jay gatsby and the american dream

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the American Dream, and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. This dream is different for different people, but in The Great Gatsby, for Jay, the dream is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness and lost love. To get this happiness Jay Gatsby must reach into the past and in order to relive an old dream of …

…in the pool holding on to his dreams. Jay Gatsby was caught up in an illusion. Living a life based upon illusions can be very dangerous and destructive. Gatsby based his life upon illusions, and chasing those illusions ended up killing him. The Great Gatsby shows that illusions cause people to do crazy things and act in different ways than they normally would. Chasing illusions can be one of the most dangerous experiences in life.