Do obstacles in one’s life change one’s aspirations? If something hard or even unexpected occurs, does one turn his or her back on all that has been worked for? In an American society, there is an idea of a dream. Most people have dreams that differ from one another. Dreams are not limited only to society. Countless numbers of times in American literature, there are moments when an obstacle slows or possibly halts progression. Dreams can also be found in American literature; however, like the reality of society, barriers can be a component of having aspirations. Barriers create obstacles, whether emotional or physical, that make achieving a …show more content…
Tragically for Gatsby, barriers of love and money keep him from attaining his dream to be with Daisy.
Not all dreams deal with love and money together. The dream of Lennie and
George in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is to own land and animals of their own.
They are so passionate about their dream; Lennie asks George many times to tell him again of their goals and pursuits. Just like The Great Gatsby, there are obstacles that accompany their dream. A barrier that occurs early on in their aspirations is that Lennie gets in trouble, and he and George have to leave Weed. Lennie grabbed a woman’s dress because he thought it was pretty and he wanted to touch it. She
Screams. “‘By that time Lennie’s so scared all he can think to do is just hold on’”
(Steinbeck 41). This upsets many people. Consequently, George and Lennie leave their job to relocate to a new place for work. This is a struggle financially for them, having to abandon work, because it slows their progression in fulfilling their dream.
The lack of money is a significant barrier for Lenie and George. In order to live out their dream, they need to have the money to purchase the land and animals. …show more content…
When
Rudy gets older and plays more intense football, his bigger teammates pound him.
After beating the odds of becoming a Notre Dame walk‐on, Rudy begins practices with the university team. His is in the lowest of ranks. He is used as a target and a dummy for tackling. The older, bigger men charge into him hard and because he is small he struggles at every practice. Not only is size a challenge that Rudy faces, but he also struggles with the support of his family, friends, and teachers. From his youth he has been discouraged of his dream from his father. When he was young,
Rudy told his family about his dream to play football for Notre Dame. In response to his statement, his father laughs at him. In an attempt to make Rudy reconsider,
Rudy’s father says, “’Chasing a stupid dream causes nothing but you and everyone around you heart ache’” (Rudy movie). His own father expresses disappointment and doubt to Rudy for having an impossible dream. While attending high school,
Rudy’s teacher makes several comments to him that dampens his spirit. The