme wealth and using that wealth he threw huge parties that brought extreme fame. In his desire to impress daisy with wealth and after being exposed to extreme wealth as a child, Gatsby had a desire for wealth that he could not resist, and it led him to use any means necessary to acquire such wealth. This is certainly not the american dream expressed by Adams in "The Epic of America," and matches almost perfectly David Kamp's reinterpretation of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Jay Gatsby doesn't fit into the concept of the American Dream. Gatsby is a corruption of this concept because of the ways in which he earns his money. With the help of his friend, the gambler, Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby owns drug stores where he illegally sells grain alcohol. On top of this, he lies to everyone he knows about where his money comes from. The American Dream is a term relating to the countless work opportunities in America compared to the minimal ones in other countries. Gatsby isn't working; he is simply operating a large scale business on the fringes of the law. Soon enough, if he gets caught, his business will get shutdown and he will be out of a constant source of money. The only way one could make the argument that Gatsby fits the concept of the American Dream is that he worked hard with his friend, Don Cody, on a boat to honestly earn a living. Now that Don Cody has been dead, and Gatsby has been out of the war, he is forced, in greed, to run a business on the side even though he has already made his fortune.
ReplyDelete- Nick Monaco
Kate Lewis
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is an example of the corruption of the American Dream. He had always envied people with wealth wanted to be one of them. He grew up making money from the lake by fishing and clamming. He then worked on a boat as an assistant where he experienced life more glamorously than before. When the owner of the boat died he expected to get his money but his wife ended up getting it. Gatsby decided he would do anything to become wealthy. He resorted to bootlegging to make his money. The American Dream is supposed to be the concept of making a better life for yourself in which you and others around you are happier and not struggling to make it by, not by doing whatever you have to do the have fame and fortune.
Kate Lewis
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is an example of the corruption of the American Dream. He had always envied people with wealth wanted to be one of them. He grew up making money from the lake by fishing and clamming. He then worked on a boat as an assistant where he experienced life more glamorously than before. When the owner of the boat died he expected to get his money but his wife ended up getting it. Gatsby decided he would do anything to become wealthy. He resorted to bootlegging to make his money. The American Dream is supposed to be the concept of making a better life for yourself in which you and others around you are happier and not struggling to make it by, not by doing whatever you have to do the have fame and fortune.
I think Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of the American dream. I think he is described as "a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank." He throws his parties and works hard just to get the attention of Daisy and for her to come to his parties so he can see her. He tries to do the best he can to achieve his goal. His dream was to see Daisy and be with her. He does every attempt he can to reach his dream and eventually he does end up seeing her and spending time with her. Like in the American Dream Gatsby has freedom and equal to the wealthy people. Overall, in my opinion Gatsby is an embodiment of the American dream opposed to a corruption of the concept.
ReplyDelete~Aimee Kandell
Jay Gatsby is a modern day American who has reinterpreted the American Dream to mean the acquisition of extreme wealth and fame. I think he is a corruption to the concept. He thinks of his success with money as wealth and fame rather then a happier life. He grew up in a not so wealthy family. He always dreamed of having a lot of money and a big mansion across the shore from Daisy, not to please himself, but to impress others. He became wealthy for the wrong reasons, and is very greedy for money. He has been caught in lies about how he has gotten all of this money, which makes people question who he really is. I think David Kamp the writer of “Rethinking the American Dream” would agree that Jay Gatsby is a corruption of the original interpretation of the American Dream.
ReplyDelete-Bridget Stucklen
I think the character of Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of what most people imagine the American Dream is, but a corruption of what David Kamp believes the American Dream is. I couldn't see why most of the people in America wouldn't want to have infinite amount of spending money, a huge house, the newest cars, a bunch of servants, glamorous parties every week,and even true love - which is what Jay Gatsby has. The way Gatsby has obtained his money is corrupt, but he fits the description of what most people strive for. Yet Kamp believes that the American Dream is just improving every aspect of your life, not achieving wealth and fame. Depending on how one looks at it, Gatsby could be the exact portrayal as the American Dream, or exactly what the American Dream isn't.
