Great Gatsby Essay (On the American Dream & tragedy)

[HossRyams]

So the topic of the essay I'm doing is "The Great Gatsby shows that living the American Dream can end in tragedy. Discuss".
I'm saying yes, living the NEW American Dream ends in tragedy (opposed to the 'original American Dream' which Nick is closer to)
I'm not really sure how to organise paragraphs since recently my teacher said it's better to categorise them by ideas rather than characters...
So I thought of two ways to place them:
1. Organise it by each tragedy, one for the accident, one for the murder, and one for the suicide
2. Organise it by each person's dream and how it contributed to the tragedies

Also I was thinking about writing about how Nick doesn't live the new American Dream quite as much, and doesn't really partake in tragedies but rather witnesses them... Not sure if that would work out as a paragraph.
I'm just worried I'll be repetitive because everyone's materialistic dreams contributed to one or more of the tragedies so D:
Any tips or ideas?
It's a simple topic but I'm overthinking it sigh LOL
Thanks in advance

[dilks]

Some related questions which I think need to be addressed in your discussion: "Why does the American Dream in The Great Gatsby end in tragedy?" The novel deconstructs the American Dream, to show what is wrong with it (for instance how it has been corrupted), what flaws can you identify?

Oh yeah, and make sure to analyse the **** out of The Valley of Ashes  .

[Eriny]

What is the new American dream and the old American dream? I'm not familiar with this distinction.

[HossRyams]

Some related questions which I think need to be addressed in your discussion: "Why does the American Dream in The Great Gatsby end in tragedy?" The novel deconstructs the American Dream, to show what is wrong with it (for instance how it has been corrupted), what flaws can you identify?

Oh yeah, and make sure to analyse the **** out of The Valley of Ashes  .

Thanks! Also how can I incorporate the Valley of Ashes into it? Like, I'm unsure where I'd position it in my essay without it being awkwardly placed in? Or should I refer to it when I talk about things like the accident and infidelities that have taken place nearby the Valley of Ashes?

What is the new American dream and the old American dream? I'm not familiar with this distinction.

Well when I say the new one, I mean the one presented in the book -it's like the idea that materialistic possessions = happiness. The original dream would be just the idea of working hard and hope. But that gets corrupted. At least that's what I think.

[dilks]

Thanks! Also how can I incorporate the Valley of Ashes into it? Like, I'm unsure where I'd position it in my essay without it being awkwardly placed in? Or should I refer to it when I talk about things like the accident and infidelities that have taken place nearby the Valley of Ashes?

I wish you wouldn't be so literal, but I guess if your teacher didn't at least hint that the opening of Chapter II is symbolic then I can hardly blame you. Anyway I dug out my notes, so I think I'll just quote some of it ad verbum (it isn't very good since it dates back to Year 11 Lit :s) and leave you to do some research of your own.

Chapter I ends with hope (the green light at the end of the dock), but Chapter II opens with The Valley of Ashes, a wasteland of dirt, decay and death. Why? The answer is simple: Gatsby's dream, the American Dream, is a fantasy; and The Valley of Ashes is the reality of that fantasy: this is what Fitzgerald is trying to expose by juxtaposing the two of them. Gatsby's dream is doomed, his death at the end of the novel is pretty much a foregone conclusion, it is already ashes, even if he does not realise it, even if he refuses to allow himself to realise it. The billboard of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg seems to watch over everything, like an omniscient God, seeing the corruption (and the ingredient of tragedy) but doing nothing to prevent it: thus it is quite literally a god-forsaken place: in much the same way that the American Dream is spiritually dead... For reasons which you can then go on to list. (Please excuse the creative use of colons).