French Riviera

In life, almost everyone pursues three simple concepts which they believe will render a perfect life; freedom, independence, and success. The three ideas are the concepts that constitute what has been named as the American dream, a beautiful dream that gives hope to people. The American dream is, therefore, a belief that anyone in America can succeed regardless of their gender, race, class, or nationality, only if they work hard. It presents an American society that disregards problems like…

Everyone is always chasing a dream they have, hoping one day that they will get it or it will come true. Sometimes this might not be the best case because if someone's dream comes true, then what is next? In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays a man, Jay Gatsby, who will never attain his dream to be with a girl, Daisy. Fitzgerald shows that unrealistic dreams will not be achieved; they are supposed to be practical and attainable because if dreams are unrealistic, then they will…

The American Dream was originally about the discovery of happiness and equality. However, In the novel “The Great Gatsby”, Fitzgerald manages to illustrate how this dream became perverted into a desire for wealth and the belief that money is the key to happiness. For many, the prospect of achieving the “American Dream” became a moral vacuum and led to recklessness, selfishness and destruction. Fitzgerald uses symbols and motifs including decadent parties, the valley of the Ashes, the Eyes of T.J…

The famous short story “The Dead” published in 1907 in the book Dubliners by James Joyce represents the social, politic and economic aspects of Dublin in the pre-war period. This story that could seem unfilmable, was transformed into a 83 minutes movie by the director John Huston. The film follows meticulously the plot and enhances the themes of jealousy and intellectual pride through an Epiphany dinner in the Morkan's house. Many lines have been taken directly from the story. Joyce's…

Having a great deal of money, and wealth is often an advantage in life, but does not necessarily fill the void of happiness in one's life. F. Scott Fitzgerald displays how Gatsby is one of the most affluent men alive, yet he is unhappy because he is missing the factor of love in his life. The Great Gatsby takes place in the New York City and Long Island area during the roaring 20’s, subsequently, World War I. During the Roaring 20’s the economy grew, the majority of people live in cities, and…

There is a saying in one of the old sanskrit shlokas. विध्या ददाति विनयम् विनयाध्याति पात्रताम्। पात्रत्वात् धनमाप्नोति धनात्धर्मः ततस्सुखम्।। Meaning : Education / knowledge gives politeness, politeness gives character Character gives wealth/money and with money do dharma /righteousness and dharma gives happiness. Money can't give you happiness but with what you do with it might! We live in a material world and most of our lives depend on materials for happiness and comfort. All of these…

Chasing Pseudo Dreams: The pursuit for The American Dream in “Winter Dreams” F. Scott Fitzgerald brilliantly highlights one man’s pursuit of the American Dream in his short story “Winter Dreams.” He uses the protagonist Dexter to emphasize the shortcomings of money in America, and one’s vision of money in the 1920s. In “Winter Dreams,” Fitzgerald uses the protagonist Dexter’s unrealistic vision of the American dream to emphasize the shortcomings of the dream, which ultimately lead to Dexter’s…

The American Dream: Evaluated Through The Death of Ivan Ilych The dictionary definition for the American dream is “A life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.” (Dictionary.com). Sounds perfect does it not? However, Ivan in Leo Tolstoy’s novel The Death of Ivan Ilych, appears to be pursuing the American Dream. He has a position with great power and status, possessions, and an excellent salary; every action he makes is based on a desire for…

Power comes in many shapes and forms, for some it is achieving societal recognition over others or by owning commodities, sometimes portrayed as love. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is faced with the search for power, which is represented by Daisy Buchanan, a young lover of Gatsby’s. He faces a journey to reconnect with his unreachable love that was forbidden from him due to his poor economic background. Gatsby changes his way of life and strives to achieve upper class…

The greatest promise of America is the American Dream. The American Dream promises its citizens that if you work hard, you will have wealth, well-being, and happiness. Many immigrants came to America hoping to fulfill this amazing promise of success. Even today, it is the light at the end of the tunnel for many hard workers. Arthur Miller, a renowned playwright of the early 20th century, warns them of this enormous lie. One of his famous works, “Death of a Salesman,” tells the truth about this…