ReplyDeleteI think Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of the American dream. I think he is described as "a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank." He throws his parties and works hard just to get the attention of Daisy and for her to come to his parties so he can see her. He tries to do the best he can to achieve his goal. His dream was to see Daisy and be with her. He does every attempt he can to reach his dream and eventually he does end up seeing her and spending time with her. Like in the American Dream Gatsby has freedom and equal to the wealthy people. Overall, in my opinion Gatsby is an embodiment of the American dream opposed to a corruption of the concept.
ReplyDelete~Aimee Kandell
I think that Gatsby is a corruption of Adams' concept of the American Dream. Not only has Gatsby lied about himself, but he lied about where the money is coming from. He is obsessed with riches and luxury, rather than the old-fashioned freedom, education, etc. He even lied about his education; if he hadn't corrupted the American Dream, then he would have been striving to graduate from Oxford like he claimed to have done. He took the measures to change his name to something that would sound more like a rich, eloquent man. Everything that Gatsby does has to do with gaining more money or luxuries, including bootlegging. I think that he wants to be with Daisy so much because she is the perfect image of a wife, and would go along with his inverted American Dream to be rich and famous.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Schwartz
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is a character who is following the concept of David Kamp's American Dream, of extreme wealth and fame, rather than James Truslow Adams's American Dream, of a better, richer, happier life for all citizens. Yea, James Truslow Adams talks about a richer life but if you look at Gatsby's entire life, he isn't a very happy man. He has the money and he has the fame, everyone knows who Jay Gatsby is; some love him and some hate him, but throughout the beginning and middle of the book he is unhappy and has dealt with sad things he is trying to fix/forget. Kamp mentions wealth and fame; Adams mentions a happier life. I wouldn't say Gatsby himself is a corruption of the true concept but he obviously is NOT the true concept. Gatsby has the money and fame and spends it, and uses it, and does what he does but he isn't happy; he wants one thing, to be happy. He is a man who in the past was dealing with war, family struggles, he lies, he does drug dealing, he has a lot of hard times in his life and in his past- he is not the embodiment of the American Dream.
Jay Gatsby fits the American dream. He worked hard for his money, and soon became rich. He bought the house he worked hard for, and he got a good education for some time. He worked hard to become the vision that his love wanted him to be. Although he accomplishes the American dream he still wasn’t happy. He still doesn’t have the woman he desires so much. There is also a corrupt way he accomplished these goals. He was friends with shady people and he also was a bootlegger for a time. So in my opinion Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of the corrupt American dream.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Stangel
In my opinion, the character of Jay Gatsby displays both the embodiment and the corruption of the American dream. He shows James Truslow Adams description of the American dream by attempting to live a "happier life" for himself, as well as Daisy. He choose to live directly across the water from her in an attempt to get her attention, and thus have a second chance on their relationship. However, the fact that Gatsby is extremely wealthy and well know from his huge parties also illustrates the corruption of the American dream.
ReplyDelete-Lauren Hill
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby does fit into the concept of the new American dream, though he is somewhat of a corruption of the concept. Gatsby made money and basically became very well-known because of his lavish parties and being so wealthy. Even though Gatsby made his money possibly illegally, by getting involved with shady people and bootlegging, he still established the dream of living it large in America. The new interpretation of the American dream is acquiring a lot of money and fame, which is what Gatsby did. He became extremely wealthy and well-known on the Gold Coast, and therefore Gatsby does somewhat embody the American dream.
