The american dream and great gatsby

Each section talks about a special topic but with a specific criticism of the dominant American cultures relating to family, success, equal opportunity, and education. American dream is a belief that any individual irrespective of their background, religion, nationality, race, or economic status has an equal, chance to make become successful in America. According to the proponents of the American dream, success is always measured in terms of wealth and money. The two stories also use a variety of literal devises that describes the elements of the American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, the author illustrates three communities namely East Egg, West Egg, and the Valley of Ashes. East Egg and West Egg represent the American Dream while the Valley of Ashes represents poppers who are eager to achieve their American Dream.

People in the East Egg and West Egg care less about morality and worship success. For them, money and power are the fundamental determinants of success. These two regions represents the irony of the American Dream. The Great Gatsby and Re-Reading America critique American dream by presenting another side of the coin. The big rift between the rich and poor is evident. The popular practices and beliefs of the 1920 gradually shaped what is now known as the American Dream. Nick stares at Gatsby standing alone on his dock before he decides to move closer to great them. Gatsby stretch his hands towards the green light. The green light symbolically represents Daisy, his ex-lover. This suggests how an ideal American family should reflect the values of a white family.

White family is regarded as the “dream” family. However, there are many dark sides of the white family. Both The Great Gatsby and Re-Reading America apply a variety of literary devises to describe the American Dream. The green light which is mentioned at the beginning of the novel portrays Gatsby hopes, aspirations and dreams. Gatsby is a victim of this circumstance. He wants to be successful and powerful but he is not sure how will gain the wealth fame. He managed to acquire a lot of money but did not solve his troubles. Fitzgerald uses various mediums to express his opinion about the American Dream. In fact, the entire story can viewed as a commentary on the subject of American dream.

The classes are metaphorically and physically wide-apart. The poor will never achieve what the rich have already amassed. The rich have made so much wealth that the poor can only dream of. Gatsby is a good example of this. He will forever remain James Gatsby irrespective of how much effort he injects towards his dreams. The two camps do not portray an ideal society. They only care about the riches, provided they have money, then everything seem okay for them (Smith 10). This supports the idea that the American Dream disregards values of humanity. Tom and Daisy have secret affairs although they claim that they are in a romantic relationship. Jordan Baker also cheats on his partner. The description of this modern family is absolutely breathtaking.

The family is comprised of, a housewife mother, a breadwinner father, few kids, and two-three pets. This is the dream for most American young couples. This ideal family has been publicized in the media. While the author describes this family as the “ideal family” according to the American Dream philosophy his indirect criticism is evident. People watch families on television and then decide to emulate what the family is doing. Television influenced American culture in the 20th century in many aspects, one of them being family. This implies that if your family is not doing what the families in the television are doing, then it is not a model family. The characteristics of a typical American family should reflect the values of the families in the media.

The model family, is nothing other the dream that Americans have. The author simply means that the art of emulation I simply not sustainable and can destabilize many families. Gatsby was born from a poor family (Scott 5). According to the American Dream, American is not associated with poverty. Gatsby will have to work extra hard to achieve his America Dream. The American Dream philosophy states that everyone has an equal chance to achieve their American Dream. Every family is judged according to its financial strength. Poor families are made to look like outcasts or appear like the odd ones out. At the beginning of the novel, Gatsby family is the odd one out. They cannot afford to experience what the “ideal families” are experiencing.

This forces Gatsby to explore how he can break the jinx and join the ideal league. A successful person in America is the one with a lot of money. A person who can spend extravagantly but still doesn’t go bankrupt. Many Americans want to become rich, not because of their personal aspirations, but because they want to fulfill the popular myth of individual opportunity. While the American Dream advocates for individual success, it also led to the unnecessary competition between people. Americans became self-centered when the American Dream philosophy started to become popular. Therefore, individual opportunity is just a myth that only paints the American Dream in good light but it does not live to its expectations. Conclusion American dream is a set of ideals that promote liberty, opportunity, democracy, rights, and equality.