Great Gatsby Vs. The American Dream Essay - 2136 Words

Great Gatsby vs. The American Dream/Materialism How do we define this ideology of the American Dream? Society has formulated this idea over time. We as people have chosen to base our lives around it and make it our goal to try and achieve something that in all honesty is just this abstract idea that we as have chosen to believe and chase over time. Due to society following this ideology, people have grown to believe that happiness can only be achieved after they have reached the American Dream. You see these advertisements for products that make you think if you don’t own that specific product than you are not going to achieve the American Dream. Media has managed to turn people into these materialistic beings that are just sitting there waiting to be told what to buy next. For my paper I will be analyzing the film The Great and focus primarily on this idea of materialism and more specifically how this American Dream myth and ideology plays into it. Why does the media want us to believe that happiness is derived from the â€Å"stuff† we buy and not the things we already have? Page twenty-four in the textbook says, â€Å"Book, films, and television shows do not just spontaneously occur: all are created as products to be bought and sold in a greater system of commodity exchange.† (Ott. 24) The film The Great Gatsby is pretty much the epitome of what the American Dream myth really is and expresses this notion of materialism throughout it. Surprisingly the film’s main protagonist is notShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1465 Words   |  6 PagesThe World of Imagination Dreams are an escape from reality to a world of imagination that is ideal for someone. However, we get overwhelmed with our fantasies, we lose touch with reality. 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The American Dream is defined as someone who is preliminary on the economic rank, and sticking it out until they achieve full prosperity. By having money, cars, houses, nice clothes and a happy family this illustrates the American dream. This dream also stands forRead MoreThe American Dream In The Great Gatsby Analysis1367 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of the American Dream, where qualities of hard work and ambition are shown. The novel The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald embodies many themes; however the most significant o ne 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. This dream also represents