The False Hope of the American Dream
The 1920’s were times where the hope of the American Dream was rampant in the way that everyone was in pursuit of it. The American Dream was something that everyone sought for. People from various regions and background were desperate for this American Dream. Sadly, for most Americans who lacked the necessary wealth to do so failed. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how the American dream is unattainable to those without money through the symbolism of a flower. This flower is a daisy, which consist of a green stem, yellow core, and white petals. The stem is representative of the wealthy roots necessary for the American dream. The yellow core represents the reality and the white represent the American dream. In the …show more content…
White represents the American dream, which is the fairytale that everyone in America wants to live out. People who are wealthy are able to live out their fantasy more easily than those who lack the necessary components to do so. This first becomes evident when Mr. Wilson is being described. “A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit” The white ashen dust Is the little reminisce of the American dream Mr. Wilson has. This American dream however will never be reached due to his lack of money and low status. This is furthermore explained when Mr. McKee was first introduced stating, “He had just shaved for there was a white spot of lather on his cheekbone” (30). There is a minor presence of the American dream upon Mr. McKee’s cheek. This is his dream to be a photographer. Mr. McKee will not be able to live out his American dream due to his lack of wealth similar to Wilson. Him not being able to follow his American dream becomes more evident when Nick takes action to remove this hope of the American dream when the author states, “I wiped from his cheek the remains of the spot of dried lather that had worried me all the afternoon”(36). Although he will not be able to achieve his American dream it is always there lingering around him. He is brought back to reality when Nick wipes the dream off of his face …show more content…
The reality for the people of the Valley of Ashes is that they will not be able to achieve their American dream. They lack the green within their city, which is the wealth necessary in order to do so. The most notable time in which the reality is truly present is when the eyes of God are described when Fitzgerald illustrates God’s glasses when stating the he had a “pair of enormous yellow spectacles” (23), which look out unto the Valley of Ashes. These yellow spectacles represent the reality that is forever looming over the Valley of Ashes. The most important part of the quote is the fact that these glasses were real. This further emphasizes on yellow being the reality for people due to the fact that reality is looming around the people of the Valley of Ashes This is the reality that the ability for the people of this region to obtain their American dream is highly unlikely. Although the American dream is unattainable to those without wealth this does not stop them from pursuing this dream. This is further exemplified through Myrtle. Her “yellow brick house”(24) represents her reality, which is why whenever she is with Tom Buchanan she is able to escape this reality. When Myrtle believes she is escaping she is still stalked by reality, which Fitzgerald
The 1920’s were times where the hope of the American Dream was rampant in the way that everyone was in pursuit of it. The American Dream was something that everyone sought for. People from various regions and background were desperate for this American Dream. Sadly, for most Americans who lacked the necessary wealth to do so failed. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how the American dream is unattainable to those without money through the symbolism of a flower. This flower is a daisy, which consist of a green stem, yellow core, and white petals. The stem is representative of the wealthy roots necessary for the American dream. The yellow core represents the reality and the white represent the American dream. In the …show more content…
White represents the American dream, which is the fairytale that everyone in America wants to live out. People who are wealthy are able to live out their fantasy more easily than those who lack the necessary components to do so. This first becomes evident when Mr. Wilson is being described. “A white ashen dust veiled his dark suit” The white ashen dust Is the little reminisce of the American dream Mr. Wilson has. This American dream however will never be reached due to his lack of money and low status. This is furthermore explained when Mr. McKee was first introduced stating, “He had just shaved for there was a white spot of lather on his cheekbone” (30). There is a minor presence of the American dream upon Mr. McKee’s cheek. This is his dream to be a photographer. Mr. McKee will not be able to live out his American dream due to his lack of wealth similar to Wilson. Him not being able to follow his American dream becomes more evident when Nick takes action to remove this hope of the American dream when the author states, “I wiped from his cheek the remains of the spot of dried lather that had worried me all the afternoon”(36). Although he will not be able to achieve his American dream it is always there lingering around him. He is brought back to reality when Nick wipes the dream off of his face …show more content…
The reality for the people of the Valley of Ashes is that they will not be able to achieve their American dream. They lack the green within their city, which is the wealth necessary in order to do so. The most notable time in which the reality is truly present is when the eyes of God are described when Fitzgerald illustrates God’s glasses when stating the he had a “pair of enormous yellow spectacles” (23), which look out unto the Valley of Ashes. These yellow spectacles represent the reality that is forever looming over the Valley of Ashes. The most important part of the quote is the fact that these glasses were real. This further emphasizes on yellow being the reality for people due to the fact that reality is looming around the people of the Valley of Ashes This is the reality that the ability for the people of this region to obtain their American dream is highly unlikely. Although the American dream is unattainable to those without wealth this does not stop them from pursuing this dream. This is further exemplified through Myrtle. Her “yellow brick house”(24) represents her reality, which is why whenever she is with Tom Buchanan she is able to escape this reality. When Myrtle believes she is escaping she is still stalked by reality, which Fitzgerald