Corruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Essay by matthew_mayHigh School, 11th gradeA+, June 2014

download word file, 6 pages 0.0

April 7, 2014

Corruption of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

ENG 3U

Matthew May

Mrs. K. Bentley

Essay Outline

Thesis: In The Great Gatsby , the American Dream has been corrupted by the desire for wealth.

Introduction

• The Great Gatsby shows that the American Dream has been corrupted by the desire for wealth.

First Paragraph

• The Buchanans are both corrupted by money, even though they have "fulfilled" their dream.

• Their money cannot buy love or happiness, which is what the American Dream is supposed to provide.

• They are able to hide their actions behind their money.

• Daisy runs over Myrtle, but Gatsby suffers the consequence - wealth has killed the old dream.

Second Paragraph

• Symbolism of the Valley of Ashes

• Right next to people living the American Dream, showing how it cannot be fulfilled without corruption.

• The "dream chasers" in New York have caused this valley of corruption to be formed.

• The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are God's eyes, but their attraction has been replaced with materialism.

Third Paragraph

• Gatsby's pure dream of Daisy becomes corrupted by wealth.

• Gatsby resorts to materialism to "win" Daisy over.

• Gatsby himself is incorruptible, what killed him is the corruption of his dream.

• Daisy herself is corrupt, and she has no moral value or real love. The only thing luring Gatsby is her money.

Conclusion

• The Great Gatsby shows how wealth has corrupted the American Dream, through the characters of Daisy and Tom Buchanan, the symbol of the Valley of Ashes, and Gatsby's dream of Daisy.

"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement"...