The American Dream in Citizen Kane and The Great Gatsby

2279 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The concept of the American dream

The United States of America is the most powerful and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The accessories add to the package according to the individuality of the American Dream. And, perhaps along with the "melting pot" includes the entangled extremes of each American's dream; the degree of the Dream is now ambiguous in terms of boundaries. Perhaps the American Dream varies for the individual as the individual varies.

Charles Foster Kane possessed everything the materialistic man could hope for. Kane had more money than he could count, power, a successful job, women at the crook of his arm, and expensive possessions some men would go to the extremes to have. Yet, Charles constantly had a vast void within him. The most important element Kane lacked was the single thing he couldn't have; that was love.

"You won't get lonely, Charles... You'll be the richest man in the world someday." Kane's mother and father try to use the image of money as collateral for giving him up. Charles experienced a great deal of loss in his early childhood. The traumatizing emotions of insecurity and disposition caused by his moving away from home are the roots of Charles' agonizing yearn to be loved. Sadly, Charles didn't have a long bond from his mother, but he loved her; Charles' mother never loved her son. "I've had his trunk packed for a week now." Charles' mother had his trunk ready ahead of time in anxiousness for him to leave. She signed the contracts without any hesitation and showed no signs of emotion in her stone face. Charles' unreturned love creates a sense of fear and hesitation to love something, only to experience abandonment again. Iron...

... middle of paper ...

...things in life, she turns back to Tom. Daisy knows she cannot have both. Even though her marriage with Tom does not consist of love, it is stable. Daisy, conscious of this stability, stays with what she feels secure, ignoring the bond she has formed with Jay. Similar to Susan Alexander, when Daisy Buchanan finally achieves what she thought she needed in her life, she returns to what she had before. But for Daisy, she returned to aristocracy and Susan returned to a more subtle, ordinary lifestyle where she could blend with society as Susan Alexander, not as an aristocrat.

Along with the ingredients of the "melting pot" are the jumbled ideas of the American Dream. Is there only one Dream? Perhaps it is simply happiness. No matter if it's money, love, security or a palace, a snow sled, or a green light, whatever it may be that fills the blank space in your heart, the Dream will create a sense of absolute contentment within yourself. As for some of us, simple, unconditional things can fill those blanks, and for others, possessions may occupy them, but the unbounded span of the Dream includes the unbounded span of the individual American.

Show More
Related

  • The American Dream in The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the United States there is an idea many pursue called the American dream, which differs from person to person. The American dream according to americanradioworks.publicradio.org is “a revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition”. Yet it has been said there is no real definition of American dream, instead it merely proves that it has an unconscious influence in American mentality (Ştiuliuc 1). The American dream is different for each person because everyone yearns for things that will they hope will in return make them happy. Whatever that may be, each person goes through different struggles to obtain what they want. According to Frederic Carpenter, the American dream “has never been defined exactly, and probably never can be. It is both too various and too vague” (3). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse depicts the different interpretations on what the American dream actually is through the opinions and actions of Hector Esperanza, Efren Mendoza and Mrs. Calhoun.

    Read More

  • Frodo Franchise Essay

    1420 Words  | 3 Pages

    ..., and creating CGI and miniature sets according to illustrations by famous Tolkien artists. These examples that Thompson gave all were able to convince me of the significance of how the films were made.

    Read More

  • American Dream In The Great Gatsby

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

        America, known as the land of the free; where opportunity and prosperity are just waiting to be discovered. Where the hope and promise of a better tomorrow, wait around every corner from the hustle and bustle of New York City to the serene living of Buford, Wyoming. Merriam-Webster’s definition of the “American Dream” is “a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful.”  Anyone, regardless of their circumstances of birth or socioeconomic status, with enough hard work and determination can achieve this “American Dream”. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald can be portrayed as a critique of

    Read More

  • Historical Significance of Lord of the Rings Movies: The Frodo Experience by Kristin Thompson

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Film theorist Kristin Thompson decided to explore her love for Tolkien’s work and her passion for film by writing “The Frodo Experience” Thompson explains her claim in the introduction. (Rings) “can fairly claim to be one of the most historically significant films ever made.” She wrote the book, to trace its influences in filmmaking, marketing, and merchandising; as well as its impact on the New Zealand film industry that existed before the trilogy came there. Bottom line; Thompson did a good job at explaining why the film held such historical significance. She talks in depth about the costumes, props and different technology designed specifically for this film. The Rings changed how movies were made.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Beliefs In Othello

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    So that there can be falsehood a relation must involve someone judging or believing. Russell uses Othello as an example in this relation "Desdemona 's love for Cassio" this does not truly exist, what does exist is the relation of Othello 's mind with the objects in the belief which are Desdemona, loving, Cassio and Othello, this is a relation of four terms. Belief is the relation that Othello has to all of these terms, his act of believing unites all of these terms into a complex whole. Belief is what relates the objects or "constituents" Cassio, Desdemona and loving together with the judge or object Othello. There is also a direction or order in which the objects are placed this is acknowledge by "Cassio loves Desdemona" being a different statement then "Desdemona loves Cassio." Within the statement "Othello believes that Desdemona loves Cassio," It is not loving which forms the complex but how the object relates to the subjects that creates the complex unity in this case it is Othello 's act of believing that cements the relation between the subject and objects. This leads Russell to the conclusion that beliefs are true when correspond to an associated complex and false they aren 't. This is the nature of truth. The constituents are put in an order that are united by a relation which in the case of Othello is "Loving" which are also the objects of the belief. This complex unity is referred to as the " fact corresponding to the belief" meaning that statements are true when and if there are existing corresponding

