ipl-logo

Comparing Gatsby And Adams's The Epic Of America

1396 Words6 Pages

Success: the immediate and overwhelming drive of work ethic in America. Created by the Protestant Ethic, the American Dream has been a part of American citizen’s lifestyle since its beginning. The definition of the American Dream is said to have been originally defined by James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931. Adam’s definition of the definition can be summarized where “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone”, that opportunity should be allowed for all, no matter their circumstance, and that everyone should be able to reach “the fullest stature of which they are innately capable” (214-215). Although the definition is clearly stated, the world is littered with people striving to find the keys to success to allow for equal footing. Benjamin Franklin became so popular because he highlighted the ways in which he became successful and how other common folk would be able to as well. Franklin, in his …show more content…

Both characters started on very similar levels, rising up almost parallel to each other until Gatsby decides to implement more wealth by stealing. Gatsby even has the same charismatic and respectful personality as Dick’s, and therefore was able to succeed in life. In contrast to Ragged Dick ending graciously with Dick starting his new career and being deemed respected, Jay Gatsby of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is killed. It’s impossible to say whether coincidence or hard work are the only contributors, especially when using almost solely fictionally stories. At the end of the day, Alger frames his story, Ragged Dick, on Dick’s success in being mostly chalked up to his humility, sincerity, justly behavior, and his hard work. He creates this idea that success is through good character majorly to teach the youth of today how to behave. Alger wishes to relay his story into a life lesson that children all learn from, but not something necessarily to live

Show More
Related
796 Words | 4 Pages

Some believe that Dick was a natural born killer who, despite his kind and stable upbringing, inevitably would have adapted a life of crime. Dick exemplifies how malicious intent and evil essence could be implanted by nature and greatly determined his future. Dick may have also been influenced by his inability to achieve the American Dream. He discusses his wish to live “‘a regular life,’ with a business of his own, a house, a horse to ride, a new car, and ‘plenty of blond chicken’ (Capote 55).

Read More
1572 Words | 7 Pages

His poor upbringing brought him so much anger to the world as Dick’s potential was stifled, the potential to be a college football athlete, to what he was in jail, destitute and mentally unstable. As a way for Dick to express his anger out on the world, robbing the Clutters and killing them fulfilled the ambition of expressing such anger. Dick’s other desires did not end there, as his lustful wishes were yet to be completed. Dick, from a young age, had an obsession with younger women, so when he found out

Read More
414 Words | 2 Pages

“Success is an American dream. And that success is not something to be ashamed of, or to demonize. ”-Susana Martinez. The American Dream is a that term first used by James Truslow Adams according to America.day-dreame.de and used to express the ultimate American way of life.

Read More
589 Words | 3 Pages

The American Dream is the long held belief that everybody can succeed in life by merit of hard work and perseverance. A man’s origins were not to be an inhibitor of his success. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's work The Great Gatsby the American Dream is portrayed as being misunderstood by the people of the 1920s. The American Dream became corrupted by people searching not for happiness, success, and honorable ambitions in life, but instead for wealth, power, and excess.

Read More
1707 Words | 7 Pages

Benjamin Franklin was the voice of his generation from his early life to its end he had always given solid advice , and information to those that welcomed it. No matter the person be it colonists, Englishmen, or the French nobles. Benjamin Franklin was one of the world’s most well-known person since he had accomplished many achievements from politics, inventions, to opinions on various topics. In politics, Franklin was a well renowned problem solver as stated in (American history , (47) ).

Read More
682 Words | 3 Pages

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential people in his era as well as today, due to his contribution to what the United States of America became. His capacity to achieve excellence is undoubtable. Franklin was one of the most multifaceted individual of all times. He was a writer, publisher, inventor, Politian (Founding Father) etc. He is an example of one can achieve anything if he/she desires and works hard for it.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

While many have dreams to be rich, healthy, and hardworking, America is special because it is the only country to have a national dream. All Americans and immigrants pursue, if not acknowledge the concept of The American Dream. From the founding fathers of our country to the present day, there has been stories and concepts of The American Dream. Although the term has existed since 1931, the content and to whom it applies has varied from the late 1700s to now. Seen in American Literature from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac and autobiography to the late 1930s Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the American Dream has undergone many revisions.

