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The American Dream

To achieve higher expectations of success than the previous generations, and accomplishing what hasn't already been accomplished, can be considered the overall American Dream. Generally, every child wants to surpass the achievements of their parents as a natural act of competition and personal satisfaction. Throughout The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and Death of a Salesman, there is a constant yearning desire to achieve the “American Dream;” whether it be reality or illusion. Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller, all portray the ideas of the American Dream relating to the time period that they are referring to. The strive to achieve a goal whether it be to be the wealthiest or achieve a great life by hard work seems to be the template for the original American dream in the books. To be able to support one’s family, have a decent job, a car, and a home, is the stereotypical, “American dream.” Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller incorporate their ideas of the American dream symbolically throughout their stories.
In the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald downplays the American dream in the sense that the wealthy people of the West and East Egg slightly forget about the hard work that goes along with the process in achieving the American dream. Gatsby, the main character in the story, achieves the American dream through a criminal background, without having to actually “work” for his success. The basis of the original American dream includes: putting hard work and effort forth, thus resulting in the glory of success and personal achievement. The old American dream gets destroyed or changed in the sense that the people are no longer dreaming for themselves or their family, the people are achieving the American dream, yet in all the wrong ways. In the story, Gatsby wants to win the love of a woman named Daisy. His attempt to win her heart includes his shortened version of the American dream. Gatsby would rather resort himself to criminal activity, rather than prolong the...