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What Are The Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The American Dream

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Irvin Tran Mrs.Stele AP Language & Composition Due Date From rags to riches, the American dream has been a beacon of hope for generations, motivating people to pursue their dream, face challenges head-on, and succeed in the land of opportunity. Yet, the American Dream has evolved, as has its definition. While the American dream is the idea that anyone can succeed, not everyone can attain the American Dream due to internal struggles and a lack of resources. Fitzgerald's vision of the American dream in The Great Gatsby differs significantly from today’s ideals of the American dream. Fitzgerald views the American dream as materialistic, social status, and the pursuit of pleasure. In contrast, today's standards of the American Dream are focused …show more content…

From the article by Dr. Anna Wulick, “In our first glimpse of Jay Gatsby, we see him reaching towards something far off, something in sight but definitely out of reach” Jay Gatsby represents the idealized version of the American Dream, a self-made man who overcame war and an impoverished childhood in rural North Dakota. He is a living example that anyone can succeed and move up in life through hard work and sheer willpower. Based on the article, “The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could "strike it rich" on Wall Street”. The idea “striking it rich” implies that people could make a lot of money quickly and easily off the stock market. This belief was fueled by optimism and confidence in the economy, encouraging more people willing to take the risk. Although The Great Gatsby depicts the American Dream as prioritizing financial wealth, this concept may carry on a culture that is overly materialistic and ignores the structural limitations that exist in society. The emphasis of a more welcoming and just version of the American Dream would be on progression and accomplishments, and it would take structural impediments that hinder people from realizing their full potential into account. While pursuing individual achievement, the American Dream may also be seen as a path toward personal

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The American Dream is a concept that is embedded into the fabric of American society. The American Dream promises prosperity, social mobility and encourages the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, calls the idea of the American Dream into question through Gatsby Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson. The Great Gatsby demonstrates that the American Dream is unachievable, as both Gatsby Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson attempt to achieve it, but due to being impoverished, failing to find true love, and their sudden untimely deaths, it is unreachable, despite their social status.

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, his depiction of the American Dream suggests that it is not for everyone. He builds this theory through the ideas that the American Dream has two parts, it tests if you are capable of achieving the American Dream, and the American Dream is not always what you dreamed of. Throughout the book, different characters attempt to pursue the American Dream. Many fail by giving up while others make it to the very end. However, in any circumstance you always have to do more in order to maintain the American Dream.

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The American Dream is similar to the ideals of The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, because today we do not have steady employment, it is unrealistic to those with different circumstances, the dream can be reachable through hard work, and the dream varies for people. People still struggle to find opportunities of employment and

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The American dream is much more than what meets the eye When people think of the American dream, their heads automatically go to the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is famously known for its portrayal of the American dream and it has become the stereotypical story for every American dreamer. It has done many wonders in American literature; however, people are starting to forget that it is all solely fictional and to not strive for their lifestyles. They also seem to forget the true nature of the American dream and its powerful significance of it. The critically acclaimed Novel, The Great Gatsby does not portray the real American dream because modern society has changed its expectations.

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In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s American Dream is extravagant and would be extremely unrealistic if it had taken place after the stock market crashed. Gatsby wants to be extremely rich and live in a mansion with Daisy, this was sort of a far reach for him since he came from a poor family but he got lucky and met

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The American Dream has been a driving force behind countless success stories and a symbol of hope for generations. But what does it truly mean to achieve the American Dream? Is it about wealth and fame, or is it something deeper, rooted in the values of hard work, perseverance, and opportunity? In the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are multiple events that show classism where characters put others down based on their money status. Fitzgerald exposes the destructive nature of the American Dream by demonstrating how the pursuit of wealth, social status, and the illusion of the perfect life can lead to moral decay, broken relationships, and the disillusionment of the dream, revealing that the pursuit of material

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Fitzgerald writes, "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..." (Fitzgerald 180). This quotation demonstrates that the American Dream is a myth that is never truly attained, and that we can never find true pleasure through material achievement alone.

