Hughes is describing America as this “great strong land of love,” which triggers readers’ emotions and makes them feel a desire to go to America in order to seek this love. Contrarily, by saying words like “let it be,” he is saying Americas has not come to the point or has strayed away from the point of love and he wants it for the future. From these two points, Hughes paints a picture of optimism and patriotism but reveals the harsh reality of America by giving the description of America as a place where “king connive… and man be crushed by ones above,” for the immigrants and the poor. This confirms that the current standard of living in America is not acceptable, and he hopes that in the future things will be different. Another example of juxtaposition shown is through man vs. environment, that is, in a society of poverty, greed and power of wealth: I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek, and finding only the same old stupid plan of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak, I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
The Corruption of the American Dream Around the 19th century, immigrants came to the United States in any way possible to attain the higher form of living, called the “American Dream.” For those who achieved this “dream,” money and social status became a desire. The thoughts of many individuals became twisted into materialistic views. As F. Scott Fitzgerald stated, “A dream is incorruptible as long as it remains intangible, non-material. But once that dream is put in terms of material possessions, it becomes corrupted.” The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about a young man named Nick who lives in the “new-money,” West Egg. His neighbor, a man of great wealth, named Jay
The Great Gatsby’s Exposure of the Fraud of the American Dream The Great Gatsby provides a different way of looking at the Roaring Twenties and the Modernism movement. A characteristic of the Modernism era is being anti-traditional versus the traditional form of writing. The Great Gatsby shows real life in the seemingly extravagant and exciting portrayal of the time period. The Modern era brought around a change in the style of writing and thinking. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses this to describe American life as an illusion of prosperity instead of the traditional place where dreams are made.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is the story of the incredibly wealthy Jay Gatsby and his unwavering love for Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald’s novel is filled with elaborate descriptions of not only characters but of places. He uses similes that create vivid images. Fitzgerald is able to create his own style and give what seems to be a simple love story a deeper meaning. The theme of The Great Gatsby is the corruption of the American dream in the 1920s.
The roaring twenties was the beginning to a decade of a whole new caliber. The dawn of the American Dream; the idea of a wealthy, comfortable, luxurious lifestyle. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” best shows how people strive for the American Dream and the means by which they attain it. Both Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are able to live a luxurious lifestyle. However Tom is able to enjoy spending money left and right knowing the he acquired it through inheritance while Jay struggles to acquire his wealth by any means possible.
The World War I had brought America to the forefront of the global outlook. The war time excesses in production transformed into prosperity during the next decade which would watch America seek continued isolation despite the mounting global challenges. The Great War and the resulting Versailles Treaty left Europe in a rather deprived and devastated state where the Europeans continued to seek cultural and economic assistance from their cross-Atlantic neighbors. With new job opportunities, progressive ideas, an air of liberalism had developed around the American continent. This openness and jubilance was most evident in the arts, entertainment and economic sectors of the economy.
Nick reflects that just as Gatsby’s dream of Daisy was corrupted by money and dishonesty, the American dream of happiness and individualism has disintegrated into the mere pursuit of wealth. Though Gatsby’s dedication to transform his dreams into reality is what makes him “great,” Nick reflects that the era of dreaming—both Gatsby’s dream and the American dream—is
Absolute conformity leads to absolute corruption. The 1950’s was an affluent time of wealth, power, and social conformity. One could argue that this decade was the “wonder years” oh American history, a utopia of sorts. One could also deduct it as, ‘the calm before the storm.’ It brought on Xenophobia with the red scare and stereotypical family roles. It brought a new sense of prosperity and comfort with the foundation of the suburbs.
The American Decline The American dream is the notion that everyone has the freedom to achieve and advance. It is a promise of success in this country to the upmost respect if one sets their mind to something. The Great Gatsby successfully shows the condition of the American dream in the 1920's. Unfortunately, Fitzgerald's view of this is that the dream is withering. The novel clearly shows that this is true.
English 11 November 8, 2011 The Great Gatsby Having power is addicting and learning to control it is a crucial part in someone’s life, but if one person is incapable of handling the proper usage it may/could end a person’s life. Francis Scott Fitzgerald published the novel The Great Gatsby in 1953. The novel is set in America during the 1920’s. During this time America had a great economy from money earned from Germany after ww1. Some of the characters in this novel served in the war.