Indledning
The American Dream is a concept that has been a fundamental part of American culture for centuries.
It is often described as the idea that through hard work and determination, anyone can achieve success and prosperity.
However, despite its long-standing presence in American culture, the American Dream remains a contested and divisive concept, with different views on what it represents and whether it is truly achievable.
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Uddrag
Another key point is therefore whether or not you are spending your life chasing an unrealistic dream. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) creates a different picture of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby, who is the American ideal of a self-made man.
Nevertheless, Gatsby represents a criticism of this ideal. He only became a self-made man through questionable and illegal methods, which contrasts with the ideal of achieving success through honest, hard work.
Additionally, Gatsby does not find true happiness in his wealth, as he is uncomfortable at his own parties and unable to connect with his wealthy peers, who view him with disdain or mistrust despite his generosity.
On that basis, Fitzgerald both argues that the path to fulfilling the American Dream is not always hard, hones work, and that self-made individuals, despite being the ideal in America, often face rejection from those with ´´old money´´ who have inherited most of their wealth and belong to good families.
In fact, the economically successful people are often those who are willing to bend the law. Fitzgerald also lets the narrator Nick make critical comments on the American Dream, ´´Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter - to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…
And one fine morning -´´ (Fitzgerald 1925, 138). The green lig ht is a symbol of Gatsby’s dream, which is his hope for a life with Daisy.
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