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The American Dream--the ideal that, within the borders of the United States, all kinds of people have equal opportunity to achieve their highest aspirations--is one that people have carried with them since its coining in the 1931 novel Epic of America. Hopes and dreams are always good to hold onto as motivation factors throughout life, but when combined with the common interpretation of the American Dream that everything can be achieved, dreams can have disastrous possessive holds on life. Jay Gatsby, a main character from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, is a prime example of the effect the American Dream can have on a person. Throughout his best-seller The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the green light, Gatsby’s mansion, and the

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Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, contains ideals and morals that are reflected in society today. “The American Dream” is portrayed as something that anyone can reach if they work hard enough. Material wealth and success is not possible for just anyone and is not realistic goal. The American Dream is something that we have been conditioned to strive for. The end goal which we seek for the rest of our lives.

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The "American Dream" has been essential to American history and culture. Scott Fitzgeralds' novel “The Great Gatsby” is important to this representation. However, the perspective of the "American Dream" has changed, and the importance of analyzing the vision of Fitzgerald's novel and the current principles of the American Dream is crucial to see if they are similar or different. The “American Dream” can be defined in multiple ways, but it can commonly be associated with pursuing happiness and financial freedom. It has been an inspiration for millions of Americans who emigrated to this country seeking freedom or a better life.

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America is like a carnival whose inhabitants are in a constant search for fun, opportunity, and their very own popcorn – the “American Dream”. The American Dream motivates people to achieve success, wealth, and happiness through hard work, regardless of social status. However, in reality, this motivation only turns into a lifestyle for the top one percent. F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays this in his novel, The Great Gatsby, where Jay Gatsby is faced with the challenge of winning over his lifelong romantic interest, Daisy Fay. Gatsby is meant to embody the American dream, rising up from a poor background and making a name for himself.

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I. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is depicted as a mirage due to its ultimate lack of fulfillment, outsider’s inability to obtain it, and the corruption it causes. A. Those who have achieved their idea of the American Dream are ultimately unfulfilled emotionally even though they possess tremendous wealth. B. The American Dream is a mirage, and thus unattainable as it limits success of an individual by their class and ethnic origin. C. Not only is the American Dream exclusive and unfulfilling, but it also causes corruption as those who strive for the American Dream corrupt themselves in doing so and the old rich hide behind their wealth in order to conceal their immoralities.

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The American Dream is the idea that being a citizen in America means individuals who can rely on themselves, can prosper with the opportunities and progress that America promises them. However, actions will always contain more meaning than words. Throughout the story The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald explores this idea through the perspective of the excessively wealthy, high-class citizens of America. Using evidence from The Great Gatsby, the American Dream is unattainable because financial success does not equal fulfillment in life, and the lower classes are given little to improve the rough situations and decaying economy that society leaves behind; however, attaining the image of the Dream that others see from an outside perspective, is achievable. When the American Dream is discussed, the concept is focused

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The American dream states that any individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, and/or religion simply by working hard. The 1920’s were a time of corruption and demise of moral values in society. The first World War had passed, and people were reveling in the materialism that came at the end of it, such as advanced technology and innovative inventions. The novel The Great Gatsby exploits the theme of the American Dream as it takes place in a corrupt period in history. Although the American Dream seemed more attainable than ever in the 1920’s, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby demonstrates how materialism and the demise of moral values in society leads to the corruption and impossibility of the American Dream.

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Fitzgerald focused on the shift in the American Dream - from being the idea of self-fulfillment, dignity and comfort that is achieved through hard work, to being equated with the pursuit of wealth and power, and identifying happiness with having money. The novel depicts the rise and fall of the concept and describes the causes of its decay. The downfall of the American Dream is most accurately shown through the main protagonist of the story – Jay Gatsby. To reiterate, the American Dream is the concept that anyone can achieve a better life and become self-fulfilled, if they put enough effort to it and make the most of their abilities.

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