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The Great Gatsby Essay

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The Great Gatsby Essay
The Great Gatsby and Today 's Society

In American society, the way people act is quite an interesting, yet confusing subject to look at. If you were to look closely at the behavior and the thinking of the average American man in the modern day, you would see that he is not too different from a man that lived one hundred years ago in America. Obviously many things have changed in society that make a man different nowadays compared to one hundred years ago, but the point is that, in general, the mind of an American person has kept the same characteristics. A great way to understand how an American man 's mind has remained the same is by comparing The Great Gatsby with modern society in the United States. In this novel, which takes place in the 1920 's, we see that the major themes incorporated into it are hope in the American Dream, the idea that rich are always entitled and never responsible for their behavior, and that the common man will keep trying to achieve the American Dream to the fullest even though he is vaguely aware that he has higher morals than the person he is seeking to become. Ever since the United States was founded, man has always hoped of becoming successful and even prosperous. All men were created equal according to our Declaration of Independence so the American Dream is something that any man can achieve if he puts in the work and the dedication needed. Plenty of hope is also needed if a man wishes to become successful in the United States because sometimes hard work and dedication alone are not enough. The main character in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, has, “some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life,” which is like saying that Gatsby is an average man that devotes his life to the American Dream and getting what he wants. Gatsby also has, “an extraordinary gift for hope,” which means that Gatsby has a positive attitude toward achieving the American Dream. Jay Gatsby can relate to many success stories that have happened

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