The American Dream In The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of...

â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (Independence Hall Association, 2011).† This exert from The Declaration of Independence provides a look on America and how life is meant to be lived; with all individuals having an equal right to exist. This existence includes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This beacons to one vital idea, one main vision, which creates a fundamental dream. This dream is the American Dream, and is the ideology that life should be richer, fuller, and more sustainable for the common man. The idea influences viewpoints that anything can be†¦show more content†¦As stated, â€Å"It was a strange coincidence,’ (Nick) said. But it wasn’t a coincidence at all.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay (Fitzgerald, 2011).† This further proves that Gatsby’s only purpose in life is to live for the opportunity to associate with Daisy. When this happens, Gatsby is ecstatic, but this later comes plummeting down. As is shown, the American Dream fluctuates from person to person, thus making a false implementation of success, when the idea of success can just be altered to fit. Considering that it can be changed to fit, the American Dream is thus never truly met, only falsely acclaimed. Grapes shows this by having the Joads change from their previous dream, to farm on their owned land, to the present dream, of moving to California and finding sustainable work there. The American Dream can only be reasonable and fit the situation at hand, which why it is always allowed to be changed. This proves that it is never truly met, as exceptions and excuses can and will be made, due to human nature. In Gatsby, also, the American Dream is only somewhat accomplished, as though Gatsby associates with Daisy, she cann ot seem to completely commit to him. This eventually gets Gatsby killed, and Daisy moving on to where the money is. For Gatsby, in that short while when he and Daisy connected, the American Dream seems to be achieved forShow MoreRelatedScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath1720 Words   |  7 PagesScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath In the novels The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the authors present similar ideas, but use different methods to portray them. Similarities in themes can be made between the two texts; these include the pursuit of the American Dream and the use and misuse of wealth. 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