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TheDisillusionofAmericanDreaminTheGreatGatsbyTheAmericanDreamisthedreamofalandinwhichlifeshouldbericherandbetterforeveryone,providingthemwithopportunitiesaccordingtotheirabilitiesorachievements.Itencouragespeopletoworkthroughefforts,courage,creativityanddeterminationtomovetowardsprosperity,ratherthanrelyonanyotherforces.Inonetime,itdidhelpsomepeopletofightforsuccess.Butastimeflew,theAmericandreamwenttotheotherside.Sointhiscase,theessayaimstodiscussthedisillusionoftheso-calledAmericanDream——alsothethemeofTheGreatGatsby,withtheanalysisofthetragedyofitsmaincharacter——Gatsby.Inthenovel,Gatsby’sAmericanDreamisnotmaterialpossession.Heonlycomesintorichessothathecanfulfillhistruedream----toreunitewithDaisy.However,hispursuitforloveeventuallyturnsouttobeirony,makinghimlosingeverythingevenatthecostofhislife.Therearemanyreasonsresultinginhisdestiny,mainlythesocialfactorandhehimself.First,thesocialfactor.ThenovelhasdeeplyexposedAmericanpeople’stotaldepravityaswellascrueltyinthematerialismsocietyof1920s.Formoneyandstatus,DaisyleftGatsbyandmarriedTom;formoneyandstatus,shehadanaffairwithGatsbyagain;formoneyandstatus,shefinallyabandonnedGatsbyoncemore.Ironically,whileDaisycausedthecaraccident,itwasGatsbywhotooktheresponsibilityandwasevenkilledbyMr.Wilson.However,whenGatsby’scolddeadbodywasstilllyinginthewaterofpool,Daisy,theselfishwoman,hadalreadygoneoutfortravelwithherhusband,leavingotherpeopleto“cleanupthemesstheymade”.ItwasalsoquitebleakthattherewereveryfewpeopleincludingNickandoldGatzattendingGatsby’sfuneral.Daisy,whomGatsbydevotedhimselfto,“hadn’tsentamessageoraflower”atall.Noneofhisparasitesappearedonhisfuneral,either.Allofthisshowedthecrueltyofthatmaterialismsociety.Second,selffactor.Gatsbylivedinaworldwheremoneytookpriorityovermoralintegrity,whichimpactednegativelyonGatsby.Inthepast,GatsbyhadanloveaffairwiththeaffluentDaisy.Buttheyseparatedbecauseofthedifferenceintheirsocialstatus.ThenGatsbystartedtoamasswealth.Intheprocessofseekingformoneyandstatus,Gatsbybeganhisevilbusiness.Toberich,heengagedincriminalactivities.Throughhisdealingswithorganizedcrimes,itcouldbeseenthathedidnotadheretotheAmericanDreamguidelines.SohisAmericanDreamwasdoomedtofailure.Inaddition,GatsbywasblindedduetohisidealloveforDaisy.Actually,DaisywasfarfromtheidealisticfigureinGatsby’smind.Shewasarealisticwoman,attractedbysubstantialthings—moneyandsolidsocialstatus.However,becauseofhisblindedlove,GatsbycouldnotrealizethetrueessenceofDaisy,thoughhesawthroughthat“hervoiceisfullofmoney”.Eveniftheycouldlivetogether,Gatsbywouldhavebeendisillusioned.Inashortnut,TheGreatGatsbyexposesthatinthematerialismsociety,inanycase,Gatsbywouldhavefailedtohisidealisticdreaminevitably,namelydisillusionofAmericandream.Italsoindicatesthatthematerialismwaymayleadtototaldepravity,whichisstillofimportancetotoday’snewworld,leavingpeopletothinkabout.