The Pursuit Of The American Dream By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Kristin Liu Research Paper Date due: June 10, 2015 Date turned in: June 15, 2015 Self Demise in the Pursuit of the American Dream The 1920s was a time when parties and prosperity were abundant. This created the view that everything was possible and eventually led to the idea of the American Dream. The American Dream was the thought that if one lives in America, then they are living in a land of opportunity. The perception was that an individual, through hard work, can be successful when in America regardless of their situation. However, an inevitable truth that is often untold is the fact that the American Dream is only a dream that few can achieve. As shown in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s books, The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise, the pursuit of the American Dream proves to result in one’s demise. Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby and Amory Blaine in This Side of Paradise are unsuccessful in their attempt to attain the attention of the person they like, lose connections with people, and their wealth did not get them as far in life as they thought it would. In This Side of Paradise, Amory Blaine pu t in a lot of effort trying to appear successful in order to feel accepted, or normal. He attends a private boarding school, then to the prestigious Princeton University, in the hopes that â€Å"his nearest approach to success [can be achieved] through conformity† (110). He even joins the football team, writes for the school newspaper, and participates in various clubs in order toShow MoreRelatedThemes Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1503 Words   |  7 PagesThe American dream is the ideal that every human that lives in the United States of America has an equal opportunity to fulfill success and achieve happiness. The failure of the American dream is an evident theme in the novel. 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