When the phrase “The American Dream” is referred to, many people will have an image spring to mind of a medium sized home with a white picket fence and a large, oak-type tree in the backyard. There, a brother and sister play fetch with a dog of indeterminate species, while a father flips hamburgers on a grill and a mother walks out of the door carrying buns for the midsummer picnic. The family is dressed well, they are up to date on the latest technology, and food is never an issue. It is very picturesque and stereotypical. As a society, we now recognize that dreams come in a wide variety. Some may dream of remaining single and traveling the world, while others dream of settling down and raising a family, and then there are others who hope
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However, he has a very cynical view of this dream. One of the generalities most often noted about Americans is that we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people. We bridle and buck under failure, and we go mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success. We spend our time searching for security, and hate it when we get it. For the most part we are an intemperate people… (Steinbeck).
While Steinbeck’s view is incredibly pessimistic, several other authors agree with him, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In their respective works, these authors state that Americans are never satisfied, as shown through characters like Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, Huck Finn, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchannan, and Nick Carraway. Hester Prynne was a woman who had almost everything. She had a wealthy husband who cared for her and an opportunity to travel to a new and exciting world. She should have been very content in her situation. However, her husband was not desirable to her, which led her to have an affair while he was still in England. He recognizes the lack of feeling in chapter four of The Scarlet Letter when the two are …show more content…
He has gone from rags to riches in less than five years, a feat that very few can accomplish even today. He is never wanting for company due to the “friends” he has gained through his lavish parties, his money allows him to participate in all kinds of activities, and he is well respected throughout the community. Yet he is unhappy and unfulfilled. Without the love and companionship of Daisy Buchannan, Gatsby feels like a failure. He is, as Steinbeck says, “[going] mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success.” His American Dream cannot be accomplished without getting the girl, and even when he manages to gain her love, it is not
However, he has a very cynical view of this dream. One of the generalities most often noted about Americans is that we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people. We bridle and buck under failure, and we go mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success. We spend our time searching for security, and hate it when we get it. For the most part we are an intemperate people… (Steinbeck).
While Steinbeck’s view is incredibly pessimistic, several other authors agree with him, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In their respective works, these authors state that Americans are never satisfied, as shown through characters like Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, Huck Finn, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchannan, and Nick Carraway. Hester Prynne was a woman who had almost everything. She had a wealthy husband who cared for her and an opportunity to travel to a new and exciting world. She should have been very content in her situation. However, her husband was not desirable to her, which led her to have an affair while he was still in England. He recognizes the lack of feeling in chapter four of The Scarlet Letter when the two are …show more content…
He has gone from rags to riches in less than five years, a feat that very few can accomplish even today. He is never wanting for company due to the “friends” he has gained through his lavish parties, his money allows him to participate in all kinds of activities, and he is well respected throughout the community. Yet he is unhappy and unfulfilled. Without the love and companionship of Daisy Buchannan, Gatsby feels like a failure. He is, as Steinbeck says, “[going] mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success.” His American Dream cannot be accomplished without getting the girl, and even when he manages to gain her love, it is not