The Death Of Dreams English Literature Essay Essays

The Death Of Dreams English Literature Essay Essays The Death Of Dreams English Literature Essay Essay The Death Of Dreams English Literature Essay Essay his every moves show the desire to go the certain figure. So this playing makes him so unnatural and unreal. When Nick met Gatsby at the first clip, this clumsiness showed. Sometime before he introduced himself I d acquire a strong feeling that he was picking his words with attention ( 40 ) And when Gatsby confess his yesteryear to Nick which was perfectly non-sense, his words are unnatural. Nick says he looked at me sideways-and I knew why Jordan Baker had believed he was lying. He hurried the stage educated at Oxford or swallowed it, or chocked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this uncertainty, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there was nt something sinister about him after all. ( 42 ) The confession was all prevarication, and Gatsby was non good at lying which makes Nick to detect at the early topographic point. After Nick know the truth that Jay Gatsby was invented by James Gats. So if was James Gats, at least true relationship with Nick was possible and they will portion personal connexion. However, as it was Jay Gatsby which was merely semblance of James Gats, the true relationship was neer built. Furthermore, non merely the relationship with other character but besides the relationship with his true and merely love, Daisy was built on the sham. Though Gatsby attempts to convert others that everything he does is for Daisy and he is ever willing to give himself for her. However, this loving relationship is besides built on his bogus belief. He convinced himself that he love Daisy, but what he truly love is non Daisy, merely an semblance of Daisy. So, the true trust and love could nt do between him and her. 4. Social Background 4.1 America in 1920s 4.1.1 Blooming of philistinism. Horton says that the driving force of America to develop modern civilisation is Idealism and Materialism. Harmonizing to the former ( Turner ) , the greatest individual factor in finding the character of American life has been the democratising consequence of a continually spread outing frontier. The chance of chance for all caused the United States to drive due west, and this enlargement brought the innovator into contact with a crude environment which, while promoting individuality, at the same clip had a grading consequence which tended to wipe out differentiation of birth, societal position and instruction. ( Horton A ; Edward 3 ) Turner argue that in The significance of the Frontier in American history , Frontier of America get and individuality, optimism and idealism in the manner of developing west. In this sense, philistinism was non used in negative signifier in the first topographic point. This was of course followed by infinite opportunity in the land of chance. The one great motive to develop West was made from the belief that as they work, they will acquire. This is the basic thought of philistinism in the first topographic point. However, as clip changed, philistinism became in corrupted manner that merely prosecute affluent life. In the 1920s in the America, which is the chief background of The great Gatsby was the extremum of this philistinism. All significance of the American dream turns into useless and people in this period merely desire to derive more and more wealth. Arthur Mazener describes this period like this. The mid-twentiess were a cockamamie, happy age when everyone was busy get drunk in speakeasies or out of silver-lasks at Yale-Princeton game in the Bowl, or dancing to the pretentiously bad Jazz of Paul Whiteman and George Olson, though no one of any intelligence in the period itself took this facet of its life earnestly ( Mizner 5 ) This cockamamie life of royal household appears in the great Gatsby, particularly when Nick describes about epicurean parties that Gatsby clasp. Not merely the royal people, people in the in-between category of the West besides has this philistinism in their head though they are difficult to accomplish their dream in world. But attempt to copy upper category behaviour is shown by Mrs. Myrtle. A desire of Myrtle to go one like upper category can be shown in the manner she display her flat. The flat was on the top floor-a little dining room, a little sleeping room, and a bath. The life room was crowded to the doors with a set of tape-stried furniture wholly excessively big for it, so that to travel approximately was to stumble continuously over scene of ladies singing in the gardens of Versailles. ( 25 ) Mrs. Myrtle is a adult female who has an matter with Tom Buchanan who is hubby of Daisy. Mrs. Myrtle is from low category whose hubby runs little auto fix store. However, she has great aspiration to travel upper category someday. And this dream makes her to copy upper category where Tom lives, though her circumstance is non a ppropriate to hers. She wants to go hostess like Daisy, and throw party in really little flat. Though there s non adequate topographic points, she keep purchasing excessively big furniture for her flat. Furthermore, when she has party, she invites so many people that there s no topographic point to even stand in her topographic point. These acts show the desire of Mrs. Myrtle to go upper category. 4.1.2 Corruptness of American dream Over the centuries, many immigrants from Europe escaped their state for free and happy lives. They ran from their place from political and the spiritual favoritism which does non the job in the new world-America. They could be whoever they wanted to be in the new universe. In the land of the chance, they can re-start their life. As they work, as they get. This makes the basic thought of American Dream in the first topographic point. The American Dream is a national truth of the United States, which can continue societal mobility by single. In the other words, they can derive affluent and comfy life through difficult working. