The “American Dream” is a lie. The American Dream is only a myth, existing when America, fresh and new, was just barely alive, when America was practically a dream itself. The notion that one can even access the idea of the American Dream today is, unfortunately, incorrect. Instead of everyone succeeding, only a select elite capture a glimpse of the Dream. The poor lose more and the rich get wealthier, and those stuck in the middle struggle in-between, caught in a repeating cycle that swallows people every second. Nevertheless, many people believe the American Dream is real, seeking to succeed in America, the land of freedom, in hopes that they can access the American Dream. But contrary to some, the American Dream is a fantasy and a false …show more content…
The American Dream was a never-ending cycle of wanting more, continuously dragging people down when they got up. Thus, the idea that the American Dream is accessible today, despite its history, is hard to believe. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise, the main character Amory experiences a 180 degree rotation of his life, going from being born into wealth into losing all of it and having to start from scratch. Throughout the book, Amory battles moral dilemmas with his peers as well as inside himself, trying to find peace and happiness with his ever-changing situation. “I’m sick of a system where the richest man gets the most beautiful girl if he wants her, where the artist without an income has to sell his talents to a button manufacturer” (Fitzgerald Book Two Chapter Five). Amory wants all that life has to offer, but he does not want to play “life’s game,” where he has to struggle to succeed while wealthier men get whatever they want. Just as Amory is frustrated with the ups and downs of his own life, many people today are experiencing the failure of the American Dream, trapped inside themselves and unable to escape “the Dream” that is, in reality, a