Is The American Dream Possible In The Great Gatsby

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Is the American Dream possible? The American Dream is the belief that anyone can be successful or happy in America if they work hard enough. People have began to lose hope that the American Dream is possible. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby (Source A), Gatsby dedicates his entire life to achieve his dream, but he never does. Edwin Arlington poem, “Richard Cory” (Source B) and The Economist article, “Class in American Mobility, measured” (Source D) also support this thought. Others like The Wall Street Journal, “Underestimating the American Dream: Reports of its demise are exaggerated. Just ask young immigrants” (Source C) give a different point of view to the American Dream. Although some people may still have hope in the American Dream, it has become a myth to most people. The American Dream is impossible to achieve. The American Dream is impossible to achieve. Source B says, “... And yes he was rich… he was everything… And Richard Cory, one calm summer night went home and put a bullet through his …show more content…
In Source D it says, “a child from the poorest fifth had an 8.4% chance of making it to the top quintile.” It’s difficult for people to be successful in America; the American Dream states that anyone can be successful, but the previous evidence shows that this is not true. Although that 8.4% may have worked more than the rest to become successful, it doesn’t mean they accomplished the American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby dedicates all his time and effort to get Daisy back. However after all his tremendous work, he doesn’t get her. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Source A). This represents people's pursuit of the American Dream. People will work to achieve their goals, but they never reach them. Even if the 8.4% worked as much as Gatsby, they also like him, didn’t achieve the American