The Great Gatsby Synthesis Essay

The American Dream is dead and people are now concerned with just holding on to what they have.

Sources:

Source A (Fitzgerald)
Disillusion of the American Dream
Gatsby does unethical things to get wealthy and still tries to pursue his delusion of Daisy (the green light); continues to chase hopes and dreams
The American Dream states that with hard work people come rich. Fitzgerald questions this value. Gatsby’s story presents the unrealisticness/falsehood of the tradition/original American dream.
Gatsby and George both who want to achieve something are dead in the end; represents death of American values
Gatsby could never reach the green light. He represents the corrupted American Dream.
Old American Dream is replaced with wealth, greed, and materialism
Dream remains

an illusion to most people; those with old money remain superficial

Source B (Anzaldua)
Disillusion of the American Dream
American was viewed as the land of opportunities by immigrants
Mexican parents want their children to learn english and become successful

These people encountered difficulties when trying to pursue the American Dream
Ethnic racism; not equal opportunity to become successful
American Dream proves to be unrealistic for these immigrants and their children

Source E (Cooper)
The American Dream is starting to become just a dream- People are not believing in the American Dream
Current working class people are now focusing on the things that symbolized the American Dream
2000s “lost decade”
New economy: less jobs and low wages
Currently people believe that the United States no longer offers an equal chance to get ahead (logos)
Instead of moving up in class, people are concerned with holding on to what they have
People are concern with falling behind than moving up

Source F (Meacham)
The American Dream might be slipping away in this period
Certain key goods are making it harder for people to reach the middle-class status
“The American Dream is under profound economic and cultural pressure.”
Dream is becoming elusive due to the widening gap of wealthy
No equal opportunity to achieve success
Restoration of the American Dream: Relieving and expanding the middle class, fuel economic growth, no politician can restore the American

Dream

Key points
Disillusion of the American Dream: unrealistic
Changing view of the American Dream due to new economy, wealth gap, cultural pressure; result people hold on to what they have instead of reaching to move up the class ladder
Restoration of the American Dream

Introduction: The American Dream is an ideal that every American citizen can achieve success through hard work and determination. This idea of upward mobility through laboring became a prominent aspect of American history and culture. The hope and desire for success had ignited in the hearts of many Americans. And yet this ideal, that once characterised the lives of so many Americans, is gradually dying and people are just concerned with holding onto what they have.
Thesis: The American Dream is becoming unrealistic and unattainable, resulting in the changing views of the old American Dream. Many aspects have blocked the way of the dream’s restoration as its continues to fade away.