C.+Gatsby+Essay

==The novel, //The Great Gatsby//, is always either discussing human behavior or the American Dream. To most, this book just seems like a really good soap. But, if one really looks beyond the story, the American Dream has many connections within the story. Almost every character’s dream is revealed, and is either achieved or not. In the real world, Katherine Seelye talks about today’s American Dream in the article, “What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession?” While the novel gives one opinion, this article gives a little opinion of both sides. ==

== The novel talks about how we as humans, when we want something, we tend to never give up. An example, “He wouldn’t consider it. He couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldn’t bear to shake him free” (Fitzgerald 148). What the author is trying to explain is: once we get a thought that we want something, we do not easily give up. Then, we Gatsby dies, that symbolizes those people who never achieve their dreams. But, at the end of the novel, Fitzgerald leaves a positive message, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (Fitzgerald 180). He explains that we must move on, face new challenges, but we must always learn from the past. Fitzgerald believe that people do not achieve their dreams, but can use it as a learning experience. ==

== Between the novel and the article, there are two distinct sides described. One side is those who still believe in the American Dream, while, the other is those who do not. Seelye gives a little of both using statistics and facts rather than opinion. Because of this recession, there has a been a drop in people that believe they will achieve their American Dream. Also, just like the novel, people tend to not give up. “You want to hold on to your dreams even more when times are hard” (Seelye 1). When times are hard, these are the times when people realize what is important in life, and need hope. They get this hope from believing in themselves. What this novel and article have in common is they are real. Yes, there are going to be people who never achieve what they want in life, it’s a fact. This may be true, but this does not mean we just give up. If we give up, then there is nothing to live for. ==