In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s idea of the American Dream was iconic. The lust for money and the endless pursuit of all things beautiful was a mentality that is now recognized as shaping the actions of many, including Fitzgerald. As he and his wife, Zelda, struggled with alcoholism, their lives quickly declined into depression and anxiety, yet they were under the impression of living a happy life. As literary executor John Callahan said, “In its American guise, the dream
Fitzgerald sought to realize flowed from that most elusive and original of the rights proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence” (Callahan 379). The pursuit of happiness, its unalienable right, influenced the culture and Fitzgeralds. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, …show more content…
are as guilty as I am” (Beshears 201). Their power quickly enabled citizens to fall into a life of recklessness and reach towards the “American Dream.” This was one of the major factors that led people to believe that beauty and wealth were directly related to happiness. During the pursuit of a satisfactory life, both F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his character from
“Winter Dreams,” Dexter, have self-worth that is dependent on the notion of beauty and money as what makes a person successful. Dexter is, in his own opinion, “probably making more money than any man my age in the Northwest. I know that’s an obnoxious remark, but you advised me to start right” (Fitzgerald 194). Although Dexter realizes the boastfulness of this remark, he uses it to identify himself as a power person in society. His wealth ranks his successfulness. Judy echoes these expectations herself, denying men on account of their lack of funds. Dexter embodies the “American Dreamer” because “he wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people-- he wanted the glittering things themselves” (188). He is not looking for the attention associated with wealth, but rather the wealth itself. After Dexter met Judy, she
Fitzgerald sought to realize flowed from that most elusive and original of the rights proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence” (Callahan 379). The pursuit of happiness, its unalienable right, influenced the culture and Fitzgeralds. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, …show more content…
are as guilty as I am” (Beshears 201). Their power quickly enabled citizens to fall into a life of recklessness and reach towards the “American Dream.” This was one of the major factors that led people to believe that beauty and wealth were directly related to happiness. During the pursuit of a satisfactory life, both F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his character from
“Winter Dreams,” Dexter, have self-worth that is dependent on the notion of beauty and money as what makes a person successful. Dexter is, in his own opinion, “probably making more money than any man my age in the Northwest. I know that’s an obnoxious remark, but you advised me to start right” (Fitzgerald 194). Although Dexter realizes the boastfulness of this remark, he uses it to identify himself as a power person in society. His wealth ranks his successfulness. Judy echoes these expectations herself, denying men on account of their lack of funds. Dexter embodies the “American Dreamer” because “he wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people-- he wanted the glittering things themselves” (188). He is not looking for the attention associated with wealth, but rather the wealth itself. After Dexter met Judy, she