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American Dream And Greed Essay

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American Dream And Greed Essay
Kelly Burton
Mrs. Scheer
Honors English 11
September 8, 2013
The American Dream: From Innocence to Greed
The portrayal of the American Dream in literature has evolved as the United States has developed and prospered. In the beginning, the initial settlers in the Americas were searching for simple things, such as new opportunities and freedom of religion. As the country grew more populous, competition for success was heightened. Many people have different ideas on what the American Dream means to them. Over the years, American authors have used the theme of the American Dream to share their perspectives on society.
Starting with Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the depiction of this theme has evolved with society throughout …show more content…
After losing his true love and discovering that she has been married to another man, he uses his riches and “high society” lifestyle to win her back over. He strives for money and fortune, but finds no true happiness in his successes. One article had a wonderful explanation of the American dream presented in this novel: “Through the character of Gatsby, Fitzgerald eventually shows that, while the rags-to-riches American Dream seems fantastic and wonderful, it is in reality shallow, as well as devoid of true joy and love” (“The American Dream” 3). However, not all quests for success can end favorably for …show more content…
This was expressed in the 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These hopes and dreams turned more materialistic by the 1920’s when Gatsby believed that he could somehow win over his one true love with his fame and riches. He worked hard to earn his success, but without friends and loved ones to share your life with, he realized that success does not bring true happiness. This theme changed once again, though, when the Loman family was introduced in 1949. In Arthur Miller’s play, Willy Loman acted as if he shouldn’t have to work for success and riches. He seemed to believe that everything should be handed to him, instead of
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