In America, the idea that anyone can succeed if they apply themselves and work hard, has been around since the birth of the country itself. George Washington, the first president, rose from the middle class to leading the entire country and gaining everyone’s respect. As time has progressed, the American Dream has grown stronger, with more and more people migrating into America in search of prosperity. In the 1920’s America was at the peak of immigration, with Ellis Island receiving thousands of people each day, all in search of making a life for themselves and their children. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbols are used to show the shortcomings and overall failure of the American Dream. The first symbol used in the novel that ties into the American Dream, the green light, shows Gatsby’s hope. As every other person in America, Gatsby has “infinite hope” (2). The American Dream requires the people to have hope and promise in order for it to work. Gatsby reaches his arms out towards the light, he longed to have enough success to have Daisy, but the green light also symbolizes what can never happen. Gatsby can never have a relationship with Daisy because they come from two separate worlds. The only thing Gatsby can do, hope, is similar to what all the other Americans in search of the American Dream do, hope for success. The mansion Gatsby owns symbolizes his extreme monetary wealth. On the other side of the bay, Tom’s mansion symbolizes old money, and the long-term success and social standing his family has had. “Absolutely real- have pages and everything. I thought they’d be a durable cardboard. Matter of fact, they’re absolutely real.” (45) The massive library of real books shows how wealthy Gatsby has become. On the opposite side of the bay, Tom needs no such library to show off his wealth, this difference is what keeps Gatsby out of East Egg and out of the reach of Daisy. Tom has no need to show of