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American Dream Dbq

1026 Words5 Pages

What is considered the American Dream? The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. With numerous changes occurring in the economy, people struggle to live their daily lives. Everyone is allowed to have The American Dream, but achieving it is a different story. The issue is people are still holding on to the American Dream. Fitzgerald's interpretation of the American Dream in the fictional novel The Great Gatsby is different from today's ideals due to people struggling financially, lack of acceptance, people losing hope, gender inequalities, and the cost of living increasing.
People worry about their financial state because of their yearly …show more content…

For example (Source A) explains that Gatsby was able to gain his riches and wealth. Although he was able to achieve his riches it’s not that simple in today’s economy. This means that Fitzgerald’s idea of the American Dream does not correlate with the reality of today’s financial struggles. Various individuals face difficulties living in America to keep up with the financial requirements. Statistics show in (Source E) that more than 59% of people think The American Dream is unattainable. This means that people have a realistic view of living in this country. Not only does it reflect false hope, but it gives the audience a better understanding of how little hope people have in the American Dream. Others might argue that the American Dream is attainable, but according to (Source E) people are not so sure about that. A great deal of adults are not satisfied with their lives due to their low …show more content…

For instance, in (Source A) Dr. Anna Wulick claims that Gatsby’s ultimate goal was being with Daisy. Meanwhile, Daisy was forced into marriage with Tom. This indicates that women back then were treated as mere objects and were only there to forge men’s satisfactions, completely disregarding their dreams. In The Great Gatsby Daisy’s only desire was to live a life of luxury. She had no desire in raising her children, instead, she was viewed as a selfish woman who only saw her children as accessories. This means that women back then were just focused on their social status and riches rather than trying to raise a family. Various women valued money more than anything and would do anything to achieve it. Although Daisy had selfish desires, in today’s society women work for themselves, not needing a man to help them be financially

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1422 Words | 6 Pages

The American Dream is something which almost every American is familiar with, but it also is unattainable for the vast majority of Americans, something which F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates with his acclaimed novel, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby covers the story of Nick, an all around average man who is thrust into the lives of both the ultra wealthy and the aspiring-to-be wealthy when he moves to New York. He meets his nextdoor neighbor, Gatsby, who owns an extravagant mansion which Nick finds out to be purchased with money of questionable background, and owned by an ever increasingly strange and dubious man. Over the course of the novel, different characters all chase their own goals - some want love, some want power, almost everyone

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533 Words | 3 Pages

The American Dream Portrayed in the Great Gatsby In the Great Gatsby, a historical fictional novel created by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character and subject of the book Jay Gatsby has gone from rags to riches. However, his peers, who have equally as much money as Gatsby himself reject him, because his wealth is acquired, not handed down. Through his decision to set the Great Gatsby in the roaring 20’s, where wealth hit an all time high, the author highlights the theme that the American Dream is an achievable accomplishment, despite how high one must rise to get there, despite the underlying mess that is often present.

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2259 Words | 10 Pages

Kier Keith Stele AP English Language and Composition March 8, 2023 Gatsby’s and America’s Dream The American dream is an idea perceived as an ideal society for humanity as a whole which has become increasingly falsified with time. Whether it is through racial violence, economic disparity, or living better off as a human, these factors describe the American ideals as impossible. This inflated view of the American dream has led to a definite destruction economically or socially of people who place too much faith in the American Dream. Fitzgerald's vision of the American ideals in the Great Gatsby is similar to today's ideals of the American dream.

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353 Words | 2 Pages

America has always lured people with an unfulfilling promise of more; people come to America with nothing to try and gain something that’s unobtainable; Unfortunately, what they find is far from what they wanted to gain. F. Scott Fitzgerald expressed just how much of a lie the American dream was in The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald lived as a captive of the dream 's unlawful grip that promised so much but gave so little. He was born middle class and tried his hardest to become more than what his father was, but as ambitious as he was he never gained the wealth and elite status that he desired. The Great Gatsby was his way of stating the way that things were at the time, and he writes about how the American dream is unobtainable through symbolism.

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786 Words | 4 Pages

She was wealthy and sophisticated, everything Gatsby wanted and starved to have. But we end up seeing that Daisy falls short of Gatsby’s expectations for her. It seems as though Daisy is knowingly toying with Gatsby's emotions. Maybe she had just wanted to be admired and adored by Gatsby. She desired his affection and love toward her.

