On the Continuity of the American Dream

The concept of the American Dream is one that has permeated American society for a matter of decades. The idea that there was a goal toward which all the residents of this country ought to strive gave the nation a sense of purpose. Amazingly, despite the development of American culture and society over the entire Twentieth Century, it appears to be a fact that the American Dream has managed to maintain, albeit somewhat vaguely, the same characteristics. It has changed and adapted as the society in which it was conceived did the same, but the essence of it remains intact. A fine example of this would be a comparison of the American Dream as portrayed in F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby, a product of the 1920s, and John Rechy's The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez, a product of the 1990s. Of course, the perseverance of the American Dream in the two differing portrayals of American society occurs not only in the midst of a difference in time, but also amidst of differences in place, wealth, and race.