Explain how Jay Gatsby personifies the American Dream

Jay Gatsby is a self-made man who pulled himself up out of poverty. However, despite having money, he can never quite fit in with those in East Egg - "old money" families - and meets a tragic end. The American Dream is supposed to stand for independence and the ability to make something of one's self with hard work, but instead becomes about materialism and hedonistic pleasure. Gatsby's hard work cannot change his social class, and due to this, his merit and hard work aren't enough to elevate him in the eyes of others, and his American Dream collapses.