gatdream Exploding the American Myth in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Exploding the American Myth in The Great Gatsby The American genius declares the immunity and equality among all people. On this declaration was built the collective dreams of a nation as well as millions of personal dreams. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel, The Great Gatsby, exposes the American Constitution for the myth that it always was by revealing the existing class distinctions. The Great Gatsby provides the petty details of the aimlessness and shall owness of the idyll rich, the extravagance of their parties, and the illegal sources of the gold that fueled such mindless activities. Myrtles attempt to become a member of Toms group is predestined to fail, because he is of the wealthier, more sophisticated class. Taking advantage of her animation, her wide awake nature, she tries to elude the rest of her class. She gets involved in an affair with Tom, and inherits his values, and his way of living. By doing so, she only demoralizes herself, and becomes corrupt like the rich ar e stereotyped to be. She belittles people from her own class, and loses all sense of honor that she once had. And for all her kind zests, Myrtle never does find her place in Toms high brow world of the rich. Fitzgerald portrays Myrtles condition, obviously, as a minor reflection to Gatsbys more substantial struggle. While Myrtles ambitions come from her social desires, Gatsbys are linked more to his idealism, his strong belief in lifes opportunity. For sure, his desire is influenced by social considerations as well Daisy, who is beautiful and rich, shows a lifestyle that is distant to Gatsbys and therefore is more attractive to him, because it is so far out of his reach. However, social status is not his premier reason for loving Daisy. It only leads him, and makes him subject to believe in lifes great opportunity. Like Myrtle does, Gatsby fights to fit himself into another social group, the one of old money, but his attempt is more significant, because his whole faith in lif e is rested upon it. Therefore, his failure is much more frightful to him, as any larger dreams failure turns out to be. His whole objective, his confidence in life and himself is completely smashed when he fails to win Daisys love. His death, when it arrives is nearly meaningless, for, with the defeat of his dream, Gatsby is already spiritually murdered, and would lose all faith in life.