The Great Gatsby The American Dream Compared To Today

Is there something that one can point at and say, “That is the ideal American Dream and that is what it should look like.” They cannot since the dream is always changing and what one person would consider the “American Dream” another may not. In The Great Gatsby, the values and achievements seen, differ especially from those of today. In today’s day and age countless Americans no longer consider the American Dream as being essential in life as it has changed since. Because the novel is nearly 100 years old, the views and ideals of the dream depicted are not similar to the ones of today, there are economical, social, cultural, and racial differences.
Though the American Dream might seem like the ideal, in reality it is out of reach for several.

In source C the writer says, “Immigrants are seen as a direct threat to paycheck and values.” This refers to the large number of immigrants in the country working towards their American Dream. The copious amount of immigrants was making it significantly harder for other people to achieve the dream they wanted. This matters for the reason that it further illustrates why innumerable amounts of people are beginning to give up hope on the dream. Stated in source B it clarifies what the American Dream is, “[it’s] the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class gender, or nationally can be successful in America.”In other words, according to this quote, everyone should be able to accomplish this dream. This matters especially because the dream is depicted as a white picket fence, symbolizing “a happy family that lives in a modest residential home with children, pets, and a sense of safety from the community.” This is not true because there are groups of people who do not have it as easy as people put it. Critics might say that immigrants are helping to fashion the dream into something more achievable by creating more jobs and increasing the size of the labor force but seeing that the U.S. has a vast population of immigrants that are largely more motivated and likely to strive for the American Dream it hinders the ability for others to

In source D it explains how a young black teenager entered an elevator and some moments later a young white elevator operator screamed. The teen fled and was later arrested, accused of sexually assaulting her. In the end, it was concluded it was likely the teen had stumbled or stepped on the operator and all charges were dropped. This event, how it was approached and handled, proves that there exists barriers that hinders the individual because of certain things like race or identity. Although the teenager had not done anything wrong, he was immediately accused of assaulting the woman for the sake of his appearance and stereotypes. This affects the ability of dreamers wanting to live the American Dream to achieve that. In source C Isaiah shares his story about how we are still fighting for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This further adds on and proves that the playing field is not equal or accommodates to everyone, there are always hurdles. This is important because it influences people’s moral principles, if one does not believe that they can achieve their dream due to something that is out of their control. Although some may argue that these are challenges in life that one needs to overcome if they wish to succeed, when it comes to things that one cannot change because people are conditioned and have