Comparing The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And Their Eyes Were Watching God

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What is meant when people refer to the “American dream”? The American dream is to be given an equal chance to succeed in your goals, no matter your background. Common American dreams include having a family, finding true love, owning your own business, achieving your ideal career, or being financially comfortable. Stories such as “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, “Of Mice and Men”, and “The Great Gatsby” all provide thorough and realistic examples of the American dream and its correlation to finances. Money is the main factor, relative to anyone’s American dream. The story of Janie in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” presents multiple examples of the American dream and its affiliation with money. Nanny, Janie’s grandmother, speaks about her future with her husband. She says, “If you don’t …show more content…

Gatsby dreams of his love, Daisy, and does everything to impress and attract her into his life. Gatsby throws large and extravagant parties every weekend. A friend of Daisy’s observes, “I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some night.” (Chapter 4). Gatsby does everything in his power to entrance and gain the affection of Daisy, including buying a mansion across the bay from her house. Gatsby spends thousands of dollars, utilizing money, in an attempt to gain Daisy’s love, to fulfill his American dream of loving Daisy. The stories portrayed in “The Great Gatsby”, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and “Of Mice and Men” all support the concept of money being the main factor in successful American dreams. Janie, George, Lennie, and Gatsby all needed funding to succeed in their ideal life. Whether the setting was in the poor and segregated Florida in the 1930s, the rich and lavish lifestyle of the Roaring ’20s, or the devastating work environment of the Great Depression, money always played the lead role in each American

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