'The Standard of Living' - by Dorothy Parker.

In “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”, George Saunders makes an important statement about the role of materialism in the American Dream, and how this materialism may not be the key to happiness many believe it to be. Saunders tells of a middle class family that strives to meet the standards of their peers and find a happier life. The father, who acts as the narrator, believes that acquiring and spending money on material objects, specifically the Semplica Girls, will improve the family’s life by improving how the family’s financial situation appears to others. The father’s primary values are that wealth and social standing are crucial to attaining the good life, and he believes the purchase of the Semplica Girls will fulfill these values. However, it is clear from the family’s ultimate situation and the disapproval of the mother’s successful father, that the narrator’s beliefs are misguided and potentially damaging to the family.

Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a book that deals with topics of power, love, and individualism, and societal and personal differences . The theme of anthem, that individuality must be protected, is widespread and prominent, referenced throughout the book, from the viewpoint of the main character.

If the American Dream is the hope of attaining success, Jay Gatsby of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby by all appearances achieved the American Dream. If success is equal to materialism, then Gatsby was indeed successful. He used his display of wealth and possessions to gain the approval of his true love Daisy Buchanan. Some would argue, however, that this does not represent the American Dream accurately, but is a warning of how materialism can lead to the downfall of individuals and societies. “The Great Gatsby proves to be of both literary and philosophical significance as it explores deep questions of both the 1920s United States and human beings as a whole.” (tycary, from website Teen Ink) In post WWI 1920s America, society was changing rapidly from its traditional Mid-western values to a more “Eastern,” modern and open-minded society due to “new economic prosperity and technological advances that led to an age of rationalism.” (tycary, from website Teen Ink) Women had been forced out of the home and into the work-place during the war and gained voting rights as well. They were moving toward equality and this freedom allowed them to enjoy activities that were once enjoyed only by men. Prohibition, originating from strict conservatives in the Western US, failed to reduce the crime rate and instead instigated the rise of bootleggers and speak easies. The wealthy spent their time impressing their friends with elaborate parties of drinking, smoking and dancing.

Money makes the world go around so that people could either become rich or poor. The whole issue with businesses came up in the 18th-19th century and was created by two factions in US history, the Robber Barons and the Captains of Industry. These two are what made the way America’s economy it is today. The Robber Barons and the Captains of industry were both very similar but completely different with how they operated in the economic world. Robber Barons made wealth in a variety of ways but still maintained the sense of thieves from the way they attained their wealth and treated their people hence forth their name. The Robber Barons were considered a unlikable form of business because of the effect they had a negative effect on the

! Parker ́s essay was targeted to an audience that is wealthy like the middle-class. Parker knows what people that are somewhat wealthy think and in her essay she writes down what goes on in there lives and compares it to her own. For

¨It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and put them down on a paper no others are to see¨ - Equality 7-2521 (17). This quote grabs the reader's attention right of the bat. The Anthem, written by Ayn Rand is about Equality 7-2521 who lives in a world where ¨I¨ does not exist. It is forbidden to think about something not everyone thinks.

W- The story is set in the Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City in the mid 1950s.

“Anthem” by Ayn Rand, is a story about the meaning behind self development of a person’s own thoughts. Ayn Rand was born February 2, 1905 in Saint petersburg, Russia. She is a novelist,philosopher, and screenwriter.

Growing up as a child, people have been told the economic is dead; none of us should be wasting time to understand it. Most us have been lived poor, which is related to the economic. Most of us know the meaning of the economic. Economic describe us by our social status and human behavior. Most girls would not date guys if he is not making enough to pay his bills or her bills. Money is the root of all evil; we even call it marketing, currency, trade, traffic, and industry. Money was here before my parents were born, Money raised my brother and I. the fact that money is so powerful, we spend our life battling for it, and worrying about it. I have family member that would kill for money because they loved money so much. Where did

That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”(quoted in “In Search of the American Dream”) For some, Truslow Adam’s definition of the American Dream leaves out the reality of how one’s socioeconomic status, on average, determines one’s wealth in American society. History shows that people born without certain privileges can’t ascend the figurative ladder to success with ease like their counterparts. Among these privileges were generational wealth and being White. A time when this was most evident was the 1920s: a time of mass spending, lavish lifestyles, and materialistic attitudes. Literary works like “In Search of the American Dream” by Jonas Clark, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and “One Christmas Eve” by Langston Hughes, show how the roaring culture of the 1920s caused an economic boom which widened the gap between the rich and the middle class, making it even more difficult for the majority of Americans to attain a sense of social and financial security. By the 1920s, the American Dream begins to lose its inclusive message and transform into an exclusive one in where one’s socioeconomic status mainly determines if one attains the Dream.

The concept of the American Dream has borne change since its conception in 1776, with the Declaration of Independence referencing men’s unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its definition to the American people and its attainability is conditional upon the period it is prevalent in. In general, the American Dream refers to the idea that every American has the equality, freedom, and opportunity to strive. Many classic pieces of American Literature highlight this concept in a way that is most pertinent to their corresponding time period. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, specifically highlights a more modern time period, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Within this

Since the beginning, America has been a symbol of freedom, a symbol of liberty, a symbol of hope. The American dream is that no matter one’s background, he/she can work his/her way up to become wealthy and successful. However, in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby himself is failed by the American dream because of money. No matter what he does, he is unable to have Daisy because he cannot get away from the fact that he did not come from old money. This goes to show that wealth has the ability to corrupt the American dream. On top of that, when people constantly strive for wealth and rest so much of their worth in how much money they have, no one is ever satisfied, as is seen through people in West Egg. Overall, the negative effects of wealth to the American dream and to any society are clearly seen in The Great

From the two-story house and the white picket fence to the consistent flow of money from a decent paying job, the American Dream has been a desire for Americans alike since the Declaration of Independence. It was not until the 1920s that the inundation of materialistic objects changed the American Dream from wanting freedom to living as comfortably as possible. As the years went on, and more machinery was being built, people gained more leisure time by relying on these innovations to either lessen the burden of specific tasks or handle them completely. This concept is prominent in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Throughout the book, every problem the characters face has something to do with money - whether it is Daisy declaring her love for Gatsby but deciding to stay with Tom or Nick moving to the East Coast in search of a better and more comfortable life.

My depiction of the world would be a world where forgiveness is not resisted. I envision a world where forgiveness is a course of action that is taken to resolve many problems. In life, many individuals have genuine hatred and anger toward others who have done them wrong. In life, many individuals are allowing this hatred and anger to cause additional problems. This can all be prevented if we allow ourselves to forgive. Dr. Martin Luther King once said “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies” (BrainyQuote, 2001a). Forgiveness is power. Having the ability to forgive is the only way to have the ability to love again, to grow, to become a better you.

The American Dream coincides with wealth and status rather than happiness or family. In the novel, Gatsby is an example of “New Money.” Although he makes a lot of money in a brief period of time, he is still unaccepted by the upper class, which helps to prove that The American Dream is unachievable for him even though he has wealth and is successful (Fitzgerald 65). In contrast, Daisy is an example of “Old Money” since her safety and privileges are guaranteed by her wealth. This is shown as she marries Tom, regardless of her affection towards Gatsby, and ultimately chooses to stay with him at the end of the novel (75). This proves that upper class women in the 1920’s did not have much freedom to make their own choices as divorce was a controversial topic at the time. Similarly, Gatsby’s description of Daisy as being born wealthy demonstrates how he believes her voice is “full of money” (120). Such a metaphor enhances the