On the one hand, as the book describes, Gatsby had "a factual imitation of a Normandy town hall, with a tower on one side, brand new under a fine beard of raw ivy, a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden” (page 5); he throws incredible parties (pages 39-40); he had servants and gardeners to serve him (page 39) and friends to spend quality time together. Gatsby is successful financially and socially, and he has created a completely new personality for himself from his disadvantaged past. If we focus only on this aspect, Gatsby is a good example to illustrate the concept of the American dream: an individual can succeed on his own. On the other hand, even if he performs extremely well, he will never be able to win the same reps as Tom, who represents the person with the best background. Not only others, but also himself, worry about his embarrassing past, which obeys the concept of the American dream: "all men are created equal". No matter how successful he was or how hard he tried, his family history forever remains a crucial flaw. For example, in chapter five, Gatsby says to Nick, "My house looks nice, doesn't it?" See how the entire facade catches the light. Gatsby doesn't have confidence in his success, that's why he wants to show it to win the tie.