A Comparison Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

What is the American Dream? This is a question people have been asking for centuries, but I believe that the more important question is who can truly reach the American Dream. The American Dream isn’t one set belief that is exactly the same for everyone, but that also means that there should not be any limitation on who can accomplish the American Dream. To show evidence of this claim I will use 2 classic novels as examples, The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men. The Great Gatsby is a novel set in the roaring 20s, a decade of pop culture, new dance styles and ways to dress. It was a time where people were fighting prohibition and going against moral standards. This time was also called the Jazz Age because the popularity of jazz music was†¦show more content†¦Throughout the story the events that take place are all propelled forward by Gatsby’s efforts to achieve his dream, to be with the woman he loves, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby was born on a small farm in North Da kota and was very poor. While living on this farm he kept a strict schedule to follow every day and used this to stay in shape and earn money (Fitzgerald 173). He later join the military and became a major, but later we find out that he wanted to die in the war (Fitzgerald 66). When he first meet Daisy he was still poor but hid this by wearing his military uniform (Fitzgerald ). He started to date Daisy and feel deeply in love with her, so much that he felt that he was married to her (Fitzgerald 149). He was soon after sent off to fight in World War I and had to leave Daisy. After the war Gatsby was accidentally sent to Oxford instead of home to Daisy (Fitzgerald ). Not knowing if Gatsby was alive or not Daisy started to date a man named Tom Buchanan and later married him. By the time Gatsby finally got in contact with Daisy she was already married to Tom. Gatsby for years was working his way up the social ladder to the top to get to Daisy. He succeeds in getting this wealth and a higher social class and bought a mansion across the lake from Daisy and Tom. He started to throw humongious parties hoping that Daisy would come to one but doesn’t succeed. He then later meets Nick, who is Daisys cousin, and uses him to get back into contact with Daisy. Succeeded inShow MoreRelatedComparison of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and â€Å"Winter Dreams†953 Words   |  4 Pagesof â€Å"Winter Dreams† was written around the same time that Fitzgerald was developing ideas for a story to turn into a novel. While The Great Gatsby wasn’t published until 1925, â€Å"Winter Dreams† dà ©buted in 1922 and the similarities between the novel and short story were done on purpose. â€Å"Winter Dreams† became a short draft which Fitzgerald paralleled The Great Gatsby after, but also differentiated the two in specific ways (â€Å"Winter Dreams† 217). The main characters are both men, Jay Gatsby and DexterRead MoreEssay about Great Gatsby862 Words   |  4 PagesScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby / Gatsbys Desire for Daisy exploring why Gatsby had such an obsessive desire for Daisy. The writer purports that Gatsby began by pursuing an ideal, not the real woman. In fact, he could not recognize the type of person she had become since they last saw each other. Gatsby lives in a dream world and Daisy is part of that dream. As the novel progresses, however, Gatsbys feelings change. Bibliography lists Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby : The Role of NickRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1395 Words   |  6 Pagesmodernist 1920s, and his classic work The Great Gatsby was certainly a romantic book, and thusly did not succeed in his time; in fact, it did not succeed until after his death in the 1940s. Fitzgerald saw the green light, but it was just as out of reach to him as it was to Mr. Gatsby. 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Labeled as the American Dream, Americans are pressed to work hard and honest under the idea that they will have an equal opportunity to obtain riches and glory. But is the pursuit of wealth really as pure and honest as it may seem? Holding this same idea and question, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, a young man by the name of Nick Carraway begins his pursuit towards the American Dream. The novel begins with Nick arriving at his new yet shabby