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Great Gatsby American Dream Essay

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Great Gatsby American Dream Essay
What is the American Dream? To have money, power? Or to have happiness? The American Dream was an ideal goal for the average family because “opportunity in America and the rewards of hard work” will lead to success (Ragged Dick). But in this day of age, only 5% of people below the poverty line will be able to ascend the social ladder and move up a class (Class in America). So how does someone achieve the American Dream? In The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby are both wealth off men living in Long Island in the 1920’s. Both have the image of the American Dream, but Tom inherited his wealth from family and never had to work a day in his life, whereas Gatsby earned his fortune from bootlegging and organized crime.
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