Just because society follows the "American Dream" of monetary wealth, does that mean we have to chase the dream? Across generations people strive to be rich and famous as if it were a timeless behavior. People are driven to chase the dollar above all else. In the pursuit of true wealth they may forget their morals and values ​​and focus only on one dream and one dream alone. This pushes them to be seen as someone they are not. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, “The Great Gatsby” and Matt Ross' film “Captain Fantastic,” both the main characters of Jay Gatsby and Ben Cash depict unrealistic perceptions of true wealth. This perspective from both creators leads us to question the way we live and strive for “true wealth.” We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayIn F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, "The Great Gatsby", Jay seeks wealth not because he is greedy, not for personal gain, but to win back Daisy's love. Jay believes that once he achieves wealth, all his problems will be solved and everything will be perfect. But then we discover that this is not the case. Instead of showing affection to Daisy, Jay decides to try to impress her with his wealth by throwing lavish parties across the bay. “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whispers and he the champagne and the stars.” As we all know, Jay aspired to be rich. With his upbringing so poor, it's not necessarily a bad wish for him to have it. We begin to hear rumors circulating about Gatsby's name. How did he get so rich? His plan begins to fail when we discover that Jay's wealth is not legitimate. He smuggled his money just to get rich. As readers, we are persuaded to question Jay's morals and values. He forgot himself in his pursuit of the “American Dream.” Not once did Gatsby reflect on his actions or change his views on his dream of becoming rich and famous. As a child, Jay views wealth as the ability to solve all the problems he might face. Gatsby's perception of wealth was initially incorrect, as young Jay was only interested in being rich. Jay didn't change his mindset and never realized that true wealth was valuing what he already had, his family. The view of wealth may have shifted toward connections over materials with which he could make real friends who truly cared about his well-being instead of his money. If Jay had realized that he was in isolation and that no one really cared about him, it wouldn't have ended in such a tragedy. The green light at the end of Daisy's pier is a vital symbol that Fitzgerald portrays throughout the novel. Light is the symbol of Gatsby's American dream; his attempt to change the past for a better present and gain Daisy's love. The light gave Gatsby something to strive for, a goal and a desire to achieve. When Gatsby searches for artificial light, Fitzgerald points out that his dream is "unrealistic." In Matt Ross' film, “Captain Fantastic,” Ben Cash's vision of “true wealth” is totally opposite to that of Jay Gatsby. Ben interprets wealth as the utopian world he has created in the forest for himself, his children, and his beloved wife. We later discover that his perception of wealth is just as unrealistic as Gatsby's. Ben Cash raised his children to believe that wealth was demonstrated through family ties. Living in an idyllic state forest in the foothills.