Month: May 2022

Many people look at the love story of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan as this good moment of a woman trying to be with a man she loves and escape an abusive one….but would it be?

Sure, Gatsby loves Daisy. He showers her in wealth and promises to love her…..but so did Tom. And I am not saying Gatsby would surround himself with harlots and whores, but think about who he is. He’s a gangster. A criminal. Would he be willing to let Daisy into that world? To know about the truths of who he is, how many men he’s killed? Probably not.

Not only that, he’d be putting a target on her back. As his woman, she would be fair game to those who would wish to act against him. All the while, she would be kept in the dark about his activities and maybe even, eventually, a victim of his temper as she pushes him over a line.

That is not to say that she should stay with Tom cause he’s the better option, both are bad choices but it’s the hand she’s been dealt and its sad that she’s in this mess to begin with.

“the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved.”

That is how Google describes the American dream, but that feels somewhat flawed. After all, the phrase used to describe the American Dream seems to have always been white picket fence, house in the Suburbs, and two good kids. That doesn’t seem to be the highest aspiration or ultimate goal.

I think the greatest issue in regards to the perception of the American Dream is that Americans are so used to having so much, that we do not understand the perspective of the people seeking the original American Dream.

To a Refugee fleeing Communist Russia or Nazi Germany, a nice house and a place to raise your kids in safety is the highest priority. To a person who has only ever known the back streets of a major city, a clean bed and someone to live with is a dream.

Gatsby’s flaw was he was not seeking a dream, he was after an obsession. Things like houses, businesses, education for your children, are not Zero Sum games. They are not Monopoly, they are Minecraft. Room for Growth for all who put in the work, not just solely a roll of the dice and taking from others.

But his dream of Daisy is a zero sum game, as there is only one Daisy. So he would need to compete with someone else, put much on the line. And how he went about it was like a twelve year old at a poker table. No planning, no tact, just Day Dreaming and Bond Films.

So, his dream of being a somebody happened. He achieved immense wealth and status and fame. But, his obsession of having THE Daisy was what cost him his dream.