The American Dream, Modernist Fiction

2189 Words5 Pages

The American Dream, Modernist Fiction Ever since America has emerged as its own nation, the idea of The American Dream has constantly evolved with ever changing ideas. During the Modernist Era, America was going through a time of prosperity and new economic wealth. These factors helped shape the American Dream during this time period. Americans' actions at the time, along with the fictional pieces from this time period, reflect these American ideals. The American Dream during the Modernist Era was best characterized by upward mobility and Americans bettering themselves, which is shown through Americans at this time, the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and, The American Dream. A major theme of the American Dream during the modernist fiction era was upward mobility and accomplishment. Along with Economic prosperity and economic opportunity came the idea of upward mobility. Upward mobility was the idea of moving up in the world financially and gaining a new wealth not owned before. "In the 19th century in particular, the term began to take on a more obvious secular orientation ( moving up in this world by no means precluded moving up in the next one" (Cullen 59). The dream of upward mobility had shifted mindsets away from religion. People were no longer focused on the life after death, but more on the current life. The focus of obtaining the dream of upward mobility had taken over lifestyles in the 19th century. Money and wealth appealed heavily to people at the time, which is where they found their comfort. This is why religion played less of a role in everyday life. There were new motivations that moved away from just being able to provide for their family to focusing on moving up more and accomplishing more and gaining a new... ... middle of paper ... ...ashington Monthly 45.1/2 (2013): 45. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Cullen, Jim. The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation. New York: Oxford, 2003. Print. Faulkner, William.“A Rose for Emily”.Elements of Literature:FifthCourse.Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008.(720-727). Print. Foroohar, Rana. "WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO UPWARD MOBILITY? (Cover Story)." Time 178.19 (2011): 26-34. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. F.Scott, Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, n.d. Print Hemingway,Ernest.“A Soldiers Home”.Elements of Literature:FifthCourse.Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2008.(685-691). Print. “Roaring Twenties.” pbs.org. PBS, n.d.Web.4-25-14. Topolnicki, Denise M., and James Schnepf. "The American Dream And Today's Reality." Money 21.10 (1992): 98. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Bob Herbert Hiding From Reality Rhetorical Analysis

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society the idea of “American Dream” has become a controversial and widely interpreted issue that awaked opinions and research from professionals in fields such as Economics and Journalism because of the concept that in general the American dream involves. In his essay, “Hiding from Reality,” Bob Herbert examines how the achievement of the American dream is affected by the economy and quality of education in American society, and the effect of the inadequate utilization of the sources by the politicians will impact future generations. Despite his diverse points of view to determine if the American dream is still a viable element in today’s US society, the restauration of the American

    Read More

  • Summary Of American Dream By Brandon King

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    People who work hard enough become successful and build a good life for themselves and their family. Millions of Americans and others who admire America have believed this for generations. However, is this still true? Brandon King debates his interpretation of the American Dream in his published work, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” During his essay, the speaker highlights how important the American Dream is to the economy and providing a distance from inequality. The speaker emphasizes his belief that the American Dream is still alive within America and that people must work hard to achieve it. When discussing the American Dream, King will agree that the idea is alive and thriving in the minds of Americans; yet, I argue that the idea is on hold within American society due to lack of upward social independence and economic mobility.

    Read More

  • Sklar and the Economist: Inequality in America

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Economist. “Inequality and the American Dream”. They Say I Say. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print.

    Read More

  • Materialism and Manipulation in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...on materialism and social class. While novel is widely considered a zeitgeist of the time period, it is also a warning for the American Dream. Although the Dream is not Marxist materialism, it is certainly not traditional individualism and freedom. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby poses a question: what is the American Dream?

    Read More

  • Comparing the American Dream of the Transcendentalists with that of The Great Gatsby

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Dream remains viewed as the success which one obtains. The American Dream has had a great impact on literature as well as an impact on the changing of time periods. The 19th century Transcendentalists’ idea of the American Dream focuses on reaching one’s goals by honest, hard work. On the other hand, Gatsby’s idea of the American Dream in the 20th century centers on becoming successful by way of illegal money that was not acquired through working. Ultimately, the Transcendental and Gatsby’s beliefs reveal a great deal of contrast.

