The American Dream, a term coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931, represents the belief that anyone, regardless of their social background, can achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination. However, in today's society, it is clear that the American Dream is dead. Despite the countless success stories that still exist, the reality is that the dream is unattainable for most. In this essay, I will argue that the American Dream is no longer a reality, and I will support this claim with evidence from both The Great Gatsby and GALE resources. Firstly, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald paints a picture of the American Dream as a hollow and ultimately unfulfilling goal. Through the character of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald highlights the idea that the American Dream is not about happiness, but rather about the pursuit …show more content…
A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that the middle class, once the backbone of the American Dream, is shrinking. In fact, the study found that "in 2016, just over half (52%) of American adults lived in middle-class households, down from 61% in 1971" ("The American Middle Class is Shrinking"). This statistic highlights the fact that the American Dream, which is based on the idea of upward mobility, is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. The GALE resource "The End of the American Dream?" further proves this decline. The article argues that the American Dream is dead because the economic and social conditions that allowed it to thrive no longer exist. It states that "the decline of the American Dream is not only a product of economic factors such as income inequality but also a result of social changes such as the erosion of the traditional family" ("The End of the American Dream?"). This suggests that the American Dream is not just a matter of hard work and determination, but rather a complex combination of economic and social