Superficial Dreams

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In reference to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller the American Dream causes corruption, crime and death, because those who believe in the American Dream feel that America owes them a good life and will do whatever it takes to achieve it. The American Dream has been portrayed throughout the past century as having money, a white picket fence and endless possibilities ahead. When this idea came about, people started believing that they were “owed” this type of life and if they were not served the American Dream on a silver platter, other methods of acquiring it would need to occur. Crime and violence were committed in both books because in the 1920’s, people would do anything to have a chance at tasting the American Dream and would commit unethical acts to do so. America is known to be the land of possibility, and in The Great Gatsby and The Death of A Salesman, possibilities are made to seem endless. The authors incorporated the elusive American Dream into their works through the phases of yearning, endeavors, failures, successes and death. Many characters in The Great Gatsby yearned for the American Dream, and tried very much to experience it even though many failed along the way. In The Death Of A Salesman, characters had the American Dream in their focal vision and believed that a life without The Dream, was no life at all. In congruence for the burning desire of the American Dream, comes romanticism (unrealistic goals). Living the American Dream is a fantasy, and since most of the characters in both works longed for it, they were therefore categorized as romanticists. The American Dream comes at a price, and in The Great Gatsby and The Death of A Salesman, it is their foundatio... ... middle of paper ... ... he loses himself along the way. Tom and Daisy Buchanan protected their reputations in order to keep their American Dream alive. In the Death of A Salesman, Willy and Happy Loman do not realize that their dreams are wrong, and they are delusional about their status in society. All of these characters portray different types of people in the 1920’s, but they are connected because they all believe that they are owed the American Dream and they tried very hard to achieve it. Some resorted to crime and some dishonesty. Anyone who believes in the romantic version of the American Dream cannot fulfill it, and all of their superficial American Dreams would never occur. The real American Dream is being happy with what you have, and to chase your dreams to an extent. Dreams are essential, however theses characters show that dreams should not be the foundations of our lives.

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