Evolution of the American Dream in the Great Gatsby

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The Evolution of the American Dream Before entering the Roaring Twenties, one of the interpretations of the American Dream was about equality amongst all people within society regardless of skin color or education. However, the Roaring Twenties brought forth the birth of mass culture, causing the American Dream to divert to something much different. With his novel The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals the transition of the American Dream from equality to money, which is prevalent through Nick Carraway’s reflection of advice from his father, Tom Buchanan’s feeling of superiority towards George Wilson, as well as Jay Gatsby’s constant wild parties. Racial inequality has always been present and was prevalent in the 1920s. Many felt as if an individual had colored skin, he or she was worth less than an individual who was not colored which brought conflicts with education and social rankings and caused more criticism amongst society. With that, the hope for equality amongst all people, not just the non-colored people, was brought to life which became known as the American Dream. Not only did the American Dream serve as hope for equality, but also as a life lesson of not being judgmental. This lesson was taught to Nick Carraway by his father who once told him “whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (Fitzgerald 1). Nick always carried around this advice and used it when he felt it necessary because he knew that if he held other people up to his own moral standards, he will misunderstand them. With the Roaring Twenties came the birth of mass culture which included the introduction of the Jazz era and rid society of most of the inequality and judgment thus allowing the original theme of the American Dream to ring true. Unfortunately though, the original

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