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The essence of the concept 'american dream
Define the american dream essay
The essence of the concept 'american dream
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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
In the story, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character named Jay Gatsby reached the American dream after he returned from the war, and he would start achieving everything else. The American dream is owning a house, a car, having a good paying job, and having a family. Gatsby is an example of reaching the American dream and having everything he wants. Jay Gatsby symbolizes the American dream by achieving all the necessary things, such as owning a house, a car, and having anything he wishes for. Gatsby reached the American dream after he returned from the war.
In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald uses several key symbols to enhance the story's progression, develop themes, and provide deeper meanings for readers. Here's a breakdown of how these symbols contribute to the novel. The green light at the end of Daisy's dock symbolizes Gatsby's unattainable dream of rekindling his romance with Daisy. It represents hope, longing, and the elusive nature of the American Dream.
In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, symbols are conveyed throughout the story to introduce hidden meanings and themes. In the novel two prominent symbols were the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg and the green light. These symbols evoke the feelings, desires, or social interactions between characters. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes watched over the valley of ashes as a symbol of someone who is always watching or how God sees everything. In the novel, Tom has a mistress that lives in the center of the valley which shows that even if Daisy does not realize, someone always knows the real truth.
The American Dream initially arose during the early 1900’s. While many seek their dream to include wealth or stability, the American Dream is a broad idea that is unique to everyone. Throughout The Great Gatsby, author Scott F. Fitzgerald shows the American Dream as different for everyone and constantly changing. While Fitzgerald demonstrates how the American Dream varies from person to person, he also illustrates how it is often unattainable. Fitzgerald uses his characters to portray the many perspectives on the American Dream, and despite the fact that they differ, they all fail to achieve their goals.
The Significance of Symbols in The Great Gatsby Young children often dream of the most extraordinary things. They are so passionate about their ideas, it seems as if nothing can pull them away from it. Their little hearts are set on their dreams, set in their ways. As children grow and come to understand the world around them, society often diminishes those dreams; however, those who do not let their dreams slip through the cracks, and hold onto their ideas from the past, can lose sight of what is right. Oftentimes, people will compromise their morals in order to fulfill their deepest hopes and desires.
In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, several characters come to the American dream in diverse ways. The American dream constantly changes from person to person, and The Great Gatsby does a fantastic job of showing this in its characters. James Gatz, for example, believes his life will not be complete without the love of his life Daisy Buchanan, who in Gatsby’s mind is the paragon of perfection, Gatsby becomes obsessed with winning Daisy back and living out this perfect idea of a life with her. “He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: “I never loved you.” (Fitzgerald 5 109)
The symbol I have chosen from the the Great Gatsby is the eye of doctor TJ Eckleburg. The main reason I picked this symbol is because these eyes represents the eyes of god. I picked this because I do believe that god is real and I think he does watch out for everything we do.
The view of the American Dream is different for everyone. The Epic Journey, by James Truslow Adams, views the American Dream as a dream of attaining one’s fullest stature regardless of one’s social status. Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s American Dream relates to Adam’s dream but limited to materialistic wealth- a dream that seeks for motor cars, higher wages, and to impress the people of high status. Both Adams and Gatsby believe that everyone has an equal chance of achieving their dream. Adams says “The dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”.
n the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, absolute chaos is unleashed, with Jay Gatsby and the green light, as well as Myrtle Wilson trying to escape her life and husband. The characters are regularly seen in pursuit of their versions of the American Dream, however, they can not fully grasp it, and it seems to slip out of their hands right as they were about to grab it. The theme of, working hard will lead to the American Dream, is not possible for everyone to reach the American Dream no matter how much they attempt at doing so. Fitzgerald shows the terrible results of pursuing a dream that is beyond the reach of many people through characters and symbols in the novel.
Each symbol in The Great Gatsby serves a purpose to show how the wealthy of the roaring twenties viewed life and the effects of such views. The 1920s was a decade of prosperity and dissipation and the characters express that throughout the novel and through each bit unravel a symbol. There are 4 specific symbols F. Scott Fitzgerald uses to do such a thing. These symbols are the car accidents, the valley of ashes, the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg and the green light. Each symbol supports the central theme which is a harsh critique of American materialism that explores the emptiness and alienation perceived in American culture.
“‘Can't repeat the past? He(Gatsby) cried incredulously. Why of course you can’”(Fitzgerald 110). Many people dream with the perfect life, having money, love from the person that they love, being part of an upper class, change the past, but in the real world, this concept is almost unreachable and also called the American dream. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, have many symbols of the American dream and the 2 most important are the green light and Myrtle Wilson.
Throughout history many writers have described the American dream as the hope for a promising and prosperous future. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald depicts the elusiveness of the American dream through the use of symbolism. Many modern writers, such as the students of Paul Glader, agree with Fitzgerald and use strong diction to describe the American dream as an illusion. After analyzing Fitzgerald and modern writers’ arguments on the American dream, one could argue that the American dream is ultimately unachievable. F. Scott Fitzgerald demonstrates his belief that the American dream is unfeasible through the symbol of the green light, in the book The Great Gatsby.
"The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream." In this quote, by Azar Nafisi, it explains how dreaming can be tainted by reality, and that if a person doesn’t compromise they may suffer. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American Dream is one the many themes present. The American Dream that most people in this book hope to have involves wealth, status, a fun social life, and someone to lust after. It is the life they all strive to have until they obtain it and see its meaningless composure.
Symbolism transfers deeper and more vivid meaning in literature. Symbols show the underlying connections between ideas and qualities. As a novel depicting the 1920s era, The Great Gatsby includes many symbols that emphasizes the attitudes of the time. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, he uses different colors as symbols to strengthen imagery, emotion, and depth to descriptions. Visual enhancement of wealth and gloom are displayed through symbolic colors.
