The American Dream in The Great Gatsby and A Raisin in the Sun

After the presentations in class, I noticed that the American Dream isn't as much one large idea as it is a general topic for individuals to classify their ambitions.  In my opinion, the American Dream is simply what you call everything you strive for.  Each person has a different image of the American Dream with different goals, different hopes, and different fantasies.  In The Great Gatsby, Nick observed the fact that most of the people he associated with in West Egg strived for material things, were determined to achieve wealth, or already achieved wealth.  Some would consider this the stereotypical American Dream, having a nice home and "a white picket fence".  However, I still believe that the American Dream is a general topic that is different for each person, regardless of the amount of people who strive for "a white picket fence".  There are many people who work toward wealth and stability, but just as many people care about making the world and its inhabitants a better place.  In A Raisin in the Sun, Lena and Ruth only wanted a better life for their family.  Rather than consider wealth a top priority, they see the success of their children as their American Dream.  Aside from these characters, there are people in the world that strive for education, happiness, safety, stability, survival, and improvement.  Because of this, there isn't one large American Dream that everyone relates to, but rather a topic that allows people to assess what they strive for.

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