Jay Gatsby reflects the modern day interpretation of a man who is living the "American Dream." Although the methods of how he gained his wealth are unclear, he still remains a well-known man living with extreme wealth. His large house, lavish parties, expensive clothing, and admirable car are all essentially the embodiment of a man who is living in the modern ideal of the dream. The American Dream does not specify how or what a man must do to gain extreme wealth, so despite Gatsby's illegal works, he still fits into this idea. He went from being a poor fisherman who worked along lake superior, to a wealthy upper-class man.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Jay Gatsby, considering his background, dreams and actions, fit the reinterpreted American dream. Jay Gatsby did come from nothing and became into something. This does hold true for the American dream. Over coming his poorness and scant education he was able to become rich and famous. This though, isn't necessarily the original dream. The American dream implied that someone could work hard, make a good amount of money and do what they want, but also to enjoy life. Not work eighty hours a week and never see their family type or rich. Gatsby hardly worked but he didn't have his one dream: Daisy.
ReplyDeleteSo the question remains, why isn't Jay Gatsby the original American dream. Well 1) You had everything you loved and needed. Gatsby didn't do something he loved, and actually hated the fact that he was alone. The dream also implies that you were going to be happy by doing what you loved. Gatsby was not happy. 2) You were going to get somewhere. Well Gatsby did indeed get somewhere and got somewhere fast, but he did it by using sneaky and unethical ways. 3) You didn't have to be famous to have the American Dream. Gatsby was famous and in the book it showed that he didn't like it.
-Berrios
I think that we are unable to pin Jay Gatsby to just one of these "American Dream" concepts; he fits both of them equally. He is the corruption of the American dream because he spent most of his life trying to get rich and well educated; and in the process he lied extensively about his past, because his past wasn't as rich as his present, and he would do anything to hide that. He only attended Oxford for 5 months before the war; he was not an Oxford man, and he got most of his money from shady business with Meyer Wolfsheim in the drug store industry. These acts were Gatsby's way to get rich quick because he believed that it would lead him to his very own "American dream." HOWEVER, all the previously listed actions Gatsby did were not necessarily in the effort to achieve the "American dream." While he did want to achieve happiness, the happiness he wanted was Daisy. Everything he did to get rich was so that Daisy would find him and love him again. After getting rich, he threw such elegant parties directly across from Daisy's house so she would come to them and they could finally meet. Gatsby's actions revolved around Daisy; he wanted to "strike it rich" to find Daisy and be with her. One could make a point that Gatsby is the embodiment of the "American dream" because of how he just wanted to be happy and in love; and one could argue that he was the corruption because of how his short-term actions were revolved around money.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Gatsby fits the original conception of the American Dream and is not just a corruption of the concept. He portrays the idea of a wealthy man with the freedom to do whatever he chooses. He is also a symbol of patriotism for his country, having served in the war. I feel that the main attraction to the American Dream in the way that James Truslow Adams describes it is rooted by the idea of freedom and riches. Gatsby embodies this completely as he is characterized as someone who knows everyone and has the money and freedom to throw parties whenever he chooses. I feel that he's given the idealized character traits such as a successful businessman that the American Dream envies. In the story he is described as having an immense amount of people in his life that are so interested in him which is also one part of the the concept that people envy.
ReplyDeletei think jay gatsby is the embodiment of the american dream. the american dream is about growing up and being a successful person. Gatsby staring off as a poor farm boy in south dakota vowed after he met Dan Cody that he would be very rich and successful. He eventually accomplished his goal and is now very rich in the book.
ReplyDeleteSofia Porta
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is the corruption of The American Dream while also is the perfect example of it coming true. He acquired a large amount of money and with that acquired a lot of fame, but for the wrong reasons. Although he did improve his lifestyle from how he grew up to where he ended up, it was not all for the right reasons. He grew up in a poor family, got a lot of experience from Cody, after his death went to the war, and then got his money by bootlegging. He has The American Dream, his servants, his large beautiful house, and his extravaggent parties. Although he did this only to get the attention of Daisy, he did rise to the top and became very successful and rich.
Jay Gatsby follows into the corruption of “The American Dream”. He does illegal stuff to make his money rather than getting his full education at Oxford. He uses his money to impress daisy and throw huge parties. Even though he came from a family with no money and yes he may have lived “The American Dream” he still was corrupt in doing so. His dreams were to make Daisy happy with his money and to become rich. By throwing the parties that he had he hoped that it brought him the fame that he wanted and to mostly have Daisy impressed. By his background and everything that Gatsby did to acquire his wealth, it did not follow “ The Epic of America” by James Truslow.