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with chance for each harmonizing to ability or accomplishment . However, this American dream acquiring changed after America got through World War 1 and 2. Young American merrily get involved in war under the great mean that as the new experience and romantic chance to demo his encourage. However, world was different. As they gone through the barbarian and barbarous war, they come back to their state depressed with sorrow. Those who went through dejecting war started to bask their life with excessive ingestion. At that clip, economic system was roar, and American does nt necessitate to worry about pecuniary job. They get whatever they want. This lead to people stuck into convenience and felicity to philistinism. They enjoyed the life that stuff can give. The Great Gatsby shows this corrupted philistinism which can be shown in every category of society. Lower category yearns to hold wealth, yet those who already have wealth and position are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. In the novel, the elitist group displays features of being bored and unmotivated merely like a dead organic structure. The first scene that Nick went into the Tom s house shows the deficiency of energy in upper category. The merely wholly stationary object in the room was an tremendous sofa on which two immature adult female were buoyed up as though upon an anchored balloon. They were both white and their frocks were rending and fliting as if they had merely been blown back in after a short flight around the house. ( 10 ) Daisy and Miss Backer were in the white frock and were motionless. No energy is found in them. Daisy easy acquire bored and seek to happen new thing which lead Tom and Nick go to New York sometimes, but ever they failed to happen exciti ng experience and verve. However, compare to this upper category people, Mrs. Myrtle described as the adult female with verve. Gatsby devoted his life into belonging to the sole group, but he approved that his life was unhappy by killing himself. So, though upper category has everything they want, they neer get happy but acquire bored with morally corrupted atmosphere. Willy besides lived in the period when the significance of American dream changed as A limitless desire of material wealth . He adds more value on that which is the popularity. For him, American dream besides means being a celebrated figure in the society. This is non the profound job that should be defined as corrupted dream. However the chief ground that his dream defined as corrupted American dream is that the ground of accomplishing his dream is driven non from his inner head but from others. He merely wants to demo off his popularity and wealth to others and acquire satisfaction by comparing them to himself. Furthermore, He justifies what he does to accomplish his end. He neglects his life of boy, how they think and which life they want to populate were non the affair for Loman. He destroys the religion for his married woman by holding matter with secretary. All the immoral things he made were justified by his strong belief of dream. 4.2 Hierarchy in society- Invisible wall to travel upper category American ever represented as the universe of freedom, the society with tremendous chance. However this is non ever true when you look deep inside it. The great Gatsby and decease of a salesman shows the bound of traveling upper category, there s unseeable war that makes people to travel upper degree. Willy spends his life clip to acquire affluent and popular. Traveling upper degree was his life-longed dream. The tragic terminal comes from the fact that he was merely a common adult male. Harmonizing to Joseph Odd Hruth, the tragic destiny of Willy was made by the society. Willy Loman is the victim of an unfair competitory society. He was foremost corrupted by the false ideals and so exploited by those more pitiless than he. Society made him what he was and in a better society his destiny would hold been better ( Joseph 328 ) This is the mistake of Willy small, and the existent ground why he failed can be blamed that of the society. System of society is non appropriate for Willy to accomplish his dream. There s a certain restriction for him to travel upper, and this makes Willy s life wretchedness. Miller argues that tragic affair occurs, because of that fact that Willy was merely a common adult male. I believe that the common adult male is as disposed topic for calamity in its highest sense as male monarchs were. On the face of it this ought to be obvious in the visible radiation of modern psychopathology, which bases its analysis upon authoritative preparation, such as the Oedipus and Orestes composites, for cases, which were enacted by royal Begins but which apply to everyone in similar emotional state of affairs. ( Miller 1 ) Miller thinks the factor that makes him the tragic hero is societal background of him which makes difficult to common adult male to mount the ladder. In the Death of a salesman, Willy do anything to go successful salesman. He become immoral as he become more like a successful salesman in his filed. He starts to hold inappropriate relationship with secretary. Social success leads him to moral corruptness. However, though he devoted his life into mounting societal ladder to travel upper degree, he failed. There s unseeable war above his manner in this societal ladder. This defeat makes him so depressed that he had no pick but putting to death himself. The Great Gatsby shows the unseeable wall to travel upper category in society by demoing