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the american dream
Keith Ratliff
February 02, 2013

According to James Truslow Adams he feels the American Dream means “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” Regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. Most people have a hard time setting goals towards an American fantasy, confused and unable to realize the American Dream. The idea of the American Dream relates to both novels “ The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Bodega Dreams” by Ernesto Quinonez. In Both texts the idea of the American Dream and the American fantasy are shown vividly throughout the two novels. In “The Great Gatsby” James Gatz better known as Jay Gatsby lives the life of a fantasy, he has anything anybody could ever want. He had no sympathy for the materials he possessed, and was sensually nonchalant about his wealth and only cared about the love of his life daisy. Gatsby threw many parties at his mansion, many people came all the time and some people even lived there without him knowing. He threw these parties just hoping daisy will attend one of them one day. Even thought Gatsby lived in a fantasy, he was more focused on a dream. “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter- to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…” At least his vision was stronger than the life everyone thought he lived. In the book “bodega dreams” bodega sought out equality, better treatment and a better community for minority people.

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