A Raisin in the Sun and The Great Gatsby Comparison

The difference in the American Dream portrayed in the Great Gatsby is very different in A Raisin in the Sun due to the difference in economic status and race of the people in the two books. In A Raisin in the Sun the American Dream was more about the struggle to move up in life and obtain a better life for each one of them. They were proud African American people looking for ways to improve their circumstances. The Youngers American dream was more so about finding a way to improve their poverty, and fix their broken dreams. In The Great Gatsby their dream was focused on being happy again. I think that the main characters were so caught up in their wealth that they were blinded by keeping up with the wealth they had obtained that they had nothing to truly enjoy.

In A Raisin in the Sun I think it was harder to achieve their American dream because of the racial issues at that time. As the Youngers were trying to achieve their dreams by moving into an actual house, which for them symbolized a new life full of hope and opportunity, the people of the community they lived in did not want them to live their because they were black. They were facing open threats that almost prevented them from leaving their cramped apartment. I feel that the poverty and lack of education everyone had (except for Beneatha) also made it more difficult to achieve the American dream than it was for the characters of the Great Gatsby. In A Raisin in the Sun it was the people who they were living with did not have high dreams or ambitions because they thought that their poverty prevented them from having anything more than what they already had. Walter did not think that he could do much more in life because he was just an uneducated, poor, black man.

In the Great Gatsby the American Dream was focused on obtaining happiness. All of the characters had wealth (except for Nick) and he was clearly the happiest person there. Daisy, for instance, thought that wealth was the most important thing. Love was second to being not just financially stable, but extremely wealthy. However in the end the wealth that she was able to achieve did not make her happy. Gatsby was also a perfect example of someone who was wealthy but did not achieve the American dream. Gatsby was the wealthiest man in the West Egg. But, he was not happy because he did not have Daisy. The other characters seemed to think that wealth was everything too, but you could tell that none of them were truly happy. They were bored with their lives.

In both books I did notice that the characters shared one similarity. In both books the characters had strong determination to reach their American dream. Their perseverance was extraordinary. Gatsby dies in his struggle to find happiness. The Youngers are willing to move into a tough situation in order to achieve a better life and fulfill their American dream.

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