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The American Dream In 'I, Too, Sing America'

1320 Words6 Pages

The American Dream has forever been a controversial topic in which it is either achievable or not and it all matters on the perspective it is looked at, to the upper-class it is very well achievable as they might already be there but to the lower class it is not. The novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the portrayal of the American Dream and how it appears to represent liberty and the capability to make people wealthy through determination and hard work, but exposes the truth behind the dangers of greed and egocentric quest of contentment. While Langston Hughes’ portrayal of the poem “I Too, Sing America” is his imagination that one day, white and colored individuals will eat "at the table" with each other, and colored citizens …show more content…

Gatsby's original name was James Gatz and he was from a farm in North Dakota, … One day, he spotted a yacht possessed by a wealthy copper mogul, Gatz rowed out to notify him about an close by storm. The thankful man, Dan Cody, gave Gatz his name which is Jay Gatsby. Gatsby loves the luxury life and when Cody passed away, he left Gatsby some money, but Cody’s mistress didn’t allow him to claim that money, so Gatsby then devoted himself to becoming a rich person (Fitzgerald 6.--). Fitzgerald is speaking from a perspective of a rich white man who doesn’t face racial inequality and was not shunned by the people around him, although Gatsby did have a proper, healthy, rich, lifestyle and he was treated with respect, but he wasn’t content with his life. Gatsby constantly wanted more; he wanted love, he wanted wealth, he wanted to be regarded as “old money” and proves that even if a person pursues their crazy desires, they will always want more. Hughes is expressing how he is “the darker brother” and how “they send me to the kitchen. When company comes” as his views are oppressed (2-4). In contrast to Fitzgerald’s rich portrayal of the American Dream, Hughes tells the story from an African American perspective which shows the humbleness and little that they want yet they couldn’t do much to change …show more content…

Fitzgerald believes the American is misleading in the way it is usually advertised, as a wealthy- happy life of a rich white man, and views the American Dream as not realistic compared to Hughes. Hughes believe that the American Dream is very well obtainable with the condition of patience and drudgery, he also sees it possible for any American, no matter the race or gender, Hughes also looks at the American Dream as a beacon for hope and a purpose in

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“The American Dream” is an idea integral to the work ethic and overall ideals of the United States; simply put: the idea is that through hard work, the opportunity for prosperity and success is possible for anybody in America. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby as a critique of the rampant materialism and declining moral values he witnessed post-World War I. The novel tells the story of a man named Nick Carraway, who gets a glimpse of the frivolous, lavish lifestyles of New York’s elite, including that of the hopelessly hopeful Jay Gatsby; Gatsby is willing to do anything to win over the heart of the woman he loves, the unattainable Daisy Buchanan. Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too, Sing America” was published in pre-Civil Rights United States (a hotbed of racism) and serves as his patriotic declaration that African-Americans will one day achieve equality in the United States and also be able to live the American Dream.

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