Comparing The Great Gatsby 'And The Hate U Give'

Neither Jay Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald nor Starr Carter from “The Hate U Give” written by Angie Thomas achieved the full meaning of the American Dream due to personal unfulfillment and uncontrollable situations, leading to the argument that meeting the standards of the American Dream is truly unattainable.

Although characters such as Gatsby and Starr may seem happy or like they have it all in the beginning or end of their stories, it does not mean they live a dream life or that they are living the American Dream. To begin, a near perfect example of this would be at the end of The Great Gatsby, where Nick reflects on the life of Gatsby after his death. “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream

To start, Starr knows that the events occurring in her life are also daily issues for so many other people, not only in her community, but in America as a whole. She says countless times that these issues prevent black people specifically from success within America and that issues such as police brutality and injustice will exist for as long as black people do not have a voice. She even says this, “It is easier to be quiet than to fight for your rights.” (Thomas 119), meaning that no matter what you have or what you do, you will be silenced, fought, or even in danger for speaking up about the injustice happening within your life. She believes that the silence and injustice set black people back so much from white people. She would even argue that if the American dream is attainable, it would be so much harder for black people to reach. In addition, Starr also uses her friend Khalil, who was shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop, to make a crucial point. “It’s more than just Khalil. It’s about black people, minorities, poor people, everybody at the bottom.” (Thomas 168). Starr strongly believes that black people or other people struggling with injustice, racism, and more, are placed at the bottom and given a disadvantage when trying to survive in America. This applies to so many situations within America, such as the racism so many people experience today. Starr cannot control these things. Nobody can do this without a snare. Racism, injustice, and brutality are all things society has deemed normal for years and years, and it stops so many people from meeting their definition of the American