The American Dream in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and The Gre

The American Dream in dying of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldIn a volume of literature written in the 20th century, the theme of the American Dream has been a prevalent theme. This dream affects the plot and characters of many novels, and in some books, the draped of the author is to expatiate the reality of the American Dream. However, there is no one definition of the American Dream. Is it the right to pursue your hearts wish, to have freedom to do whatever makes one happy? Or is it the materialistic dream prevalent in the 50s, and portrayed in such movies as Little Shop of Horrors? Or is the American Dream a thought so intangible, it changes in the heart of every person and can never be truly defined? Or is it an American Dream at all, is it simply a human drive to pursue a better life? In the book, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the writers portray two co mpletely different literary works which have an amazing connection. Both works are written to illustrate two viewpoints on the American Dream either the pursuit of happiness, or the pursuit of material wealth. In both literary works, the authors show a compare between these two visions of the American Dream, and in the end, the authors message is the same the American dream cannot be a materialistic goal. Or, should not. For many Americans, the American Dream is a 2-door garage in a suburb, but as illustrated in the literary works, this sort of an American Dream leads to unhappiness, depression, and in the case of Willy Loman, suicide. In The Great Gatsby, it is Daisy who has a materialistic dream. She loved Gatsby. When he was a soldier, she loved him, but Gatsby knew he could never marry her, because of class. So, Daisy married Tom Buchanan, a wealthy man, a legal looking man, but Daisy did not love him. In the book, Daisy is miserable. She knows Tom is having an affair, and she often cries. She wishes for her young lady to be a beautiful little fool( Gatsby 21) so that her daughter will not be smart seemly to be unhappy. Daisy loves Gatsby, but she loves her lifestyle. And when she had the decision between the two, she chose her lifestyle, and she will regret her decision time and again. The concept of the American... ...attered, enough so that he could see who his father truly was. Biff had to reevaluate his life, and he came to a realization To devote your life to keeping stock, or qualification phone calls, or selling or buying. To suffer fifty weeks a year for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you want is to be outdoors( Death 139). Biff came to the conclusion that humans were not meant to work in pursuit of this economic goal, but were meant to work outside. His father could never fill that, and if Willy had, the story would have had a much different ending. The American Dream ha s no singular definition, but a multitude of interpretations. Yet, in these two completely different literary works, the authors share the same message the American Dream should not be a materialistic goal, but a goal in pursuit of true, spiritual happiness. This is shown in both Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both authors feel very strongly about the issue, as do many other authors writing today, who fear American Economic views could doom the human race to a meaningless existence. With an ending not in like manner dissimilar from Brave New World.