ReplyDelete-Casey Hickey
I believe that technically, yes, Jay Gatsby does embody the American dream, in that he betters his life financially and socially. He starts from nothing and slowly works his way up to a better, more comfortable living situation. However, the way he achieves this is by using sordid connections and underhanded methods, proves that in the end he truly represents the corruption.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is a great example of the American Dream. He was born poor, but ended up with a great deal of money. He has butlers and servants. He has a mansion. He has huge parties all the time. He works hard to achieve his goals. His dream was to see Daisy. When he throws his parties, he hopes to see her there, but she never comes. He bought his mansion so he could live by Daisy. He finally ends up getting to see her and spend time with her, and get to know her more. He really ended up on top, despite how he started out. Overall, I think Gatsby is an embodiment of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the American dream is creating a successful career, a lavish lifestyle, and making enough money to do the things that you love. This may be interpreted as being materialistic, but to my life goals are exactly that, I hope to make enough money that allows me to do things that make me happy, and to be surrounded by good and funny people. Gatsby started from rags and made it to riches, which to me would be the embodiment of "The American Dream". On the other hand there is no point in making massive amounts of money if you aren't happy. To the public Gatsby is the man who has everything, but once we got to know him, he really has nothing. Even with all of his money, cars, and parties he can't have the one thing that he loves the most, Daisy.
ReplyDelete-Patrick Yager
Jay Gatsby is a corruption of the American Dream. He is living it; with his enormous house on the water, a crew of butlers, and a Rolls Royce, but how he obtained "The Dream" isn't fair. The real American Dream is working hard in school, going to a good school, then getting a steady pay and raising a family. Gatsby did none of this. Although he went to Oxford, it was only for five months. His job was swindling money through drug stores with the likes of Meyer Wolfsheim. And as for a family, he is having an affair with a married woman. All in all, the only category of the American Dream Gatsby falls into is the wealth.
ReplyDeleteGatsby certainly represents the American Dream in the sense that he was able to overcome his lowly birth and attain a "richer" lifestyle than his parents. However, the American Dream also means a "happier" life, something that eludes Gatsby despite his wealth, and whether or not his life was "better" depends on the criteria; Gatsby's wealth was not come about in an honest way and he probably hurt many others in his attempt to achieve wealth. He did attain great status and wealth, but he violated many moral codes along the way. This leads me to believe that his success was a corruption of the dream, as it usually has the connotation of an honest, hardworking person and he was most likely a con artist and swindler.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is very much the embodiment of an American dream. Which one, though, is a good question. I believe he embodies today's American dream, which is a corrupt version of the original "dream." He has an excess amount of wealth, as seen by his extravagant lifestyle of lavish parties, cars, and homes. He is also in possession of quite a bit of fame. Every one knows who he is and the vast amount of ludicrous rumors that follow his around. You would think, from his beginnings, he would be part of the original American Dream. He did work his way up to the top. He did come from a poor family. But now with all of his wealth, with his richer, better life he is not anywhere close to being happy. He will only be happy when he can have Daisy as his own.
ReplyDeleteRachel Rienecker
I think that Gatsby does fit into the concept of achieving his American Dream. Born into a poor farming family in North Dakota, James Gatz has always dreamed about being the person he imagined being, Jay Gatsby. He followed his dreams and made the life the he wanted for himself, full of wealth and extravagance. Although, nowadays people may think the American Dream is solely having extreme wealth and popularity, I think that the definition is what each person thinks. I believe that he did achieve the American Dream, working hard to become the successful person he wanted to be. I don’t believe that it is only decided on how much money you make, but if you are happy with who you are. So whether he is the embodiment or corruption of the American Dream, it is up to each person’s interpretation to decide.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby is both the embodiment of the American Dream and a corruption of the concept. He comes from a family of unsuccessful farmers and rose to the top of the social classes after being a young man working as a clam-digger and salmon-fisher with his friend, Don Cody. But he did rise up in a way that makes him look like someone people would look up to, because he actually ended up making money from illegal actions of gambling and selling grain alcohol, after Don Cody's death. When people ask him how it came to be that he became so wealthy, he makes up lies for his benefit of not being judged and looked down on. But the fact that he has a gorgeous mansion on the Long Island Coast as well as a clearly expensive car and he throws glamorous parties every weekend with celebrities makes it seem that he is living "a better, richer, and happier life."