    Read More

  • Failure of the American Dream in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tom and Daisy Buchanan, the rich couple, seem to have everything they could possibly want. Though their lives are full of anything you could imagine, they are unhappy and seek to change, Tom drifts on "forever seeking a little wistfully for the dramatic turbulence of some irrecoverable football game"(pg. 10) and reads "deep books with long words in them"(pg. 17) just so he has something to talk about. Even though Tom is married to Daisy he has an affair with Myrtle Wilson and has apartment with her in New York.. Daisy is an empty character, someone with hardly any convictions or desires. Even before her relationships with Tom or, Gatsby are seen, Daisy does nothing but sit around all day and wonder what to do with herself and her friend Jordan. She knows that Tom is having an affair, yet she doesn't leave him even when she hears about Gatsby loving her. Daisy lets Gatsby know that she too is in love with him but cant bring herself to tell Tom goodbye except when Gatsby forces her too. Even then, once Tom begs her to stay, even then Daisy forever leaves Gatsby for her old life of comfort. Daisy and Tom are perfect examples of wealth and prosperity, and the American Dream. Yet their lives are empty, and without purpose.

    Read More

  • The Cardiovascular System

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, blood vessels and the blood and its main functions include the transportation of blood around the body, protection from invading microorganisms and to prevent blood loss through haemostasis. (Widamaier, et al 2011:5)

    Read More

  • Impact of the Bubonic Plague on Renaissance Europe

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although the Renaissance consisted of discovering new and exciting topics, a major outbreak had occurred. This outbreak was known as the Bubonic Plague or the “Black Death” which had arrived in Europe in 1348 (Woodville). The Bubonic Plague impacted Europe and Europeans negatively economically, politically, and socially.

    Read More

  • The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And Of Mice And Men

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    Americans live in constant pursuit of what they want more than anything, the American Dream. The perception of the American Dream varies from person to person, depending on what they hope to accomplish. In The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men the American Dream manifests in various extravagant and corrupt forms. The lives of these characters revolve around achieving their version of the American Dream.

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    "The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby and the American Dream

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby”, is one of the few novels he wrote in 1925. The novel takes place during the 1920’s following the 1st World War. It is written about a young man named Nick, from the east he moved to the west to learn about the bond business. He ends up moving next to a mysterious man named Gatsby who ends up giving him the lesion of his life.

    Read More

  • Diet, Pescetarianism, And The Mediterranean Diet

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    The fat is obtained mostly from olive oil and moderate amounts of poultry, dairy, red meat, and fish. The low saturated fat and high fiber content of this diet has shown many positive results. It has been known to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and strokes. There have also been studies that say this diet can reduce your risk of getting cancer. As the title describes, this diet originated in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. These countries include: Italy, Greece, southern France, and Spain. Compared to other diets, it’s meal plans consist of very few processed foods. While some people might think that this diet is extreme, there’s a diet that’s even more

    Read More

  • Cardiovascular System Physiology

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    The cardiovascular system is responsible for supplying nutrients throughout the body and removing gaseous waste from the body. The cardiovascular system is made up of heart, blood and blood vessels. Arteries, veins and capillaries are the blood vessels of the cardiovascular system.

    Read More

  • The Hobbit Film Analysis

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    Peter Jackson directed three films that is a part of The Hobbit trilogy. The films are called An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again. It is an adaption of the 1937 novel by J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Jackson has also directed the prequel of The Hobbit films called the The Lord of the Rings (film series).

    Read More

  • The American Dream And The Reality Of The American Nightmare

    1403 Words  | 3 Pages

    Due to continuous changes in the concept of the American Dream throughout its prolonged existence, it is difficult to have one sole definition. The American Dream has always been a major concept that stems off of many ideas such as liberty, prosperity, equality, and opportunity, which still exists, to some degree, in our vision of the Dream today. America has always been known as the “land of opportunity” and has always emphasized the importance of future generations surpassing the success of their previous ones. But just because our present concept of the Dream may seem to overlap past concepts, it does not mean the Dream has remained what it was in the past. Actually, it is an entirely new image, morphed by social, political, and economic issues. What has it become? A society corrupted by materialism and deteriorated by the failing economy, leaving younger Americans hopeless and older Americans fearful of America’s future. It’s alarming that Americans are constantly taking their rights and freedom for granted, always wanting more than they can get– and quite honestly, what they can get is not even that much to begin with. As our economy collapses into chaotic hardships and our desires override our moral obligations, the American Dream has ultimately become the American Nightmare.

    Read More

More about The American Dream in Citizen Kane and The Great Gatsby

Open Document