The Dream and the Great Gatsby America's story is an exciting one, full of rapid evolution and extraordinary energy unprecedented in the history of the world. In its short existence, America has gone from being a small collection of European rebels to the economically dominant nation it is today. Mixed with America's defiant reputation is the celebrated ideal of the American dream, the fantasy of complete independence and self-reliance mixed with the opportunity to achieve wealth through one's work. On the surface, this reverie seems almost enchanted, offering people the unprecedented prospect of achieving success regardless of race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is exactly what it sounds like; the opportunity of utopia, the incessant temptation of pleasure, the immortal knowledge that eternal bliss is just around the corner. But the very nature of this fantasy prevents one from enjoying the success gained, as the temptation is always nagging, always insisting on further progress, pushing one to work a little harder and earn a little more. The American dream destroys any opportunity for complacency; its very essence, the immense libido it inspires and the eternal need for progress it creates in the hearts of its followers make any true realization of the mythical nirvana impossible.F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is an immortal illustration of the paradox of the American dream. The novel begins by describing an intense infatuation with the American dream. The characters are distinctly American and strive to achieve the goals of independence and financial success. The story is seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a unique narrator in that he gradually... center of paper... instead of enjoying his successes, always fighting "against the tide", only to be pushed "ceaselessly back into the past ". But the Dream is so tempting and powerful that it can influence even the wisest people; Nick has realized the madness in Gatsby's feverish struggle seduced by the Dream, yet he continues to "continue" toward his own Dream. While the Dream itself is a vision of intense prosperity, the phenomenon of the American Dream incites people not to prosper, but to resist, because the insistent pressure the dream places on us to continue progressing will never allow prosperity. The Dream is not a means to an end; rather, it is a way of life, an intangible, unrealizable, hyperbolic myth – a mirage in the wilderness of eternity, always just one step out of reach. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925.