What Is The Basis Of The American Dream

“The American Dream” is an idea known by many throughout the world, but for each person, can have a very different meaning. Although there are different opinions on what it really is, the basis of the American Dream can be described as the idea of freedom, equality, and opportunity for a citizen of the U.S. Although it would be ideal if this were true for everyone, for many, the idea of “The American Dream” stays an idea, and only for some it becomes a goal they spend their whole life working for. The book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a prime example of this situation. In the 1920s The American Dream was considered being very wealthy, having a significant other, and not having a worry in the world besides who is going to host the next party. Some may argue that The American Dream vanished in this era, due to the rise of the importance of class. Daisy, the main female character, gets so caught up in perfecting her image to society, that she sets aside the big picture in life, happiness, and dedicates herself to her image. With this choice comes consequences and many miserable days for her. Daisy is worried about how she is reflected upon to others and not what is best for herself. A quote from the story that reflects this is, “You always look so …show more content…
Often times this is determined by your class, the story leads you to believe the upper class are usually the most likely to be the ones to make this sacrifice. The book says otherwise. Gatsby, the main male character, spends his entire life, creating a “perfect” dream for the love of his life, Daisy. Instead of conforming to the idea of the dream that he was given by society, he creates his own with hopes of winning the heart of the one he cares about. This is where the two main characters hit a bump in the road, the character who is a part of the “new money” society lives his life for someone else, whereas the member of “old money” lives for