Essay | The American Illusion

"What distinguishes us one from another is our dreams... and what we do to make them come about" (Joseph Epstein). All Americans hope to achieve the American Dream: wealth, status, love and above all happiness. These ambitions however, although valid, often cause one to slip into the illusion of the perfect life. The concept of success begins to become a superficial comfort. F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby and the film Pleasantville depict two drastically different time periods, nevertheless the characters in the stories both share the common fantasy of the ideal life. Jay Gatsby and David both long for what they perceive as the perfect world; nonetheless the pursuit for perfection often leads to disappointment.

Jay Gatsby, in the novel The Great Gatsby, also believes he could have the perfect life. James Gatz never accepted his birth rank or the life provided for...
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