Comparing the American Dream of The Great Gatsby and...

When the first settlers came to America many years ago, they found freedom and opportunity. With hard work and determination an average man or woman could be prosperous. This concept was not only revolutionary in theory, but has proven to be true for many successful individuals. This idea has come to be known as the American Dream. Its foundation was based on good ethics; however, with the passing of time it has become distorted. The American Dream no longer stands for equal opportunity and hard work; it involves wealth, false happiness, materialistic possessions and high social status. Individuals who have achieved the materialistic American Dream give the appearance of perfection. However, for many, their lives are not as ideal†¦show more content†¦Daisy?s childhood not only gave the outward appearance of being ideal, but in reality it was flawless as well. On the exterior Nicole Diver?s childhood fits all the requirements of a perfect upbringing as well, however, like the American Dream, it, too, was imperfect. Nicole was born into an affluent family and she was ?a perfectly normal, bright, happy child? (Tender is the Night 126). However, after the death of Nicole?s mother, her father began to have an incestuous relationship with her. Nicole maintained the appearance of being ?normal?, but she eventually began to suffer from mental illness because of her past abuse. ?She had a fit or something-the things she said got crazier and crazier . . . Almost always about men going to attack her, men she knew or men on the street ? anybody (Tender is the Night 127). Nicole was diagnosed as having a ?divided personality?(Tender is the Night 128) and she underwent many years of therapy to rehabilitate her from her past sexual abuse. Both Nicole and Daisy?s childhood have the outward appearance of being perfect, however only Dais y?s childhood truly was. After Daisy married Tom Buchanan, their marriage appeared to be a happy union. They traveled to many places and people commented, ?it was touching to see them together?(The Great Gatsby 78).Show MoreRelated Comparing the Women in Fifth Business and The Great Gatsby Essay2011 Words   |  9 PagesComparing the Women in Fifth Business and The Great Gatsby Behind every great man lies a great women. In some cases the women herself may not always be good or ideal according to society. Nevertheless it seems to add character to the man, and also influences his actions and maybe even his morals. In the novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraways realization of the equality of man altered through his origin sets him up as a morally sound standard, until confronted by Jordan Baker. The AmericanRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby2385 Words   |  10 Pagesfirst story. At the ages of fifteen to seventeen he attended the Newman School, it was a Catholic prep school, in New Jersey. There he met Father Sigourney Fay, who encouraged Fitzgerald to follow his dreams as a writer. (Werlock, Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Facts On File Companion to the American Novel). Moreover, Fitzgerald was the class of 1917 in Princeton, but due to an unfortunate ending to his relationship with Ginevra King, his social habits and health, caused a decrease in his GPA and overall