What Are The Similarities Between The Great Gatsby And The American Dream
The presence and representation of ‘The American Dream’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald is used in Gatsby to explain the characters in the novel and what they want to achieve. Symbols alluding to The American Dream are used in Gatsby to show the lives of the characters in Gatsby and what was most important to them in contrast to that of the characters in A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Furthermore, both pieces of literature and their differing narratives follow The American Dream and explore what it looked like to different people in that time.
Gatsby represents the American dream by the hopes and dreams of the characters. Mostly by achieving them at all costs. ‘His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.
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“Consider the context in which Fitzgerald was writing: America in the 1920s was undergoing dynamic changes. Between 1921 and 1924 the country’s gross national product jumped from $69 billion to $93 billion while aggregate wages rose from roughly $36.4 billion to $51.5 billion. The United States had entered World War I a debtor nation and emerged as Europe’s largest creditor, to the tune of $12.5 billion. From a relative standpoint, America was rich, and it showed.” (Citation 1) Simply put, everyone wanted their american dream in a rich and war successful America, including …show more content…
Furthermore, they explore how the lack of integrity can bring about terrible consequences in the long run. In Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the lack of integrity shown by the rich and famous once Gatsby dies when nobody attends his funeral ironically unlike his big big parties where they came out in numbers to show off wealth and fame alike. “But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came”(page 133). In Raisin in the Sun, the lack of integrity and greed shown by Walter in interest of his own dreams led to the disregard of Mama telling him to put it into a banking account “‘[Mama]: And there ain’t going to be no investing in the liquor store.” (pages 1566) Furthermore everyone seemed to lack awareness of the nature of the money they received and only after it is gone is when they acknowledge the passing of Big Walter and we see distress over it for the first time. [Bobo] Man, Willy is gone”(page1596) “[Walter]: THAT MONEY IS MADE OUT OF MY FATHER’S FLESH--”(page
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