The American Dream

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that the American Dream is the concept that through hard work and determination, one can achieve one's own version of greatness. The paper discusses the characters of Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", Walter Lee Younger from Lorraine Hansbury's "A Raisin in the Sun", and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman". The paper explores their different dreams and aspirations and their inherent impossibilities. The paper shows how, despite the lack of a definition of the American Dream, it is what some people live for and that alone makes it worth following.

From the Paper:

"In 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. told the world about his dream. However, when that kind of hope is held by an American, it is the American Dream, something considered by many to be greater than any other goal. The American Dream is the concept that, through hard work and determination, one can achieve their version of greatness. However, the American Dream is not always safe to pursue. Some die attempting to achieve their American Dream, some achieve it only to find that it does not bring them the happiness that they had hoped for, and others are thwarted in their attempts to realize it. Many great pieces of American Literature, such as The Great Gatsby, A Raisin in the Sun, and Death of a Salesman seek to explore the concept of the American Dream."

Sample of Sources Used:

• DiYanni, R. (2007). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill
• Fitzgerald, F. S. (2003). The Great Gatsby. New York: Simon & Schuster

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