Perspectives on the American Dream in Literature

From its founding, America has been portrayed as the land of opportunity. We have been fed this idea of how wonderful it is and even though many have proved how hard it is to make it, many others work hard to keep the idea alive. The fact that we all believe in this idea keeps the idea going; the idea that is America.
Through the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and William Faulkner we have witnessed these characters working towards making it in America. America was founded on the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The characters, although they each had different hopes and dreams, showed their desire to better themselves. They all had the determination of having something that they have been working hard, and they each saw that as their idea of happiness. That ultimately is what the American Dream is about.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, we meet Jay Gatsby. Gatsby went from rags to riches and was known for throwing extravagant parties. Gatsby’s dream, however, was to be with the love of his life Daisy Buchanan. In the end, Jay Gatsby

This is the story of the Burden family, a poor family that lives on a farm in Yoknapatawpha County. This story, because of the many characters, gives you a look into each individual’s idea of happiness. They each have something they are working towards, and they each think that if they get to achieve what they want it will bring them happiness. However, if we stop and think about this. In today’s society, we always long for something. We work hard to be able to obtain what we want, but once we get it, there’s something more that we continue to want. Something new, something we do not have that we will now work hard to obtain. It is a desire that American’s have. The idea of being able to obtain their happiness by not giving up, even when poverty may have a great impact on their