Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun Comparison

   The American Dream takes on two perspectives in each of these books but with similar reoccurring aspects. In the Great Gatsby  the viewpoint of the American Dream comes from people with wealth and success. Two of them worked for their money but the others didn't so they really have no American Dream. In a Raisin in the Sun, the American Dream comes from a poor family that also has problems with racial issues. The American Dream for the family in ARITS (Raisin in the Sun) is to have a decent life. They want to have a house for everyone in their family and chance for the two younger ones in the family to have a future. Their American Dream is centered around their family and everyone having a decent living situation. It is a lot harder for them though due to racial issues and the selfish interests of Walter. In the Great Gatsby, they take the shallow part of the American Dream which is wealth, no work, and play for life. Everyone in the Great Gatsby wants to just have their dilly dally lives. They don't care for anyone around them or what they do when they hurt people. A prime example is when Myrtle was hit by a car and Tom and Daisy just left without acknowledging the problem they caused. In ARITS there was a similar problem with hurting those around but Walter at least acknowledged his mistake when he gave away his money. There was a significant difference in the pride of characters in the book as well. The characters in the Great Gatsby have enough pride to never say they are wrong. When Nick went saw Tom after Gatsby's death, Tom refused to say it was his fault in any way because of lion's pride. But the opposite goes for Walter in ARITS, who had no pride towards the end of the book. Walter was willing to get down on his hands and knees for a white man because he didn't have any pride after losing the money. A part of the American Dream was the character of the people in both books and in A Great Gatsby the pride of the rich was greater than those in ARITS most likely due to their difference in goals. But, the main reason the American Dream was different in both books was the racial key factor. In A Great Gatsby all the characters were white and rich. They didn't have social class or society putting them down in the same way as ARITS. The Younger family was not only black but poor so they had the different dream to be successful and not prejudiced against. In a Great Gatsby they didn't really have an American Dream in the sense of achieving something. They had everything given to them and could simply buy everything they ever wanted. The American Dream never really existed in the gaining something sense in the Great Gatsby. For those in ARITS, their American Dream was more real and you could see them trying to achieve it throughout the play.
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Written Reflection

  My approach to the investigation had a focus of traveling to foreign countries, or living in one. I learned mainly that depending on what the person's life is like, meaning children or how they were raised, will affect how they look at the American Dream. I had expected due to the lack of prejudice in my neighborhood and the diversity the American Dream would focus more on equality. However, i found that the most focus from the people i interviewed was around their children or the next generation. Their dreams were not very self-centered and it surprised me a little bit. The most challenging part was taking what i talked to people about and forming that into a common dream. I also thought having a basis for the project would be difficult, as in what to ask and how to begin the idea of what the American Dream is in my community. However, it turned out to be a lot more simplistic than i thought because everyone has an idea of an American Dream even if it is not straightforward and outwardly said.