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The American Dream, And All It - Online Term Paper

The American Dream, And All It


The 1920s were a decade of rebirth characterised by the founding of the "American
Dream" -- the belief that anyone can, and should, achieve material success. The defining
writer of the 1920s was F. Scott Fitzgerald whose most famous novel, The Great Gatsby,
has become required reading for present-day high school students. We study Fitzgerald's
novel for the same reason we study Shakespeare. The literature composed by both authors
contains themes and morals that continue to be relevant to modern society. As a result,
this novel could have easily been written in modern times. In his novel, Fitzgerald criticises
the American Dream by describing its negative characteristics: class struggles ...

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impossible for all people to become rich, since wealth is
based largely on social position, and classes prevent the poor from becoming successful.
“One thing’s sure and nothing’s surer / The rich get richer and the poor get -- children”
(Fitzgerald 101). Myrtle’s attempt to break into the class which the Buchanans belong to
is doomed from the start. She enters into an affair with Tom, takes on all the negative
qualities of his social group, and not only becomes corrupt and immoral, but she scorns
people from her own class. “I thought he knew something about breeding but he wasn’t fit
to lick my shoe” (Fitzgerald 39). The adulterous behaviour of Myrtle and Tom, as well as
the carelessness of Daisy and Jordan, illustrates the corruptibility of the rich.
Both Tom and Daisy are morally corrupt, having little concern for how they treat the
people around them. “Daisy and her husband display their indifference to human values in
episodes involving sexual exploitation and careless ...

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The American Dream, And All It. (2006, February 13). Retrieved March 19, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-American-Dream-And-All-It/41199
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"The American Dream, And All It." Essayworld.com. February 13, 2006. Accessed March 19, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-American-Dream-And-All-It/41199.
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PAPER DETAILS
Added: 2/13/2006 07:09:23 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 833
Pages: 4

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