ipl-logo

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

1512 Words7 Pages

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed” ( Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech) . The American Dream has been present inside of us ever since our Founding Fathers gained American Independence through a hard-fought war. There have been many writers and poets who have tried to create a central idea for the American dream, and each one base it off the times that they lived in. Take Martin Luther King Jr. for example, his dream was about racial equality and freedom among African Americans and whites. He aspired to that dream and was able to influence people around him to follow that dream and make it come true. Or F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his famous book The Great Gatsby. Which …show more content…

Today the American Dream has shifted towards 2 main problems in America, Education and class. In the past it was about escaping tyranny of other races, and being more than just a poor worker. Todays time period hits more towards our future generations and helping them out with what they need. Education is a big part of what built America, without an education you wouldn’t have skilled labors to fulfill certain jobs. Education helps men and women decided their future life, it is the most important item in the development of a young child to an adult. In the 21’st century we have suffered hard with education, whether that be from our teachers being told they aren’t important, or the fact that some kids can’t afford and education. In the source “The role of Education and financial stability”, which talks about the roles of education and how important that can be. “ Although children of high- and low-income families are born with similar abilities, high-income parents are increasingly investing more in their children. As a result, the gap between high- and low-income students in K–12 test scores, college attendance and completion, and graduation rates is growing”( The Role of Education and Financial Stability ). Education is not the only dream for Americans, there is also the dream of one day being able to escape the class you are put into. When you are born into this world you get put into a class that will define you …show more content…

The Dream that so many Americans have had has changed from past, to present, and will change in the future. Freedom, Equality, Wealth, and Education, these have been the four defining parts to what has made up the American Dream. In the Document “American Dream Dead or Alive,” which talks about the power of the American Dream on the next generation getting ready for their adult lives and if it really still there. “63% of people believe their children will be worse off than they are,84% of Americans have more income than their parents; this is especially true in the lowest economic brackets” (American Dream Dead or Alive). This source shows what the future has to offer, where some see that their children will be worse off, others can look at that 84% have more income. The American Dream never was easy, the American Colonies knew this and they still fought, Martin Luther King Jr knew this and he still fought. If the future wants the American Dream to stay alive and prevalent then they need to be ready to defend

Show More
Related
1116 Words | 5 Pages

The American Dream has a different meaning from what it once was, but according to Brandon King it is still alive. His beginning question, “What is the true state of the so-called ‘American Dream’ today” (Page #610, Para. #1) appeals to his audience’s own thoughts of his or her own personal beliefs for their futures. Most people have an idea of what they want in life, and their dream may not be the rags to riches dream of yesteryear, but is uniquely theirs.

Read More
716 Words | 3 Pages

The American dream has been an idea that has circles the minds of many since the establishment of the colonies. Like within its name, the American dream still remains a dream in the minds of many families who work hard, hoping for the better. The American dream will allow for them to better themselves, but not to a point of ultimate

Read More
564 Words | 3 Pages

The ideals of American Dream may have changed from those of the past however “we have adapted the values that contained within the American Dream to meet new challenges” (615). The Great Recession and other mis-fortuned have not broken the American Dream, King believes that it was “necessary and imperative”(615)indicating that a change. Today as long as people have the “potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future” (611) a better life is to come. King created a contrast in the views of liberal economists and activists, who think the American dream is dead, with facts from a survey done in 2009 by the New York Times. For example, the “survey found that 72 percent of Americans still believed it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America” (611).

Read More
1532 Words | 7 Pages

The “American Dream” is usually thought of as aspiring to change one's life for the better and materially better their situation. We think of it today as going to college and getting a cushy job, but for many in our American history it was much more simple. Many asserted their American dream by declaring their independence. The main similarity was that each had an audacious goal to improve their own life and the lives of some of those around them. Their pursuits of liberty were intimately entwined within the dramatic upheavals taking place in the land recently named America.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

The Great Gatsby is a wonderful novel that explains the drive and want to have the American Dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his life really show the true meaning of the American Dream and how hard and difficult it is to achieve it. He went through many hardships during his life and yet he still was able to come close to achieving the American Dream. The Idea behind the American Dream is that anyone can go from being poor to rich and live a healthy lifestyle and get the most out of life without being financially unstable.

Read More
805 Words | 4 Pages

In fact, many believe that it is quite improbable that anyone could experience their own American Dream due to government restrictions that may seem to prohibit their growth. In a survey conducted by ORC International, around 6 in every 10 Americans believe that the American Dream is no longer available to them (Lubhy). Restrictions that make those surveyed feel as though the American Dream is impossible include the worsening economy and the rising costs of college tuitions (Lubhy). To be more specific on the economic concern, many believe that most of the American government’s money goes

Read More
1487 Words | 6 Pages

Through different time periods and events in America, the American dream has changed and will

Read More
1061 Words | 5 Pages

No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours, it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And still today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important symbol to the American ideology.

Read More
1342 Words | 6 Pages

The concept of the American Dream originally stood for equality, justice, and democracy but it has changed over time. It has now become a goal for personal wealth and success, which is often measured by milestones like buying a home, getting married, and having children. The American Dream has changed over time, as the country’s economy has evolved. Baby boomers viewed the American Dream as achieving traditional milestones such as buying a home and car, getting married, and having children. This mostly depended on race.

Read More
648 Words | 3 Pages

America is known as “The Land of Opportunity” and it established the concept of the American Dream in the 1900’s. The fight for this dream was prevalent even before it was given a name in 1930. The founding fathers wrote this belief into the constitution with the words “All Americans are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” .Some Americans believe that the American Dream can still be obtained in the 21st Century with hard work and perservance ; however, a majority of the American population among race gender and class has a different point of view on what America still provides to their citizens because economic insta8bility and lack of equal opportunity.

Read More
1243 Words | 5 Pages

The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.

Read More
1139 Words | 5 Pages

The best escalator to opportunity in America is schooling (Wendy 2012). According to an investigation from a magazine, this escalator is broken. They expect each generation to do better, but currently, much more young Americans have less access to education, about twenty-nine percent than their parents than have more education about twenty percent, and as recently as 2000, the United States still ranked second in the share of the population with a college degree, but now they have dropped to fifth (Borosage and Vanden 2011). A basic element of the American dream is the equal access to education as the lubricant of social and economic mobility. As we know, more and more children have not taken the opportunity so far because the society they live in cannot facilitate them to achieve their essential American

Read More
1060 Words | 5 Pages

No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important

Read More
1413 Words | 6 Pages

The American Dream is an individualistic idea that avows that anyone can become successful, and achieve a happy, comfortable life no matter where they came from, so long as they work hard. Many people argue whether the American Dream is alive and prospering or dead and gone in this day and age. I believe that the American Dream lives, but that it has not positively impacted our society. The American Dream has existed in this country since it was first founded, but as it has aged it has become heavily rooted in consumerism and greed. The dream has slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, developed into an idea that promotes an unhealthy materialistic lifestyle.

Read More
975 Words | 4 Pages

Over the years, a dream that changed the way the world saw the U.S. was created and it is the American Dream. As the years passed and the U.S. was developing the American Dream as well developed or as many say changed. The American Dream is a term that was introduced in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (Kamp 2). The term “American Dream” started with a meaning that was reachable: “a better, richer and happier life for all citizens of every rank”(3). Throughout the years the term`s meaning changed dramatically.

Read More

More about The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

Related Topics

Open Document