Power and Dreams

Power and Dreams

During the 1920’s the American dream had to do with wealth and power. Americans were set on getting rich regardless of what they had to do to become rich. This was a time when there was great post-war economic growth and the stock market was booming. Being rich and owning big and nice things showed power over other people. During this time, everything was about money, parties, and the women. In this book, Fitzgerald captured his view of the 1920’s and how it really was back then.

Wealth in the 1920’s was not something that was unheard of. There were many people that were getting rich within short periods of time because of businesses like bootlegging, the making or selling of illegal liquor. Gatsby was a part of this business and that’s how he became rich, he was “new money.” All the things Gatsby did were to get money regardless of the cost. People, like Tom Buchanan, who had gotten rich through the generations of family before him, didn’t know what it was like to earn money for a living and were very ignorant and judgmental people who looked down on people like Gatsby because they were “imposters.” Tom thought that people like Gatsby could never be as good as “old money” and he was right. People like Gatsby knew what it was like to have to earn their money in order to achieve the American Dream and they would never be as ignorant or judgmental as people like Tom.

All of the characters, rich and poor, have very important roles of telling how important the American Dream was back then (Maurer). Myrtle was a perfect example of someone who did anything to achieve the American Dream. She believed that being with someone as wealthy as Tom Buchanan would get her closer to the American Dream but in reality it really didn’t. She was really just another one of Tom’s toys. Everyone back then had a dream whether they were rich or poor and they all went to great lengths to achieve these dreams. Not many succeeded but it was all done for the same...