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Delve into the American Dream through "The Great Gatsby" characters, analyzing wealth, equality, and happiness in the 1920s. Explore who embodies this dream and how it reflects societal values. Reflect on the critique of materialism and the fading essence of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece.
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THE AMERICAN DREAM An Introduction to the Idea and its Development
The Declaration of independence states: • All men are created equal and that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
What is the American Dream? • The belief that every citizen can achieve a "better, richer, and happier life”. -James Truslow Adams (1931) • Democratic ideas mean that the American people can achieve prosperity through hard work.
So,Think about gatsby’s 1920s: • Was it about achieving equality? -are people all treated equally? - Tom vs Gatsby; Tom vs Wilson • Was it about money? • Was it about happiness? So, which character has achieved THE AMERICAN DREAM?
WHO REPRESENTS THE AMERICAN DREAM? Why or why not? • GATSBY? • TOM? • DAISY? • JORDAN? • NICK?
F. Scott Fitzgerald • The wave of wealth and prosperity in the American 1920s led to a widespread criticism of materialism and consumption by many Modern authors, notably by Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby.
F. Scott Fitzgerald • The Great Gatsby questions the American obsession with wealth, pointing out many of the flaws inherent in an idea of “success” built around wealth. • Implies that the American Dream might be dying – the positive aspects of the Dream might be being forgotten in favor of material wealth.
WATCH: • The Great Gatsby: THUG NOTES • Gatsby's American Dream: Reading The Great Gatsby Critically, Chapter 1