Early in the novel, Nick says that he had decided to move east because the Midwest now seemed like the "ragged edge of the universe," and he planned to learn the bond business. He says, "Everybody I knew was in the bond business so I supposed it could support one more single man." After the war ended, the economy was booming, and a great many young men went into this business, hoping to make a name and a life for themselves; if "everyone" Nick knows is doing this, though, how successful can they be? It sounds like a good gig, but, really, people cannot all climb the same ladder to the top, can they?
Later, when Nick tells Tom that he's a "'bond man'" and whom he works for, Tom says, "Never heard of them." Evidently, then, Nick's company is not very successful. At the first of Gatsby's parties that Nick attends, he sees a number of young men "all well dressed, all looking a little hungry and all talking in low earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans." He is sure that they are selling something, possibly bonds. It seems, then, that this idea that one can get rich on Wall Street, selling stocks and bonds, is highly attractive to people looking to get rich. However, we never hear of anyone in the text who is actually getting rich by doing this work. We only hear of people "trying to" sell, as Nick puts it one night to Gatsby. Everyone is trying to achieve the American Dream, but none do.
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