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Suffering In The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream is a common theme throughout American Literature. It depicts people’s hopes and dreams and the journey they take to try and achieve their dream. Popular authors in the early to mid 1900’s display this commonly used theme and show the suffering and result of those who strive to achieve their American Dream. Writings that include this suffering with the American Dream includes: “The Great Gatsby,” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” witten by Tennessee Williams, and “Of Mice and Men,” written by John Steinbeck.
For example, the American Classic “The Great Gatsby,” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, follows the life of Nick Caraway and his new friends in New York City during the roaring twenties. When Nick …show more content…

In this tragic drama, we follow Blanche who comes to live with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski in New Orleans, Louisiana. Blanche is a woman who is mentally ill and has a lot of mental problems she suffers from such as post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorder. Blanche’s American Dream consists of being rich and beautiful and living a high class lifestyle, when in reality she is not any of those things. Blanche will not stop at anything until she achieves her dream even if that means causing herself and those around her suffering. Shown in this quote said by Blanche in the play, “I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!--Don't turn the light on!” (Williams 127). This quote shows how Blanche’s mental health has really taken a toll on her and how her suffering has worsened because of her delusional dream not becoming a reality. Another quote from this play is, “I know I fib a good deal. After all, a woman's charm is fifty percent illusion, but when a thing is important I tell the truth, and this is the truth: I haven't cheated my sister or you or anyone else as long as I have lived” (Williams 37). This …show more content…

Scott Fitzgerald, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” witten by Tennessee Williams, and “Of Mice and Men,” written by John Steinbeck. Each of these classics, novels, or plays depicts the suffering the American Dream causes in its characters who are trying to achieve it with issues such as mental illness, love, money, and more. Shown in “The Great Gatsby” with Gatsby holding out hope for his dream with Daisy to become true, and it failing. Also shown in “A Streetcar Named Desire” with Blanche suffering from many mental illnesses as a result of past trauma and failure to make her unrealistic dream a reality. Further shown in “Of Mice and Men” with George ending up alone and empty handed, suffering from not being able to achieve his and Lennie’s

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