The American Dream Essay - 3125 Words

To achieve higher expectations of success than the previous generations, and accomplishing what hasnt already been accomplished, can be considered the overall American Dream. Generally, every child wants to surpass the achievements of their parents as a natural act of competition and personal satisfaction. Throughout The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and Death of a Salesman, there is a constant yearning desire to achieve the â€Å"American Dream;† whether it be reality or illusion. Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller, all portray the ideas of the American Dream relating to the time period that they are referring to. The strive to achieve a goal whether it be to be the wealthiest or achieve a great life by hard work seems to be the template†¦show more content†¦He makes clear that the American people in this book are solely concerned with their wealth. It is no longer a motive to achieve, it is the push and shove to reach the top and to be the wealthiest in a social class. The Great Gatsby can be closely compared to today’s society because of the goals that Americans set for themselves. For instance, it is no longer a goal to reach personal achievement, nor is it a goal to provide safety, housing, and food for one’s family; it is the strive to get on top and to be the most powerful, or the wealthiest of everyone else. The American people today are no longer satisfied living in a comfortable environment where they have all their necessities. This type of dream, no longer exists and has been replaced with the strive to be the best regardless of whether one is living comfortably or not. It has become the need to have what everyone else wants and the American people lost all heart in what the American dream is all about. Instead of wanting to achieve and be successful for one’s family, today people are willing to go against family members in order to get what they want. The â€Å"old American dream† dealt with the will to achieve for the better of a whole family, where today, everyone is out for themselves and will only work hard if it benefits themselves. Overall, the basis of, The Great Gatsby, is surrounded by the false interpretation of accomplishingShow MoreRelatedImmigrants And The American Dream1362 Words   |  6 PagesImmigrants and the American Dream In the article â€Å"The American Dream†, by James Truslow Adams in The Sundance Reader book, he stated that the American dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. 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