ReplyDeleteJames Truslow Adams describes the American Dream as "a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank." Jay Gatsby was born into a poor family with very little in their name. However, Gatsby grew up to be a successful, rich, and satisfied man. He owns a mansion, throws elegant parties, and even possesses something so valuable that it is left out of most Americans' dreams: true love. In Adams' definition of the American Dream, he includes the betterment of every citizen of every rank. When Gatsby throws his parties, he essentially spreads his wealth and allows others, some from different ranks, to enjoy it. Jay Gatsby is the embodiment of the American Dream, as he persevered, took advantage of the opportunities presented, and, regardless of how he did so, acquired a vast amount of wealth that he shares with the community.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby fits the American Dream. He lives a rich life and has plenty of parties to make people happy as well as an attempt to make Daisy come to make himself a happier man. His life is also better because he has almost anything someone could ever ask for. Once Daisy starts to be with him, he becomes happy, which makes him have all three charecteristics of the American Dream:Better, richer and happier. In conclusion, I believe that Gatsby is a great match for the American Dream
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby fits the ideals of David Kamp's suggestion of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby is extremely rich and is famously known for his lavish parties. But he made it to where he is now from pursuing the American Dream. Gatsby went to college for a little bit, he worked to support himself. He then find a way to strike it rich by bootlegging alcohol in his chain of drugstores. This made him a very wealthy man. This seems to fit the way Kamp saw the American Dream as, with just obtaining wealth and fame. Yet Gatsby seems to go against the idea of the Dream Adams had. Because Gatsby becomes richer but he does not end up with a "happier life" which Adams finds is the real Dream. So Jay Gatsby seems to fit Kamp's version but corrupts Adam's version of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteJohn...
ReplyDeleteThe corrupt Jay Gatsby is the perfect example of the American Dream most people envision today. Gatsby is a not-so honest man who will do anything to make more money. He goes to huge extremes to gain his money in order to have a "better" life. He believes money can buy him anything, including the happiness of being loved back by Daisy. He overdoes Adams' suggestion of this dream, where everyone can be on equal fields eventually, by trying to become better than anyone else and out-due others.
Gatsby embodies David Kamp's suggestion of how modern day Americans have interpreted the American dream to mean the acquistion of wealth and possesions. He is an embodiment of the corrupt concept of the American dream. He lives in an incredibly large and new but attempted old and aristocratic European mansion. He owns new pompous cars and frequently throws lavish parties. However he came into this money, as we are now finding out, by way of bootlegging and corrupt schemes with Meyer Wolfsheim and partners. He did not work hard for job opportunities and humbly make his way to where he is. He represents the corrupt version of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteThe "American Dream" has had varying interpretations since the coining of the term during the 1930's. Therefore, the "American Dream" of the Eisenhower era embodied a completely separate definition from modern views of the American Dream. With regard to the "American Dream" of prior generations, Gatsby is a complete corruption of its ideals. Jay Gatsby, an opulent bachelor, is the polar opposite of the typical 50's "American Dream". Un married and lacking conservative traits, Gatsby represents nothing from the "Leave it to Beaver"-like American dream that many bought into in the post WWII era. Yet with regards to an American dream of excessive self achievement and attainment of wealth, Gatsby is it. He is the quintessential self made man.
