Pursuit of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and in...

The American Dream has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. It has become a foundation of ideals and hopes for any American or immigrant. Specifically, one of the ideals that always exist is the dream of America free of class distinction. Every American hopes for a society where every person has the opportunity to be whomever he or she desire. Another ideal in the American dream is the drive to improve the quality of life. As one’s idea of the American Dream gets closer and closer, often times political and social ideals of America cause their American Dream to take a turn for the worst. The American Dream has become a motive for success for both Americans and immigrants. The dream is what draws foreigners to†¦show more content†¦The American society expects only certain things from certain people, ruining the American Dream for residents of America. In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle represents the low and ignorant class of America. She is a model for citizen who tries to break the social barriers that the society puts up and pursues wealth by any means necessary. Although people that goes extend themselves outside of their social class is achieving the American Dream, the society has its limits. When Myrtle receives a compliment made about her dress, she acts snobbish and blows off the comment. Nick sees the act that Myrtle has put on just to be a part of the upper-class society. The people around her easily recognize Myrtle’s fraudulence. Similar to Myrtle, Troy Maxson soon realizes that the society has its limits that affect the American Dream. In Fences by August Wilson, Troy Maxson sees how African-Americans are suppressed in the society he lives in. He believes that all African-Americans are â€Å"born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate† (69). Troy is always cribbing about the disadvantages of being a African-American and how his American Dream of playing baseball was jaded by th ey society. For both Troy and Myrtle, they have both realized that with each society come political and social ideals that destroy their American Dream. Society has an ideal about the American Dream that as you get closer to your own American Dream, your quality of life isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1240 Words   |  5 Pagesyoung, they are told to â€Å"dream big† and â€Å"shoot for the stars†. Nothing seems impossible. As people grow older, they become more aware of reality and dim their childhood dreams to a more practical level. However, this light always remains in the back of their brain, keeping them wondering what if? What if they had continued to pursue this goal despite the likeliness of failure? Would it still be worth it? Fences by August Wilson tells the story of an impoverished African-American family in the 1950s andRead MoreFailure Of The American Dream In The Writings Of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, And Augu st Wilson1418 Words   |  6 PagesThis literary study will define the failure of the †American Dream† in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Zora Neale Hurston, and August Wilson. Fitzgerald’s account of the Jay Gatsby s rise to fame in the 1920s defines the failure of financial success as part of the American Dream. Gatsby will eventually die due to his excessive greed, which is not unlike the emotional death of Willy Loman as he fails to become a successful salesman in Author Miller’s Death of a Salesman. More