Mrs. Myrtle life and that of Gatsby. Gatsby and Mrs. Myrtle has in common that they both from working category but hankering to belong upper category. And they besides found some to take them to upper universe, for Gatsby that cat is Wolfsheim who made him rich. Mrs. Myrtle besides found Tom who can assist her to travel upper category, nevertheless, she failed to accomplish that end. The attempt of lower category to travel upper but punished by society is clearly shown in the life of Mrs. Myrtle. She lives in vale of ashes where represent of poorness. She was besides secret lover of Tom. This lady attempts to utilize Tom to do her belong to his societal statue. Though she now lives with hubby who does nt hold any power or energy in himself, she possesses verve. Unfortunately for her, she chooses Tom, who treats her as a mere object of his desire. Tom was attracted by her in physical manner and love ca nt be shown between them. There s all about desire, desire of Myrtle to travel upper category by Tom s wealth and desire of Tom to hold her organic structure. As Myrtle want better life and attempts to acquire wealth, she eventually die of the auto accident which Daisy was thrusts. In this scene, a clear deduction can be found. Daisy who represents the lady in the upper category prevents Myrtle to acquire into her category. So Myrtle s verve and energy ca nt be used to acquire into upper category. This defeat of dream is shown in the description of Myrtle s decease organic structure. The oral cavity was broad unfastened and ripped a small at the corners, as though she had chocked a small in giving up the enormous verve, she had stored so long ( 108 ) Though individual in the low category slightly achieve his dream, there s still strong restriction that he can be entirely become the portion of upper category. This is shown by Gatsby s instance. He achieves wealth by himself and now he can afford to hold the most epicurean party in the town. However, he ca nt affect in royal category. Peoples who invited into his party ever look down on him and has suspicious of his wealth. Even before Gatsby turns out to make illegal concern to gain money, Tom and other invitees of Gatsby s party ever susurrations about his wealth and background. Furthermore, the topographic point where Gatsby live and apparels he wears shows the clumsiness to go the elect category. He wears excessively dressy suits and colourful apparels which Tom normally makes merriment of. Ann though Gatsby ain tonss of old-timer books which were perfectly existent one, these are clean and orderly like no 1 of all time touched before. This shows that though he imitates behaviours of category he want to belong, he got leery of his individuality. Finally, every his secret is revealed, people around him apart, and even the love of his life ran off from him. Daisy who represents of his desire to travel upper category ran off to her universe, and Gatsby lost everything including her and his dream. So last thing he made was merely decease. 5. Why American dream failed? Death of a salesman and The Great Gatsby shows the corruptness of American dream in early 20th by demoing two ordinary men- Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman. Both are victims of society which has unseeable but clear wall to forbid them to accomplish their dream. Though first thing to fault their failure of accomplishing dream goes to the corrupted society, characters themselves besides have job. Gatsby and Willy misunderstood significance of American dream. Gatsby says all his attempts are made to hold his loving lady Daisy, which turns out the faith belief of him. He merely wants to warrant all the immoral behaviours he made to acquire rich by concealing romantic narrative. He even deceives himself that Daisy is the lone one intent which lead him to hold false belief that Daisy besides waited for him to salvage her from Tom s universe. This is perfectly non true, and after recognizing this belief was false, Gatsby has no longer ground to populate. Willy besides has incorrect thought of American dream, for him American dream is all about acquiring rich and popular. This mistake makes his life wretchedness. He ca nt acquire satisfaction from his ordinary life and happen felicity from his household. Family was mere object to fulfill his dream for Willy. And this thought finally made all the struggles between him and his boies, and eventually leads him to kill himself. As lone thing he has was this false belief, he tries to convert himself that though he is non profitable, he is still popular among other. However, this belief turns out non true at the terminal of the scene that there s no 1 came to his funeral. So, to reply the inquiry I made in the first portion of this study, Why these work forces failed to accomplish their American dream , two facets need to be considered. Their failure was consequence of corrupted society which neer allows them to accomplish their dream and distorted thought of American dream of these work forces. Work cited A. Primary Beginnings F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Charles Scribner s Sons, April 10 1925. Print Arthur Miller, Death of a salesman, Morosco Theatre New York City, 10 February 1949 B. Secondary Beginnings Moon Sun-Jung. Death of a Salesman and Modern Tragedy: Revisited ( 2005 ) . Surveies on English Language A ; Literature, P5 Rod W. Horton and Herbert N. Edwards ( 1967 ) , Backgrounds of American Literary Thought, P3 Arthue Mizner, Introduction in F. Scott Fitzerald: A aggregation of Critical Essay, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1963, P5 Joseph Wood Krutch, The American Drama Since World War 2, New York: George Braziller, 1978, P 328 Arthur Miller, Tragedy and the common adult male, New York Times, 1949 Fen 27, Chapter 2 P1