The American Dream - "The Great Gatsby"

Everybody has a concept of "The American Dream". Merriam-Webster's definition is: an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity. To achieve the American Dream, a person should have money, upward mobility, cars, be married with the perfect average of 2.5 kids, and freedom. The person should be a hard working and self-made man to deserve what he has strived for. In "The Great Gatsby", by F. Scott Fitzgerald, most of the characters don't …showed first 75 words of 431 total…

…showed last 75 words of 431 total…beautiful little fool." (21) Daisy tells Nick what she said when her daughter was born. She wants her daughter to be a "fool" so that she won't understand and be hurt if her husband mistreats her or is disloyal to her. The American Dream is a goal, or a plan, to have a perfect spouse, children, home, life. The characters in this book wish that they had that, but don't try hard enough to get it.