ReplyDelete- Chris Rothe
Gatsby definitely experiences the American Dream. However, he isn't the rule, he is the exception. Most people aren't from an extremely wealthy family who inherits a huge sum of money at such a young age as Jay Gatsby has. He started off with a major advantage that most people don't initially have.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what makes his journey an American Dream is what he did with his money. A lot of people with so much fortune waste their money, but Jay didn't, he has a house and a few lavish accessories, such as a hydroplane, but that's okay. He even gives back to the community by having large parties that everyone can attend to. Along with the money he's already inherited, he chases down the woman of his dreams--Daisy. Money doesn't buy love, that he has to work hard for.
Gatsby definitely doesn't live a typical American Dream, but he certainly is living one. I think his American dream is just fine.(:
~HAyley Bester
Hunter Tracy
ReplyDeleteI think that Gatsby doesn't fit the term "the American Dream" well and that there should be another term used to describe him. Gatsby was similar to the American dream by being poor and then becoming rich, and also by getting an education which was hard to do at the time. Gatsby was also the opposite from the American dream because he gained his money from his wealthy family and really didn't earn it. Gatsby doesn't have a real job but and illegal job of being a bootlegger in many different cities in the US. In some ways Gatsby was somewhat of the American dream and other ways he was not. Gatsby lives like he has accomplished the American dream but really shouldn't have what he has and never had a real American job in his life.
The character of Jay Gatsby fits into the conceptions of the American Dream, because he was an average man form the Middle West and he did not have a lot of money, but he then worked hard to make money and a name for himself (literally, since he changed his name). Even though what he did was an illegal action, the fact that he took a risk and worked hard for his money fits snugly into the concept of the American Dream. Also, on a side note, the idea of bootlegging is a very American concept. But that is where the snug fit of Gatsby into the American Dream. After that he used his name to and business to become very well off in money, and he used his money to become very famous. So in the end he corrupts the concept of the American Dream in the end, despite his past which was the embodiment of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteMichael Meyer
In my opinion, Jay Gatsby represents the new interpretation of the American Dream and as well as the old one. Gatsby came from a low income family and rose above his circumstances and overcame many sad experiences. He worked hard for his money, even though his way of earning the money may seem unorthodox, and also served his time as an army man. Gatsby, who became very successful, in my opinion used his new found wealth to a little bit of an extreme, fitting the new interpretation of the American Dream. He uses his wealth to hire butlers that do things for him and to throw parties, just to impress the women he loves. I do not feel that Gatsby has corrupt the American Dream because I feel that a lot of people that overcome their poor beginnings use their new wealth to extremes. On the other hand, some people do not take their new wealthy lifestyles for granted and use their money to benefit others who may not be in the same situations.
ReplyDeleteJay Gatsby fits both the American dream and the corruption of it. Kamp suggests that the corrupted American dream is the acquisition of fortune and fame. This is exactly what Gatsby achieves through his hard work. His motive to acquire this, however, is an example of a true American dream. He does solely because he wants to be with the woman that he loves and he can only be with her through wealth and fortune, so he spends his lifetime trying to live up to those expectations. Jay Gatsby comes from a lower class family and works his way up to become a millionaire through illegal actions. This is why his way of acquiring the American dream is corrupt.
ReplyDelete-Kotryna J
In my opinion, Jay Gatsby represents the corruption of the American Dream. I believe he is an example of the corruption because of the way he earned his money. His opulent lifestyle was something he always desired for,and was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant being involved in some very sneaky business. Throughout the book there are rumors of Gatsby's past, and when Gatsby finally clears it up with Nick, Nick learns that all of Gatsby's money wasn't inherited, but earned through the drug dealing business. Gatsby's money was taken advantage of by being used to host his over the top parties that were used to show off his luxuries. Gatsby dreamed of the richer life which isn't exactly the better life if you don't take advantage of your opportunities/surroundings and apply yourself for a better life. Gatsby, with his drug dealing business cheated and took a shortcut to achieve the American Dream.
ReplyDeletevanessa