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The American Dream In The Great Gatsby, Of Mice And Men

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The So Called American Dream
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The literal definition of the American dream is what drives the citizens of the United States everyday. Over the year of this English class, there were three books that really showed me the meaning behind the American dream. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, and, of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Overall, these three books are focused on American Dream. The book that shows the best example of the American dream is, The Great Gatsby, the theme is centered around the idea of the American Dream. Throughout the book, Nick Carraway lives next to a very wealthy man Jay Gatsby. Gatsby seems to be living the dream; throwing …show more content…

Gatsby only drives the latest sports cars, and wears only the best name brand clothes. By definition, Jay Gatsby is living the American dream. “I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft, or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor−boats slit the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week−ends his Rolls−Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains.. (P. 22, Fitzgerald).” This is an example of the luxurious parties hosted by Gatsby. However, money doesn’t always mean that a person is satisfied with life. Jay Gatsby is falling for Daisy Buchanan, Nick’s cousin. Gatsby tries really hard to get his dream girl. He tries to get Daisy by his wealth; “He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her …show more content…

They live reversed from that of Jay Gatsby; they have no money, live in the smallest of small apartments. “...Moreover, a section of this room, for it is not really a room unto itself, though the landlord's lease would make it seem so, slopes backward to provide a small kitchen area, where the family prepares the meals that are eaten in the living room proper, which must also serve as dining room. The single window that has been provided for these "two" rooms is located in this kitchen area. The sole natural light the family may enjoy in the course of a day is only that which fights its way through this little window… (P. 2, Hansberry).” This shows the struggles of living for the Youngers. They have so little of space their son has to sleep on the couch, This is just one of the ton of road bumps they have to overcome with their situation. Ruth the mother of the house, spends countless hours working everyday washing clothes and doing housework, making minimum wage pay. Walter works as a chauffeur, this motivates him because, he gets to interact with a wealthy man everyday. They have a dream; to live in a real house. This was in the 1960’s where the united states was racist which made it even harder to accomplish this dream. The Youngers are essentially told they

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