The American Dream Through Various Eyes - 1270 Words

The American Dream Through Various Eyes In a country that is based around the idea that you can be anyone and do anything, one would think that most Americans all want the typical â€Å"American Dream.† Many would agree that when we think American Dream, we think fancy yachts, designer clothing, and big buildings, but is that really what the dream is all about? By definition, the American Dream is defined as, â€Å"the idea that every U.S. citizen should have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination† (â€Å"American Dream†). It is the idea that someone that comes from the very bottom can make their way to the top through determination and persistence. But what is considered to be â€Å"the top† is hard to†¦show more content†¦Perhaps the dream of a wealthy individual is constant improvement and expansion of their wallet, but also to find gratitude with what they have. Contrary to the upper class, the middle class retains an opportunity for growth and therefore believes in the American Dream. However, their dreams shy away from the common view of the American Dream and instead revolve around their values and wants. Primarily, the middle class is defined as having an income between $46,960 and $140,900, although the economic boundaries that make up the middle class constantly varies (Luhby). Besides income, the middle class also can be identified by occupation, net worth, or education, but every middle class citizen, no matter how they are identified, experience similar circumstances (Elkins). The majority of the middle class yearn to have a nice home and secure job, along with extra money to enjoy their interests and hobbies. In addition, they strive to set aside savings for their children’s transition into the working world or future education. Although the middle class has more opportunities than lower class citizens, they still encounter their own struggles. For many middle class families, hard times come and go while they try to maintain a comfortable living situation. Money for them does not come as easily as it does for the upper class, who typically have enough to constantly feel stable. Nonetheless, the middle class obtains enough to live moreShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby - Demise Of The American Dream883 Words   |  4 PagesGreat Gatsby - Demise of the American Dream The Great Gatsby (1925) is a highly symbolic novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald on 1920 s America, an era of great prosperity and material excess. Its theme mainly deals with the disintegration of the American Dream due to decayed social and moral values. The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the right for prosperity, success, and social upward mobility for all Americans which can be achieved through hard work and dedication.Read MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesGatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of wealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the West Egg, and the Valley of the Ashes. The two eggsRead MoreIdentifying And Surveying F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1675 Words   |  7 Pagestime, discussing and paying attention to the social, historical, cultural and political discourses within the text. 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The novel also illustrates how the American dream can attain one’s wealth and glory but at a hefty price of falling for greed and corruption through Gatsby’s fall.Read MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1318 Words   |  6 Pagesvalley of ashes, and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The green light represents Jay Gatsby’s hopes, as well as his dreams, for the future. Because many people strive to become rich in The Great Gatsby, the result is moral and social decay. The valley of ashes represents social and moral decay, and it also represents the predicament of poor because the poor live in the filthy ashes and lose their passion as a result from living in the ashes. Lastly, I believe the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg,Read MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1330 Words   |  6 Pagesobjects helps to connect the sign ificance of the story on a deeper level and eventually reveal its literal meaning. Many symbols portrayed throughout The Great Gatsby, such as the green light, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, Gatsby’s Mansion and the weather help to uncover one of the main themes–the American Dream. First, the green light located at the end of Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s dock, in East egg, plays a considerable role in Gatsby’s life. In chapter 1, we first encounter Gatsby’s attraction withRead More Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay867 Words   |  4 Pageshis thematic interest in his novel of The Great Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objects, and gestures as symbols to portray the lack of moral and spiritual values of people and the different aspects of society in the 1920s. One use of symbolism Fitzgerald uses is the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He uses it to represent Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. 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With the racial segregation obtained as a byproduct (or maybe product) of the chain of events would summarize the assigned readings in a nutshell. To elaborate from Dolores Hayden’s â€Å"From the Ideal City to the Dream House† the Jeffersonian ideal of democracy favoredRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald : The Jazz Age And The Great Gatsby1364 Words   |  6 Pagesknown writers of the twenties. The American writer is given credit for the term ‘Jazz Age,’ immortalizing the glamorous world of wild parties of the upper social classes. With Fitzgerald’s work being described as poetic, it often contain underlying social or capitalistic characteristics rooted in spectacular imagery. The various aspects of Fitzgerald’s work allow for analysis on several levels and from differing perspectives, while functioning as a mirror through which to view society, values, and