Term Paper on "American Dream so Many Things"

Term Paper 3 pages (1136 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

American Dream

So many things have been said about the American Dream; so many people have struggled against themselves to prove that it does not only exist but can also be achieved. So many people worked hard and devoted their lives to this dream. Do we really and profoundly feel what it means, or do we keep following the stereotypes that we have created in our very own minds. To make a long story short - What is an American Dream? One of the most brilliant examples revealing a particular point-of-view on the matter is the outstanding work of Scott Fitzgerald - "The Great Gatsby." Fitzgerald shows how this dream is full of materialism, how materialism influencing the lives of people makes it hard for them so see the reality objectively. As the result of being so materialistic Fitzgerald's characters start idealizing not only their way of life but their feelings, too. Their existance seems to be a theatre performance, where the actors are obviously overacting. Fitzgerald shares his determination of the "American dream" mainly through the character of Jay Gatsby. Being a man who shows through his own actions that success is his prerogative, he truly believes in the "American dream of success." He is a man that gets whatever he wants and gets it primarily by the means of money. As Fitzgerald shows Gatsby's life we see how easily he can change anything with the help of money if he wants to. Therefore we can assume, that psychologically he is not ready to take things for what they are. We suppose that it is the reason for his idealization of love that later on lead to the collapse of his dream, the collapse of the American dream. Scott Fitzgerald shows the Gatsby's encirclement and he shows the core of "the dream" through their desire to realize it. "Sure I did. I was going to wear it to- night, but it was too big in the bust and had to be altered. It was gas blue with lavender beads. Two hundred and sixty-five dollars." (the Great Gatsby p.36)- answers the girl after being simply asked by Nick Carraway if she had accepted a gift. The stress on materialism and mentioning money and material things wherever it is possible is a characteristical trait of people representing the era of Fitzgerald's "American dream." Fitzerald shows how Gatsby almost fulfills the dream having all of its requirements: position, money and his unique perception of the world that "attracted" people.. "So he invented the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end." (the Great Gatsby p.29).

He creates a new man - Jay Gatsby and becomes successful in living his life. Nevertheless, last of the requirements: " ideal love" was not fulfilled and it started the collapse of the "American dream." For love cannot be bought with anything. He made all the money with the only aim- he knew that Daisy wanted to marry a rich man therefore he considered this way to be the only way to unite him with his true love. The understanding of the dream by the characters in the book is garbled and that is the primary reason they fail to realize the true message of the dream. Fitzerald is obviously criticizing the American Dream in "The Great Gatsby."… READ MORE

How to Reference "American Dream so Many Things" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

American Dream Throughout U.S. History Essay

American Dream

Throughout U.S. history, the American dream has been an ideal cornerstone for an individual to start out with nothing. And become even more successful than they ever imagined.… read more

Essay 6 pages (1939 words) Sources: 4 Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

American Dream According to Jack Research Paper

Institutionalized racism and sexism are examples of why the American Dream is elitist in nature. There is much lip service to equality and egalitarianism in America. America believes itself to… read more

Research Paper 4 pages (1265 words) Sources: 2 Topic: Sociology / Society

---

American Dream Term Paper

American Dream

The concept of an American dream has been one of the most forceful concepts of the 19th and 20th centuries. Included within the dream are the revelations of… read more

Term Paper 9 pages (4038 words) Sources: 7 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

American Dream Today Essay

American Dream Today

The term "American Dream" is used very frequently, but there does not seem to be any real agreement on exactly what this term refers to. There are… read more

Essay 2 pages (660 words) Sources: 0 Style: MLA Topic: Urban Studies / City Planning / Housing

---

American Dream vs. God Research Proposal

American & God's Dream

The American Dream and God's Dream: Are they Compatible?

Americans love to talk about the American dream. In fact, the belief that anyone in America can… read more

Research Proposal 9 pages (2814 words) Sources: 4 Topic: Religion / God / Theology

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>