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1075 Words | 5 Pages

Independence in a woman can be the most admirable quality, especially in a marriage. In the early 1920s, women in The Great Gatsby were given respect based on who they married. Women had a better chance to survive and establish an empire behind her husband rather than doing that alone. The downside of marrying the rich means that they are willing to give up their happiness for financial stability. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle experience different lifestyles based on their relationships with men and their inability to value love over money and fame which solidifies the idea that the American Dream is not fully attainable.

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458 Words | 2 Pages

Daisy could be seen as a prime example of a victim of this mentality. Despite Gatsby’s good intentions, it is undeniable that Daisy is objectified and idolized by him. This inability to live up to the perfect image of herself could further reinforce Daisy’s internal struggles, which could externalize itself as fickleness, boredom, and carelessness. Gatsby romanticizes Daisy to the point of obsession, particularly being attracted to her perceived outward traits of luxury, and beauty. Due to this, and his extreme pursuits of winning Daisy back, it seems as if Gatsby views Daisy as a passive object or image of wealth and beauty, rather than a human

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1329 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Gatsby is seen to go through what seems to be a life in a matter of months. He makes a new friend and sparks a relationship he thought he had lost. To any person looking in and just seeing the action that Gatsby takes and the way he looks he seems to be living the “American Dream” though this is far from the truth. Though Gatsby is portrayed as living the American Dream he still has much inner turmoil making him the embodiment of the American Dream rather than the idea of it. To many people, the American Dream has everything you want with life, but all people that are seen to live the “American Dream” have much more going on in their lives and inside of them than meets the eye.

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1324 Words | 6 Pages

She was a very materialistic woman who pined for Gatsby due to his immense wealth he gained over the course of time after Daisy and Gatsby first met. Wealth and the idea of having that younger feeling and the idea of the bliss of her days of being the young, beautiful fool again. Once she realized Tom had more to offer with his older money, and after the novelty of Gatsby worn off after he tried to sustain a commitment with her, she was no longer invested in him. “Daisy’s self-avowed “sophistication” (Fitzgerald 24), or rather remarkable indifference to most things, including her own daughter, emphasizes another aspect of the American Dream. In the sense that it is not merely the accumulation of material possessions — a house, a car, polo-ponies, and expensive clothing — but also the spiritual fulfilment and happiness of the individual, her impassiveness, and nonchalant demeanor inhibits her from achieving even this fundamental part of the American Dream.”

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1268 Words | 6 Pages

Many women started to take the role of men in the workplace. Women who worked longed to be independent. Daisy shows us that she is upper class and that she has old money. She desires to be shown love and affection throughout the whole book. She gets with Gatsby because he gives her all of that.

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1024 Words | 5 Pages

Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" whose true identity is often debated. Some argue that she is a shallow, selfish woman who only cares about her own pleasure and maintaining her social status. Others argue that she is a victim of societal expectations and gender roles, struggling to find her place in a world that limits her options. Daisy's desires are simple - she wants to be loved and to maintain her social status. However, it is limited by the expectations placed on women in the era in which the novel is set.

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954 Words | 4 Pages

Women are constantly objectified in society, whether it is in the present or past. Daisy Buchanan is perpetually invalidated in Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby”. In the novel, she represents everything that a woman wished she could be during this era as she is beautiful, wealthy, and supposedly happy. Although Daisy is not happy with her current situation, she stays in a selfish attempt to maintain her high social status. Fitzgerald writes Daisy in his novel in this way to display how women are constantly portrayed negatively and rely on men to survive.

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1188 Words | 5 Pages

Individuals who struggle with systemic racism, xenophobia, and inequality do not have the same opportunities and easy access as others do. The American dream has significantly changed since the time Great Gatsby was published. Fitzgerald´s vision of the American dream is different from the ideals of today. Back then, people were striving for wealth and had

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1517 Words | 7 Pages

Generation after generation, individuals and families come to America in the hope of a successful and content life. Everyone has goals that they wish to accomplish, and their ideas fall under the American dream. The American dream is achieved by working hard to accomplish the ideal future someone wishes to have. There is no definite definition of the American dream because everyone has different opinions and beliefs on what they believe to be their ideal future. This dream many people have presents a pretty view of American society that ignores problems such as racism, discrimination, and income inequality.

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1471 Words | 6 Pages

Even Gatsby who loved Daisy elevated her status because of her wealth. This tells the reader that Gatsby viewed Daisy as another status symbol he wanted to acquire. This is evidence, again, that the male American Dream was based around wealth and objects, including women. Throughout the novel, the reader is lead to believe that Gatsby is one of the only men who respects women. His love for Daisy is demonstrated, yet we begin to see that he didn’t just love Daisy for Daisy, but for the status she brings him.

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