Great Gatsby: The American Dream

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The American Dream, what is it? The American Dream, as stated by Anna Wulick in the article ("The Great Gatsby: The American Dream,") is, “the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough.” The American Dream was first publicly defined in 1931 coined up by James Truslow as he states, "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." As seen, James Truslow's definition of The American Dream differs from Anna Wulick's and that is because, over the course of time, The American Dream has taken on many meanings. For example, Fredrick …show more content…
The American Dream in To Kill a Mockingbird is conjured up by Atticus, fighting for justice for a former slave named Tom Robinson. His American Dream is known throughout the book as he fights for justice and for blacks and whites to finally be equal. Lee's perception of The American Dream would be equality for everyone and success comes through perseverance and belief. One example of this is Miss Maudie, after the fire in her house, Miss Maudie does not complain once. Instead, she sees this as an opportunity to build a better house, showing perseverance and her belief that this is a sign for …show more content…
It could mean achieving all the goals one set out for him or herself by hard work and determination or simply just being wealthy. Examples of differing meanings of The American Dream would be in the stories, Fredrick Douglas by Fredrick Douglas, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. These stories have a variety of examples of The American Dream and could really give one a perspective on how it has all really has changed. But, to put everything simply The American Dream is, after all, just a dream, unless
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