    Read More

  • Essay On The American Dream In Tim O Brien

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    We were raised considering the jobs we could do in the future and the universities we may attend; we heard that hard work and dedication was the only essential to fly in this world. Everyone was aware of the standard of living that was expected and few hesitated to buy into the legendary dream. The American Dream itself is what we all grew up desiring. Suburban homes, multiple cars, hefty paychecks and fantasy vacations are its elements. The American Dream is exclusive and unsatisfying at its core.

    Read More

  • Obstacles of the American Dream

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hargreaves, Steve. "The myth of the American Dream." CNNMoney. CNN, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 April, 2014.

    Read More

  • Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity by Roland Marchand

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Dream is a concept that has been wielded in American Literature since its beginnings. The ‘American Dream’ ideal follows the life of an ordinary man wanting to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The original goal of the American dream was to pursue freedom and a greater good, but throughout time the goals have shifted to accumulating wealth, high social status, etc. As such, deplorable moral and social values have evolved from a materialistic pursuit of happiness. In “Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity”, Roland Marchand describes a man that he believed to be the prime example of a 1920’s man. Marchand writes, “Not only did he flourish in the fast-paced, modern urban milieu of skyscrapers, taxicabs, and pleasure- seeking crowds, but he proclaimed himself an expert on the latest crazes in fashion, contemporary lingo, and popular pastimes.” (Marchand) This description shows material success as the model for the American Dream. In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald reveals the characterization of his characters through the use of symbols and motifs to emphasize the corruption of the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Significance Of The Mafia In The Great Gatsby

    1736 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before 1931, the phrase “American Dream” did not exist (Churchwell 344) the way it does now. But in that year, James Truslow Adams wrote a book called The Epic of America, which declared that “the American dream of a better, richer, happier life for all of our citizens of every rank, which is the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world...Ever since we became an independent nation, each generation has seen an uprising of ordinary Americans to s...

    Read More

  • Prejudice Destroyed the American Dream

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    Years ago, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. In recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment and interest rates have skyrocketed. The “American Dream” is an idea that was once a commonly accepted ideology in this country. It has since become only a fallacy. The “American Dream” is no longer an attainable idea, only a fantasy. The “American Dream” is not a true dream that will ever be equally attainable by everyone.

    Read More

  • The Impossible American Dream

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby - Dreams of Happiness

    1685 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Dream seems almost non-existent to those who haven’t already achieved it. Every character in the novel has moments of feeling happy and endures a moment where they believe that they are about to achieve their dreams. Naturally everyone dreams of being a better person, having better things and in 1920’s America, the scheme of getting rich is quick. However, each character had their dreams crushed in the novel mainly because of social and economic situations and their dream of happiness becomes a ‘dead dream’ leading them back to their ‘shallow lives’ or no life at all.

    Read More

  • The Evolution of the American Dream

    1649 Words  | 4 Pages

    Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materialism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties.

    Read More

  • The Modernist Period And The American Dream

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many periods throughout history that have made and shaped the nation. Starting when the nation was founded and leading all the way up to present day. Throughout the years there has always been the idea of an American Dream. The Modernist period is a time in American history that starts the beginning of breaking away from tradition. This era is estimated by many to be between the years of 1910 to 1940. Society during the Modernist era emphasized an immense deal on the idea of becoming someone or making a name for oneself. It was a time of change and prosperity, and the formation of a new American Dream. During the American Modernist period, Americans broke away from traditional writing styles and conservative lifestyles; transforming the American dream, into living leisurely and to the fullest.

    Read More

  • The American Dream Expressed Through The Pursuit of Happiness

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Evensvold, Marty D. "The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation." Library Journal Dec. 2001: 200. General OneFile. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

More about The American Dream, Modernist Fiction

Open Document