What Is The American Dream In The 1920s

Wealth Buys Relationships Becoming successful is the goal that most American citizens want to accomplish. The American Dream has been seen as the opportunity to prosper. The American society is focused around wealth and a higher social status. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, multiple characters are characterized as successful American individuals who seem to have achieved the American Dream. However, they continue their search for wealth.

People were buying on credit more often which in turn increased consumer spending and the standard of living among citizens. People had an “eagerness to own radios, electrical appliances, and especially automobiles [and it] led them to sign up on installment plans, by which consumers made regular payments, including interest, until they had purchased the item” (The Business of America: The Economy in the 1920s). Americans got caught up in the idea of owning fancy new products so some were spending more than they could afford to. By having the option to buy items without needing to be able to fully afford the product at the time of purchase, people bought more expensive products than they did before and

1920s Advertising During the 1920s, advertisement started to increase and expand. Many ideas and tactics were used to lure the attention of the consumers. After World War I, America started to grow with a stable and growing economy. This flourishment made many American's live out the 1920s in prosperity. This caused America to flourish with new inventions, for example the automobile, household machinery, television, etc.

The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. The American Dream presents a view of the American society in which ignores racism problems, income inequality, etc. In the 1920’s, it was a very difficult and resulting time for the American Dream. Due to increased immigration, changing women’s roles, and a extraordinary income inequality. The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could “strike it rich”.

Merriam Webster defines Consumerism as “the belief that it is good for people to spend a lot of money on goods and services” (Merriam-Webster. 2014). This definition is a true reflection of the consumer culture of the time. The roll consumerism played in America was deeply affected by the increase use of consumer credit for the consumption of products. This use of consumer credit by the masses was seen as an essential tool for the success of the American people.

Throughout The Great Gatsby, Myrtle Wilson desired to fit in with the upper class; however, her marriage to George Wilson prevented such from occurring. Myrtle failed to recognize her husband’s hard work and true character due to her efforts to rise in social status. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald emphasized Myrtle’s hatred towards her marriage through her conversation with Catherine, depicting how people of the twenties focused more on wealth and power compared to moral American values. As readers closely evaluate the moment of Myrtle’s dialogue, she dictated her feelings towards her marriage in a way that supposedly justified her infidelity. Myrtle stated, “I married him because I thought he was a gentleman” (Fitzgerald 34).

For America, the 1920s is known as a roaring era when economic prosperity and social dynamism splendidly blossomed; It is also an era in which people’s wealth and backgrounds are directly employed in defining their identities. By making subtle changes to the original plot, the movie The Great Gatsby puts a stronger emphasis on social stratification not only between the apparent rich and the poor, but also between the old money and new money. The movie depicts the uncrossible barriers among different classes in an explicit manner, illustrating each class’s struggle in the hierarchy and allowing the individuals’ characters develop to the fullest. The movie uses physical setting as a social barrier to distinguish people by their classes and to reveal people’s desperate desire of climbing up the social ladder. While the book describes the restaurant where Gatsby, Nick, and Wolfsheim luncheon as an ordinary

The economical standpoint in The Great Gatsby and the way characters such as Gatsby and Tom spent their money reflect how rich economy was and how others living during the 1920s spent their money. During The Roaring Twenties, “many people had extra money to spend on things other than food, housing, and other basic needs” ('Roaring Twenties' a Time of Economic and Social Change). Just like in The Great Gatsby, people living during the 1920s saw that there was more money than usual, so this became something they desired. The economy in both The Great Gatsby and the 1920s in America expanded and therefore purchasing things other than the necessities was considered true success.

Following the end of World War II, America established itself as the world’s strongest military power and economic envy. The post-war economic boom influenced the large-scale expansion of the middle class. Consumerism became a defining characteristic of American society. Loans and credit created a materialistic culture that allowed people to continuously improve the perceived quality of life. It was a time of stability.

A rich man‘s wife….” the reader automatically knows that the man has money. We wonder if that might be the reason the stepmother doesn’t like Cinderella. The father doesn't come up as much in the story. We can see that he cares for his child since he asked her what she would like when he was off to the fair. He acts like Cinderella isn’t there, just like her cruel stepmother.

Everybody wanted “The American Dream” so that his or her families would be able to pass it on to future generations. “The American Dream” is evident in both the book and movie of The Great Gatsby, which is why it’s so special to the start of it. “The American Dream” had played a big role throughout the novel. During the 1920s, people’s values had mostly changed, instead of striving for equality, people wanted to get as rich as they possibly could with a wife and a certain amount of kids. “She’s asleep.