The Unattainable American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"

<Tab/>A truly great work of literature would allow a reader to compare and/or contrast any of the book's characters--static or rounded--without much trouble. This is the case in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book's title character, Gatsby, is easily compared to Tom Buchanan. Their fruitless pursuance of the American Dream is what makes them most similar. The American Dream consists of having a large, elegant house, …

…achieved. One either over does it or sets a dream to impossible to come true. With the inability to combine contrasting qualities, there can never be a person with the persona that will be able to reach the Dream and be happy with it. So, in all actuality, the pursuance of the American Dream can prove both fruitless and hopeless, contrary to the beliefs of those who believe that they can really accomplish the impossible.