The Decline of the American Dream Essay - 4488 Words

On a brisk September day in 2011, in the commercial district of Manhattan Island, a minute protest in Liberty Square commenced against the fiscal atrocities committed by economic establishments leading to the financial crisis and subsequent economic recession in 2007 and 2008. Over the course of the month, the movement protesting the miscarriage of justice and democracy following the economic catastrophe and the overall inequitable and unfair wealth distribution diffused to over 100 American cities as well as 1,500 cities worldwide. The revolutionary movement was named Occupy Wall Street and through occupying and protesting the symbolic location of the financial elite, Wall Street, the crusade aimed to â€Å"[revolt] against the corrosive power†¦show more content†¦This would change with the election of General Andrew Jackson, and thus commencing the Era of the Common Man in which the commoners in the United States gained extensive political power through enfranchisement. A ndrew Jacksons humble beginnings and policies to expand the franchise to include all men regardless of property requisites epitomized the common man’s victory over the privileged aristocrats who prevailed in politics during the nations beginning era. During Andrew Jacksons presidency, a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to the developing country to â€Å"gain knowledge of the American political development...which he had hoped to use in order to influence Frances [own] political development† following their own revolution (â€Å"Biography†). Recalling his observations and studies of the political system and society in the United States, Alexis published Democracy in America, an extremely optimistic account of the democracy branded by the American constituency. In Democracy in America, Alexis described and coined concepts that would become inherent to the American creed as well as the ideals of Occupy Wall Street today, such as the concept of America n Exceptionalism and the American Dream. During hisShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams1222 Words   |  5 Pages The American Dream is an ethos idealized by millions of people. It is an attitude and mindset that can promote success and prosperity throughout life. When it comes to the American dream, a significant part is the quest for money. As shown in classic American Literature such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the influence of money plays an important role throughout both novels. There are characters in both books that use money as a wayRead MoreThe American Dream is a recurrent theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest600 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Dream is a recurrent theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Benjamin Franklin, who is considered to be the epitome of the self-made man once said, â€Å"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself† (Franklin). Furthermore it is the belief that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals; whether they be political, financial or social. However, theRead MoreThe Collapse And Revival Of American Community By Robert Putnam1382 Words   |  6 Pages In his famous book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert Putnam charted the decline in social capital and social institutions since the 1950s while arguing that a vibrant and successful democracy ultimately requires significant engagement from a wide segment of its population. This argument was something that even concerned Tocqueville (2006) regarding the American Experiment. Tocqueville marveled in the strengths of organizations such as the church in America. HoweverRead More Fitzgeralds Exploration of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby702 Words   |  3 Pages Fitzgeralds Exploration of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, is a one of the best stories written during a chaotic period in our nation’s history, The Jazz Age. The Twenties were a time of social experiments, self-indulgence, and dissatisfaction for majority of Americans. Fitzgerald depicts all these characteristics throughout the novel with his interesting themes, settings, and characters. The most elaborate and symbolic character FitzgeraldRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Modernism1513 Words   |  7 PagesOne strong theme of modernism in literature is the attack and or decline of The American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that everyone, men, and women, have an equal opportunity to achieve wealth, success and or happiness through determination, and hard work, in other words, the pursuit of happiness. Two writers that illustrate this theme of modernism are F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, and Ernest Hemingway, author of The Sun Also Rises. From the outside, one may think TheRead MoreAmerican Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay examples1233 Words   |  5 Pages Founding father Benjamin Franklin described the American dream as the â€Å"pursuit of a better existence†¦ a higher quality of life through hard work, determination, and devotion† (Benjamin Franklin). The American dream is an idea that if you work hard, you can rise from â€Å"rags to riches† and live a wealthy and prosperous life with moral values of respect and integrity. Ironically, Franklin’s version of the dream was decaying during the roaring 1920s when society became corrupt and obsessed with greedRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream has run out of gas. The car has stopped. It no longer supplies the world with its images, its dreams, its fantasies. No more. It s over. It supplies the world with its nightmares now - J. G. Ballard In the classic American novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald exposes the harsh realities of the American Dream and its effect on society during a chaotic time in our nation’s history. This tragic but beautiful story takes place during The Jazz Age, just afterRead MoreEssay about Great Gatsby862 Words   |  4 Pagesan obsessive desire for Daisy. The writer purports that Gatsby began by pursuing an ideal, not the real woman. In fact, he could not recognize the type of person she had become since they last saw each other. Gatsby lives in a dream world and Daisy is part of that dream. As the novel progresses, however, Gatsbys feelings change. Bibliography lists Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby : The Role of Nick Carraway as a Character in the Novel In 5 pages, the author discusses F. Scott FitzgeraldsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Analysis902 Words   |  4 Pages In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald tells us story of both great riches and secrets. A story that highlights both the glory and the deceit behind the roaring 1920’s. Fitzgerald conveys to us a theme of the decline of the American dream in the 1920’s. This is seen in both the book, and the 2007 on screen adaptation of the Great Gatsby. In the novel, by Fitzgerald Jay Gatsby lives with a certain swagger and aura around him that he seems almost mesmerizing. Nick Carraway, theRead MoreThe Causes And Aspects Of The American Dream1014 Words   |  5 Pagesthey wanted, and to be free. This idea would be known as the American Dream. Sadly, over the years, these big dreams have been dying and for many they’ve already passed on with no chance of coming back. In all aspects, I’m in total agreement. Unfortunately, people cant get ahead financially, debt is crushing the life of students and regular working people, and important things are slipping away, such as medical care. If the American dream means having a reasonable rate of income growth, unfortunately