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Post by crandallethan on Feb 2, 2016 20:08:43 GMT
In the Great Gatsby F. Scotts Fitzgerald does not clearly attack the philosophy of the American Dream. That is that he doesn't mock the hard work mentality nor the capitalistic mindset of characters. We can see that he does't pinpoint these things because wealth did not correlate the outcome as we see Mr. Wilson die as well as Gatsby, people from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Rather than make a point about the American Dream itself, Fitzgerald looks to reveal to the reader what happens to those blinded by the Dream. In other words, the path to the American Dream seems to corrupt characters along the way, and their mentality towards the American Dream correlates to their outcomes. For instance, Gatsby was not interested in the extravagant, and possibly illegal lifestyle he was leading. His goal was to be with Daisy. In his intense pursuing of this dream we see his life fall apart as we do with Daisy, Myrtle, and even Tom. Although Tom stepped out on Daisy, his struggle to stay with her to solidify their "American Dream" shows that Fitzgerald is making a statement about the pursuit. The trouble and greed over the American Dream is Fatal to success.
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Post by matthewzhang on Feb 2, 2016 22:59:33 GMT
Crandall, I completely agree with everything you said. I especially agree with the fact that the character's mentality toward the American dream correlates to his/her fate and outcome. Another example of this would be the ambitions and dreams of Daisy. Daisy's American dream was to obtain as much money and wealth as she possibly can. To obtain this wealth, Daisy had to enter and leave relationships that hurt people along the way. Because of Daisy's greed for wealth, she ended up leaving the person she truly loved, Gatsby, and married Tom only for his money and power in society. Because of her ambitions and dreams, she ended up ruining Gatsby's life and is in a relationship where happiness is found in money and not in love.
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Post by lisasortino on Feb 7, 2016 20:30:38 GMT
Ethan, I disagree with some of the things you said. Do you really think that Fitzgerald was trying to show that the pursuit of the American Dream can be "fatal to success" or do you think he is trying to show that the characters' in the The Great Gatsby view of the American Dream was askew? Maybe people are not "blinded" by the American Dream but blinded but their own greed which prohibits them from achieving the true American Dream. For example, Daisy marries Tom because of his money and social status not because she loves him. This shows that her view of the American Dream was all wrong because she rather have money and material goods rather than happiness.
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kchen
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Post by kchen on Feb 8, 2016 1:24:04 GMT
Lisa, I believe that generally the characters are blinded by being overly focused on one specific thing, which could be wealth. Gatsby is focussed on winning Daisy back, and the money that he makes in his pursuit of love isn't that important to him. Daisy, however, is greedy and only focused on becoming more and more rich. I don't think that she doesn't achieve the American Dream. In other threads, it was touched upon that the American Dream varies from person to person as their definition of happiness varies. I believe that Daisy did achieve her American Dream because she thinks that money is happiness. On the other hand, Gatsby does not achieve the American Dream because he fails to achieve his end goal, which is winning Daisy back, although he becomes very wealthy.
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Post by rdeorio3 on Feb 8, 2016 3:50:41 GMT
Ethan, I definitely think your theory could also be applied to Daisy. To her, the American dream is wealth. In her blind pursuit for wealth she fails to achieve two other things key to achieving the American dream; happiness and love. Even though Daisy is alive and well in the end, its almost like her soul has died. She has all the materialistic things she needs but she doesn't have love or really any happiness in her life. One can assume she lives the rest of her life rather unhappily with Tom because she truly doesn't love him and he doesn't bring her real happiness but she is blinded by his wealth and the thing his money can buy her.
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