Essay Sample: The Introduction Of American Dream Literature

Ever since the turn of the century, the society of America has always had a national ethos referred to as “The American Dream.”  People refer to the American dream as being wealthy, and literally living the life one could dream of. There is a reason why it's called a dream, of which not many can truly achieve it. In a popular opinion, the American Dream can never be achieved because most of society today will not pursue civil liberty, are unable to attain financial success, or gain the freedom that they covet.

In 1630, John Winthrop wrote a sermon, “City on a Hill,” to express his belief of what the American Dream should be. Winthrop explains that if people strive together as a community, they will be successful. “For this end, we must be knit together, in this work, as one man,” (Winthrop, Paragraph 3). By this, Winthrop means that if we do not work together and cooperate, then nothing will ever get done. In other words, he is saying that we’re all in this together. Winthrop emphasizes this by saying, “The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken ....” (Winthrop, Paragraph 3). He explains that Americans are expected by their peers to obey civil liberty. For instance, everyone around is counting on you to partake in your job, therefore others can run theirs smoothly.

In early spring of 1776, Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband during the Revolutionary War. In this letter she was concerning the fact that while the men are out fighting in the war, the women are also working hard to keep the place civil. “That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend,” (Adams, Paragraph 7). Adams is saying that men are willing to give up their lives for anything without a doubt. She is trying to say that women are there just to be the caregivers of their values, and she wants women to have more freedom.. Adams also mentions that men think of their women as personal property. “Regard us then as Beings placed by providence under your protection and in immitation of the Supreem Being make use of that power only for our happiness.” (Adams, Paragraph 7). She means that men acknowledge their wives for who they are and then use them to be their personal land keepers. Abigail Adams is very pro-feminism and wants society to treat women more humanely. 

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby,” about a man, Nick Carraway, who moves to a small town in New York, that lives across the street from a rich man, Jay Gatsby. Jay Gatsby was a very optimistic and enthusiastic man. The novel mentions that Gatsby believes that you must leave everything from the past, in the past and let the future be present.”Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter - to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther ...” (Fitzgerald, Chapter. 9). Gatsby believes that the past is past; however, the effect it partakes on us, we have to proceed in life. This represents a metaphor of Gatsby’s past financial struggles; for instance, the conditions he was living as a child were very poor, in which his family were farmers in rural North Dakota.  By comparison, this shows a relationship to the “Mayflower Compact.” The Mayflower Compact is the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, written by the male passengers of the Mayflower.  This refers to when the Puritans were arriving to the New England Colonies, “a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid ...” The Puritans were hoping that they would arrive at the New England Colonies in early October using two ships, but unfortunately with delays and further complications, they could only use the one they referred to as the Mayflower. This shows that the Puritans didn’t achieve what they wanted, when they wanted, which led them to also struggle.

The texts reveal that people are always going to want to accomplish their version of the American Dream; however, it’s a matter of are they actually endeavoring it. A lesson one could learn from reading this is to find ways to accomplish your goals, without overcoming boundaries. Someone can do this by limiting their ability to a certain time period. For example, working out can be very stressful, therefore it can be limited to a certain time per day or week. Meeting your goal is always important, but overdoing what you know is more likely to mess up the overall progress.