Similarities Between The American Dream And The Great Gatsby
In American literature, the theme of the American Dream has been explored by numerous authors and works across different literary periods. It is a concept that suggests that anyone can achieve prosperity, success, and upward mobility through hard work and determination, regardless of their social status or background. In this essay, we will compare and contrast how the American Dream is portrayed in two works from the same literary time period, being , Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The American Dream aligns with the idea that anyone can attain success through hard work and determination despite their background or social status. In the Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, an American Dream is portrayed as a false promise that ultimately paves a way to disillusionment and disappointment . The play tells a story about a struggling salesman, Willy Loman ; who aggressively and desperately holds on to the the belief that prosperity and success are within his reach. He finds himself overly visualising about a bright future and his mistakes, as well as his failures haunt him. He is, however, blinded from seeing his reality by his obsession to succeed and jeopardizes his relationships with his family. He also fails to take into account the value of his own life. It is later revealed that Willy's pursuit of the American Dream was nothing but a
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The protagonist, embodies the pursuit of the American Dream as he dedicates his life to achieving wealth and power to win back his lost love, Daisy. He ends up engaging in illegal activities to attain his wealth and status and this eventually leads to his downfall. Fitzgerald suggests that the American Dream is merely an illusion, and the obsession to pursue wealth and status can lead to an empty life and moral
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