The US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Star Spangled Banner are some of the most important and significant documents in the history of the United States. Put together, they present us with a very idealistic view of American society, one which is meant to be governed by a just and orderly legislative system, and one in which all people have equal rights and opportunity and are encouraged to pursue happiness in all its forms. This...
The US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Star Spangled Banner are some of the most important and significant documents in the history of the United States. Put together, they present us with a very idealistic view of American society, one which is meant to be governed by a just and orderly legislative system, and one in which all people have equal rights and opportunity and are encouraged to pursue happiness in all its forms. This freedom was hard-fought, the documents tell us, wrestled out of the clutches of tyranny. These documents have informed the American Dream significantly, as they tell us it is our hard-fought freedom, right, and duty to pursue happiness, whatever that might entail.
This idea is central to The Great Gatsby. As a poor boy, Gatsby believes that he should be able to work hard and get whatever he wants, since all people are technically equal. He also believes that chasing after pleasures, such as money and women, will make him happy. Thus, Gatsby is obsessed with the American promise of equality and happiness, and so he spends his life chasing after Daisy, a symbolic representation of the pursuit of happiness. The book's true power is its suggestion that the American Dream is not actually realistic, as Gatsby dies a broken man, having wasted his life pursuing things that are not actually within his grasp or terribly valuable in the long run. Additionally, it's suggested that many of the riches he did attain were obtained illegally, and thus he flouts the illusion of justice in American society.
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