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The American Dream By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Life in America during the twentieth century was seen as hopeful and prosperous to many people among the land, and many others in foreign countries longing to be in America. The American Dream during this time period is seen as one becoming financially successful while holding a high social status, along with obtaining ultimate happiness with his or her own life. The American Dream is presented through various literary works, including The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and is failed by those who try to achieve it. At the end of this novel Jay Gatsby, the main character, ends up dead, along with an honest man and his wife, thus killing the dreams each of these people were working for throughout their life. It is stated …show more content…

The American people are hard workers; however, due to their own selfish motives they are never able to achieve success. In “The Glass Menagerie,” by Tennessee Williams, Amanda Wingfield calls her son out on being selfish saying, “I’ll tell you what I wished for on the moon. Success and happiness for my precious children! I wish for that whenever there’s a moon, and when there isn’t a moon, I wish for it, too” (40). Amanda tells her son Tom that all she ever wishes for is the success of her children; however, because she interferes with her children’s lives and lets her own desires come before their own, Amanda’s children are never able to achieve their own personal dreams. Jay Gatsby also displays his selfish nature as he revolves his entire life around Daisy Buchanan, thus ruining his genuine happiness when his chance finally comes to meet with Daisy once again, as Nick describes Gatsby saying, “As I went over to say good-bye I saw that the expression of bewilderment had come back into Gatsby 's face, as though a faint doubt had occurred to him as to the quality of his present happiness” (95). The Americans during the twentieth century displayed similar characteristics as both Amanda and Gatsby, as they too were selfish and only sought to benefit themselves. When the stock market

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