The Importance of Dreams in The Great Gatsby

Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby, dreams are kinda like a big deal. They shape what the characters do and why they do it. In this society that's all about money and status, dreams give folks hope and something to shoot for. But as these dreams start falling apart, Fitzgerald shows us the emptiness that often comes with chasing the American Dream. So, let's dive into how dreams matter in The Great Gatsby and how they tie into the book's bigger themes.

The Importance of Dreams in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Body: One of the things that's super important in The Great Gatsby is how dreams push the characters to act and chase their goals. Jay Gatsby, our main guy, really shows off the power of dreams. He's all about getting back with a lost love and making it big in terms of money and social standing. His dream? It's wrapped up in his huge mansion and wild parties — all a front to hide where he came from and help him fit into the upper class. You’ll see Fitzgerald keeps reminding us about Gatsby's poor beginnings by saying "Gatsby was poor" now and then. This contrast between who he was and who he is now shows just how powerful dreams can be.

Other folks in the story have their own dreams too, shaping what they do. Daisy Buchanan, who Gatsby loves, wants a fancy life full of stuff and being accepted by high society. Her dream leads her to marry Tom Buchanan even though she loves Gatsby. Tom’s got his own thing going on, trying to keep his high place in society no matter what. These dreams show how deep the American Dream runs through everyone's choices in The Great Gatsby.

While dreams give hope at first, Fitzgerald shows us how empty things can get when you chase these dreams hard enough. For example, Gatsby’s hunt for wealth to win Daisy doesn’t end well for him. Even with all his money and parties, he's never really part of the upper class 'cause of where he came from. This points out that sometimes, your social status isn’t something you earn but rather something you’re born into.

In the end, Daisy stays with Tom instead of choosing true love with Gatsby, which breaks him down completely. This kind of exposes how empty his dream was from the start. Through images like the green light at Daisy’s dock, Fitzgerald reminds us that some dreams are just illusions — you can't always go back or make them real.

Fitzgerald digs into what happens when people chase dreams without thinking about their morals or integrity in The Great Gatsby. Take Gatsby: His single-minded drive for wealth makes him turn to illegal stuff like bootlegging to get rich fast — not exactly above board! That says a lot about how corrupting the American Dream can be if it makes you put success over doing what's right.

Daisy and Tom Buchanan also let their dreams lead them into affairs and ignoring other people's feelings totally. Their actions show off the moral decay among rich folks who'll give up anything honest just to keep living their cushy lives without consequences or care for others' well-being around them.

Conclusion

In wrapping up here — yeah — dreams are pretty crucial throughout The Great Gatsby because they steer what characters do while building those central themes along too: power but hollowness tied tightly together by ambition gone astray within societal obsessions over wealth & prestige alone! Fitzgerald calls out our need perhaps more than ever today (!) balancing personal aspirations alongside integrity lest we fall prey toward living lives devoid substance value altogether- cautionary tale indeed friends!!

Bibliography

• Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 2004.
• Mizener Arthur (1965) "Scott Fitzgerald," Encyclopedia Americana
• Bruccoli Matthew J (2000) “Some Sort of Epic Grandeur,” University South Carolina Press
• Tanner Tony (1979) “Fitzgerald's Rhetoric” Chicago Review
• Piper Henry Dan (1967) “Fitzgerald's Satiric Eye”, Cambridge Mass Harvard University Press