Essay --

Patricia Wang Mrs. Pagtakhan Junior English 10 March 2014 A Reflection of One’s Character The American Dream is an ideal vision many people strive for, promising happiness, prosperity, and success. â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness† is the foundation of American society, presenting a false perception that everyone can achieve the American Dream. Although people assume that the Dream comes with an equal opportunity for all, one’s success is undoubtedly tied to a material component. The rich and powerful are born into affluence while the farmers and industrial workers can only long for it. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays Tom Buchanan’s arrogance and fear of change and Jay Gatsby’s obsession with getting Daisy through their homes, revealing Gatsby’s inability to reach his vision of the American Dream. Tom Buchanan’s home reveals his arrogance and fear of change, as he has already reached the American Dream. Tom’s â€Å"Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay† parallels his â€Å"rather hard mouth and †¦ supercilious manner† (11). Located on East Egg, Tom’s house displays the old-fashioned, traditional East where the richest families retain their wealth through family lineage instead of personal gain in the West. The United States originated and expanded from the east coast westward, symbolizing East Egg as the foundation of real money and wealth, while West Egg as money earned through ambition and hard work. Built on the top of the hill, Tom’s home overlooks the entire bay, reminding himself and others that he is above everyone. This ultimately leads to his haughty personality, as he is a â€Å"careless [person†¦ mashing] up things and creatures and then [retreating] back into [his] money or [his] vast carelessness† (... ...e American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald parallels Jay Gatsby’s home with his longing for the American Dream and Tom Buchanan’s home with his supercilious personality as a result of his excessive wealth. Tom’s directly inherited wealth and Gatsby’s self-earned money reveal that one’s background or environment ultimately determines whether or not the Dream is attainable. Gatsby’s endless struggle portrays the misconception that the American Dream is achievable through hard work and determination, regardless of social class or material wealth. The harsh reality is that wealth and power are the true factors that lead to success and happiness; those who are not born into this environment can never achieve their ideal vision. The desire for perfection undermines the true American society as people continuously strive for the illusion of the American Dream.