The American Dream: Is It Worth Pursuing?

2043 Words9 Pages
Looking more deeply into the American Dream of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman with its elusive idea of promises and possibilities that may come to mind, it is evident that the Dream is not as divine and glorious as it may appear. Both works draw attention to the immorality that is often experienced by those desperately trying to achieve the dream. The delusions for one to believe that they will attain the Dream is also expressed in both works, as they emphasize the intangibility of the Dream. Finally, Miller and Fitzgerald discuss the superficiality and phoniness of the Dream and its materialistic nature. The criticism of the American Dream provided in both works leaves one wondering what sense there is in pursuing the Dream when the journey in achieving it is sure to be be difficult and, more likely than not, result in failure. In both works, many of the characters’s desires to achieve their dream can be so dominant that they find themselves going to great lengths in order to come closer to achieving it, often destroying their moral values while doing so. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s encouragement towards his sons to steal, cheat, and lie, is a testament to the measures to which he goes to in the pursuit of his dream. Stolen objects, such as basketballs, a football and a pen, reoccur throughout the play. After Biff “borrows” a ball from school, Willy excuses, and more or less encourages this behaviour, telling Biff that “Coach’ll probably congratulate [him] on [his] initiative!” (Miller, 30) Additionally, he lies to his wife regarding his job, feebly trying to preserve his dignity. In covering up his inability to get a job in New York City he does not admit his defeat, instead, he states that “they don’t need me in New York. I’m the New England Man. I’m vital in New England” (Miller, 14). Willy’s failed
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