The Great Gatsby And The Death Of A Salesman - 1427 Words

In both The Great Gatsby and The Death of a Salesman, the pursuit of the American Dream is a destructive force that is evident throughout the texts because neither Gatsby nor Willy understand their own limitations. Willy Loman and Gatsby are characters fascinated and easily dominated by the American dream that destroys them. Their dreams come from an illusionary past and that are both based outside of their own selves. Gatsby wanted to rewind to his past, while Willy attempted to create a descent one. The lack of control for their dreams caused a huge downfall for Loman and Gatsby in their roles as characters in their respective stories. Almost everyone has dreams once in their lifetime to be successful and great. As it is almost human nature to have or be something that they are not. Both novels share a similarity, the search for the glorious ‘American Dream†. The pursuit of this highly sought out idea not only chases these characters to push forward, but in many cases drives Willy and Gatsby over the edge of their own sanity and to their unexpected deaths. This makes it seem as if this â€Å"dream† is this evil thought that betrays their own minds to successfully achieve living comfortably and being well liked. Making this pursuit almost dangerous. Dealing with a great doubt, and delusions for whoever seeks it, the dangers behind following your dreams are real indeed, even for these two characters that showed bravery throughout. These doubts and illusions play a ratherShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby And The Death Of A Salesman1328 Words   |  6 PagesWithin these two stories, The Great Gatsby and The Death of a Salesman, there are numerous similarities and differences amongst the protagonist characters in the stories: Jay Gatsby, a well-off, aristocratic man who throws immense parties in order to satisfy his desires of finding the girl and Willy, a father who has flashbacks that distort his vision of the truth and his vision to success. The â€Å"American Dream† is the â€Å"dream† that all Americans are granted the same chance to attain their life goalsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And Death Of A Salesman1241 Words   |  5 Pagesambition has been so prevalent in literature. It is the dominant theme in The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, William Shakespeare s Macbeth, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort. In this essay, I will discuss the two w ays over ambition can cause an individual s downfall. The first is setting unattainable goals which we can see in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman. The second is trying to achieve your goals unethically, seen in Macbeth andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman913 Words   |  4 Pagesand success of the men she is with. She floats to wherever the money is. Her happiness comes from money which is why she left Gatsby for Tom when Gatsby could no longer support her financial needs. Many components in the american dream that were desired in the 1920s and exemplified in The Great Gatsby carried over into the 1950s and shown in Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman. The american dream from the perspective of 1950 America includes many similar characteristics contained in the 1920sRead MoreThe Great Gatsby And Death Of A Salesman1834 Words   |  8 Pagesthe three excerpts The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, and Death of a Salesman could interpret this. The three excerpts have been shown to be a base for â€Å"the American Dream,† or basic â€Å"Alienation,† but to look deeper into the source at hand and their distinct features; the clear status of showing the reader how corrupt society can be. The way these three novels have set the stages for corruption and it s ongoing timeline that leads to either death or being pushed into a mental hospital. Of courseRead MoreComparing The Great Gatsby And Death Of A Salesman915 Words   |  4 PagesIn both, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the main characters Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman manifest themselves in their illusions of success and popularity and are unable to face their bitter realities. Within both texts, this idea of false perceived success is portrayed. First, the character Gatsby creates an illusion of success by lying about his source of wealth. He does not want anyone to realize that he is not actually successful and has reliedRead MoreDeath of a Salesman Compared to the Great Gatsby Essay613 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Death of a Salesman to The Great Gatsby In the search for the American dream many things can be lost, this is reflected in the novel The Great Gatsby and the movie Death of a Salesman. Both of these works demonstrate the lengths that some people will go to in order to achieve the stereotypical life of a rich, successful and powerful American, which is often referred to as the American dream. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller illustrates how the character Willy will stop at nothing toRead MoreThe American Dream in Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby1238 Words   |  5 PagesSociety once was based on truth, passion, and liberty for all but now is a mere illusion, focusing on money, power and how to reach it; portraying materialism and wealth as the â€Å"American Dream† and self-actualization, as portrayed by Miller in Death of a Salesman. The American Dream came to mean fame and fortune, instead of a promise that shaped a nation. (David Kamp, Vanity Fair) This so- called dream has done incredible damage to our companies and corporations in America. As economic success andRead MoreSurvival Guide : The Great Gatsby, And Death Of A Salesman1796 Words   |  8 PagesChristine Powroznik English Final Exam: Survival Guide Pursuit of Happyness, Dead Poet’s Society, The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman 1) The American Dream The Great Gatsby: The American dream is a chance to start a new life in a new setting. In this book, Gatsby’s American dream was Daisy. Once he met her, he devoted his life to pleasing her: he bought the mansion across the bay from her, had extravagant parties, etc. He always held onto his hope, or the green light, that he would win herRead MoreAmerican Dream Derailed in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman1486 Words   |  6 PagesScott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, and Arthur Miller’s drama, Death of a Salesman, both protagonists, Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman, are convinced that the way to achieve a better life is by living the â€Å"American dream†. However, the dream does not end up successfully for these two characters. In fact, their ideals and hopes of rising to success cause their American dream to take a turn into a nightmare. Although it may seem as if F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is portraying a romanticRead More Comparing the Perversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman1642 Words   |  7 PagesPerversion of Values in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman      Ã‚   Throughout History there are many examples of perversions, from sexual, social to the very morals themselves. One of the greatest examples is the continuous corruption of the American Dream. As the Dream evolves, it tends to conform to the illicit dealings of the time and immortals of society. No longer is an individual interested in working hard to achieve goals, it is desirous of the quick fix. Society wants its wishes