Comparing the American Dream of The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night

When the first settlers came to America many years ago, they found freedom and opportunity. With hard work and determination an average man or woman could be prosperous. This concept was not only revolutionary in theory, but has proven to be true for many successful individuals. This idea has come to be known as the American Dream. Its foundation was based on good ethics; however, with the passing of time it has become distorted. The American Dream no longer stands for equal opportunity and hard work; it involves wealth, false happiness, materialistic possessions and high social status. Individuals who have achieved the materialistic American Dream give the appearance of perfection. However, for many, their lives are not as ideal as what they seem. Issues such as sexual abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, adultery, greed and restlessness, affect the lives of even those who appear to live the American Dream. In F. Scott Fitzgerald?s novels, The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night, the characters Daisy Buchanan and Nicole Diver give the appearance of a charmed existence, but it is in fact flawed. Their apparently perfect but actually flawed lives are shown in their childhood, their marriages, their adult lives and their past relationships.

Daisy Buchanan was raised in a wealthy American family, and had the appearance of a perfect upbringing. In reality, Daisy did live a ? white? (The Great Gatsby 20) childhood, pure and innocent. In fact, her childhood was so ideal that even her friend, Jordan Baker commented,

The largest of the banners and the largest of the lawns belonged to Daisy Fay?s house. She was just eighteen, two years older than me [Jordan], and by far the most popular of all the young gir...

... middle of paper ...

... what novel to look up. Also, page number does not need the (p.).

3. If you are using a quote four lines or longer, the quote should be separated from your text by indenting each line of the quote. The quote then does not need quotation marks. The indentation is enough to signal a quote.

4. Your thesis statement should be more detailed. List exactly what you are going to discuss within your paper. You have paragraphs concerning, Nicole and Daisy?s childhood, their marriage, their adult life and their past relationships. All of these should be included in your thesis statement. Their apparently perfect but actually flawed lives are shown in their childhood, their marriages, their adult lives and their past relationships. This way, your reader will know what to expect from your paper. Overall you have a strong paper that is well organized.