Destruction of the American Dream Essay - 2145 Words

Destruction of the American Dream I’ve talked about it in the past, the destruction of the American Dream. Always, there have been papers, writings, and thoughts that quantify a particular section of its ultimate demise, be it due to money, education, or sexuality. Maybe the destruction cannot be viewed as a singular event or cause. Perhaps instead it must be examined as a whole process, the decay and ultimate elimination of a dream. Self destruction, if you will†¦ Mr. Self Destruct In all of us, there is a duality of existence which allows for the American Dream to be within our minds. Part of the mind believes in the dream, is swallowed up by its fantasy and perfection, while the other part is the screaming voice†¦show more content†¦We strive to one up our neighbor and fellow man, by showing of our latest possessions that we have attained. Apparently, this game of self-gratification is just what we need to create a personal image that we can believe in, and through that image our sight is tinted in the color green. Gradually we become detached from ourselves, and less and less of our lives are determined by who we are or what we can be, and more and more is determined by how much we can show our wealth. The happiness in slavery continues, and our very essence and souls are given to the soylent green substance that drives us. We torture ourselves, just for a little more pleasure later. From here we are consumed to a point that nothing matters anymore except for the money. Broken shells of real people, it’s only a matter of time before there isn’t enough money and all is lost. Heresy So what created this duality and machine anyway? Which lies had to be told in order to get this plague to fall upon the people? Many of them, unfortunately, can be found rooted in our joke of a religious system. Organized religion is organized mind control. People are told what to believe, and do so blindly out of fear of being wrong and fear of being different. Even those who do have some amount ofShow MoreRelated Destruction of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pagessame dream that says this is a country where anything’s possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.† -- President Obama, Commenting on the American Dream The American Dream is a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success. It is the belief that, no matter how poor you begin life, you can achieve upward social mobility for your family and children. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, crushes the ethos of the American Dream. Miller’sRead More Destruction of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman834 Words   |  4 PagesDestruction of the American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman A white picket fence surrounds the tangible icons of the American Dreams in the middle 1900s: a mortgage, an automobile, a kitchen appliance paid for on the monthly - installment - plan, and a silver trophy representative of high school football triumph. A pathetic tale examining the consequences of mans harmartias, Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman satisfies many, but not all, of the essential elements of a tragedyRead More The Destruction of the American Dream in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby1802 Words   |  8 PagesGreat Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main theme is most directly related to the American Dream. The American Dream is based on the idea that any person, no matter who they are, can become successful in life by working hard. The Great Gatsby is about what happened to the American Dream during the 1920s, an era when the dream had been corrupted by the relentless pursuit of wealth. The pursuit of the American Dream is the ultimate cause of the downfall of the mai n character, Jay Gatsby. ThroughoutRead MoreThe Great Gatsby, the Stock-Market Crash and the Destruction of American Dreams1825 Words   |  8 Pagesregret those inspiring words (Hoover). During a time when people were living the American Dream, few were prepared for or expected the stock market crash and the American nightmare that continued through the 1930s. â€Å"The cars from New York are parked five deep in the drive, and already the halls and salons and verandas are gaudy with primary colors and hair shorn in strange new ways, and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile† (Fitzgerald 40). During the 1920s, people enjoyed the carelessness ofRead MoreThe Destruction of Willy Lowmans American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of A Salesman626 Words   |  3 Pagesstubborn attachment to the idea of striking it big. Willys life is ended by his own hands, the result of a broken dream that lead to a broken spirit. In many senses Willy represents the idea of the everyman, the average working class man trying to get ahead, this is reflected in his attachment to the achievement of more wealth, and his idealized vision of how to get there the American dream. However, Willy can be seen to represent more that just the average man, and it can be argued that Willys hamartiaRead MoreThemes Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1308 Words   |   6 Pages The American Dream can exist through almost anything, including the disbandment of love. The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the concept of the American Dream through modern Love. In the novel Fitzgerald creates a main portion of characters, Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, and Tom to act as the symbols of this American Dream. Throughout the story Fitzgerald gives his readers a taste of what the chase of an American Dream is mainly seen as, which in the end did not become successful. FitzgeraldRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby968 Words   |  4 PagesAidan Donaher Mr. Mahoney English 11 Honors Nov 3, 2015 Great Gatsby Paper A life of luxury requires an arduous journey of dedication to achieve it. To embody the American Dream, one must strive to succeed. However, some may go too far in the process, and make irreversible decisions. This dream of copious amounts of wealth causes multiple characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s well-known novel The Great Gatsby to perish from selfishness. Based in the roaring twenties, also known as the jazz age, FitzgeraldRead MoreThe Corruption Of The American Dream956 Words   |  4 PagesCorruption of the American Dream F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the American Dream as a set of goals that included freedom, settlement, and an honest life with the possibility of social and economic success earned through hard work, but was corrupted and degraded by the egotistical materialism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald, in The Great Gatsby, aims to discredit the supposed purity of the American Dream and belief that anyone can attain it through hard work. Instead, he argues that the dream is a delusionRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1566 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American dream.) This represents the idea of the American Dream, where qualities of hard work and ambition are shown. The novel The Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant one relates to the corruption of the American dream. The American Dream is defined as someone starting low on the economic or social level, and working hard towards prosperity and or wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolizes the American dream. ThisRead MoreEffects Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1306 Words   |  6 Pagesliving the American dream of success, freedom, and happiness if they work hard enough. However, the way to obtain such dream is different for every person. Each individuals social class, beliefs, and views in life determine the way they will achieve the American dream. Sometimes the way a person goes about obtaining their dream does more harm than good. The Great Gatsby is a novel that shows what happened to the American Dream in the 1920’s, which is a day and age when the dream wound up corrupted