Gatsby - American DreamMany critics have said this is a novel about the American Dream. Specifically, that this is a novel that illustrates the...

Concerning your question about The Great Gatsby, the final paragraphs of the novel are not primarily about the American dream.  They're primarily about Gatsby's dream, and that dream consisted of recapturing his past relationship with Daisy. 

Nick ends the novel talking about recapturing the past, like Gatsby tried to do.  He, in fact, is on his way back to the Midwest, in a sense at least, to do just that.

Nick metaphorically compares the wonder that must have been felt by Dutch sailors when they first saw this new continent, with Gatsby's wonder when he first saw Daisy's house from across the water.  But notice the wonder the Dutch sailors felt led to an "aesthetic contemplation," not to thinking about money, and Gatsby already had money.  He wasn't looking for the American Dream when he first gazed at Daisy's home--he already had it--he was looking to recapture his relationship with Daisy--he was looking for love.

One might be able to argue that when Nick refers to the "orgastic future" he is talking about the American dream, but it certainly is not the primary focus of Nick's conclusion.