"American Dream" has always been the pursuit of American nations. Gatsby's story tells us that if the dream solely contains the desire of material and becoming a big shot, but is in the lack of the reason why to own wealth and how to use it, such a dream is just a mirage, and must also be a short-sighted and unprocurable dream.

Provided that successful individuals want to show off themselves, they must show that they are superior to others, that is, they have more money, higher status, more wisdom and to reach this, they even need to exaggerate the facts. They want others to bow to themselves. However, some of the lower-class people will try to avoid such hypocritical display and refuse to show their weakness and low-status. Someone will feel jealous in what they don’t have, and others will look down on such hypocritical performance, and vigorously denigrate them. The upper class is more reluctant to have nouveau riche to sit on an equal footing with them and will attack them in every possible way to push them back to lower status.

Taking Gatsby as an example, the performance of the bottom people is seemingly integrated into the upper society, but in fact, it is difficult for low status to become the upper class. Gatsby's consuming behavior is based on imitation, which is caused by his innate inferiority. Gatsby's fabrication of his experience reflects this sense of inferiority, which makes him only find himself psychological belonging to the upper-class society. Gatsby can imitate, but it is difficult for him to bridge the gap between himself and the upper class. In this relationship, the so-called American Dream will be shattered.

In another sight, Daisy's love for wealth and statue is better than her pursuit of love. In order to protect herself, she can change her principles to let herself never fall into emotional troubles and obligations. Selfishness and ruthlessness are Daisy's nature. The author's accurate characterization of Daisy further reveals the theme, the collapse of American dream. Many young people have infinite devotion to Daisy's appearance, that is an infinite yearning for the "American Dream". Daisy's beauty makes the American Dream more and more attractive. Daisy's flashy, selfish and cruel performance foreshadows the unrealistic character of the American Dream, the worthlessness of the American Dream and the blindness of its pursuers. The pursuit of luxury and wealth is Daisy's life sadness, which is undoubtedly the same sadness of all the upper class.

The realization of an individual's American dream requires an environment of fair competition. However，this kind of realization will not happen in the corroded society. Behind this sad story, we can see the bursting of the American dream, and the disillusionment of Gatsby’s dream, that’s why I contemplate that this story is a mirror and elegy.