Read More
1342 Words | 6 Pages

Gatsby's death resulted from a broken George Wilson, who wanted to avenge the death of his wife. Jordan's demise stemmed from his fraudulent and illegal activities he committed while working at his firm. Gatsby’s problems throughout the story were more relationship-oriented, since he was so out of touch with reality and society. Jay Gatsby and Jordan Belfort undergo negative character development throughout their own stories because of wealth, which affects their personality and how they started acting. They both started to let wealth control them, and their actions and thinking ultimately led to the downfall and demise of both of these characters.

Read More
698 Words | 3 Pages

Jacob Nott English 9 Kadri 5/6/24 A Raisin in the Sun The American Dream popularized by James Truslow Adams during the Great Depression in 1931 is the national ethos of the United States, he said that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. I think that the American Dream is the backbone of American society because it motivates people to keep working hard to try to achieve the dream but they typically are held back or can’t make it so they are stuck working crappy 9 to 5 jobs their whole life People come to America to chase the freedom and luxury of attaining the American Dream although, like a carnival game, it looks easy but is nearly impossible to achieve. So the dreamers work hard every day to support

Read More
1690 Words | 7 Pages

The standards of how to live respectably in America are introduced to the nineteenth century public in the raggs-to-riches story of Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger. The themes of hard work, honesty, and courage, are shown as tools, in the various events of Dick’s life as a bootblack, on the streets of New York, that lead to his success in becoming a respectable middle-class citizen. These themes are intended to encourage young boys of the time to do the same, and grow to become respectable members of society. Algers way of reaching young boys was to first publish Ragged Dick not as a novel, but as a twelve part series found in the magazine, The Student and Schoolmate. As found in the magazine series, as well as the novel, Ragged Dick lead an eventful life with many glorified events, that often came about due to incredible strokes of luck.

Read More
1558 Words | 7 Pages

From the outside Dick is a very charming person who can attract many groups of people and is in most cases the center of attention. He brings joy and excitement everywhere he goes, he is married to his loving wife Nicole, and even has a career he actively pursues but behind all that is a man who is grabbing too much he can’t carry. In book two we see that Dick is a psychologist who married a patient who is none other than Nicole herself. Dick’s motive to marry Nicole was for his work to help Nicole with her past trauma and to “‘be a good psychologist— maybe to be the greatest one that ever lived.’” (Fitzgerald 195).

Read More
1223 Words | 5 Pages

Gatsby has criminal wrongs rather than moral wrongs, is part of the new money society and dies as a result of his actions. In addition, Gatsby made his fortune through illegal activities, while Tom inherited his wealth through his

Read More
611 Words | 3 Pages

American .dream is dream that can be attained by hard work; It is a dream of living a happy life; and a dream of having a happy family. American dream was first publicly defined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. Adam 's often-repeated quote is, "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." Adams said that American dream is not, "... a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman

Read More
271 Words | 2 Pages

The American dream is a term which was first coined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in his historical novel The Epic of America (1931) when referring to "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement." (Lee, pp. 231- 232). The term is often referred to as the United States of America's ethos which influences national pride, it is also used to describe the aspirations of what the founding fathers believed their nation should aspire to achieve upon writing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The idea that an American should aim to pursue happiness while promoting equality, freedom and the right to be successful regardless of what class

Read More
975 Words | 4 Pages

Over the years, a dream that changed the way the world saw the U.S. was created and it is the American Dream. As the years passed and the U.S. was developing the American Dream as well developed or as many say changed. The American Dream is a term that was introduced in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (Kamp 2). The term “American Dream” started with a meaning that was reachable: “a better, richer and happier life for all citizens of every rank”(3). Throughout the years the term`s meaning changed dramatically.

Read More

More about Comparing Gatsby And Adams's The Epic Of America

Related Topics

Open Document