Willy and Gatsby free essay sample

Many people in the 1920s tried to achieve the American dream. In both, the play The Death of a Salesman and in the book The Great Gatsby, the idea of the American dream is making it in life. The character in the Death of a Salesman that is very eager to live the American Dream is a man named Willy Loman. Willy is an older guy that lives in the city with his wife and two sons. In The Great Gatsby it is Jay Gatsby that is attempting to live the American Dream. Gatsby is a middle aged man that lives in the suburbs by himself. They both try to make their life seem like it is something it’s not. The Death of a Salesman and The Great Gatsby portrayed the American Dream by trying to succeed in life, having money, and being liked by everyone. Willy from The Death of a Salesman wants nothing more than to succeed and be able to provide for his family. We will write a custom essay sample on Willy and Gatsby or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He tries to make his job seem better than what it really is. Although he has worked there for years it is not as good as it use to be. Willy is not very good at his job, so it makes it hard to pay the bills he needs to. On the other hand Gatsby idea of succeeding is winning over a girl that he could never have in the past. Gatsby wanted to prove everyone wrong and show them that he has everything, but the one thing he strived for most was a girl named Daisy. He never succeeded at getting her. Not only was succeeding something the both wanted but they also wanted to have money. Money was a huge part in the play and the book, but also in the 1920s. Willy had a job but he did not make any money. He has to borrow fifty dollars a week from a neighbor to pretend he was doing well at his job. Willy Loman had tried to make it by himself and never wanted help from anyone. Money was everything to Willy. In order for him to be happy he needed money. Gatsby had all the money he could dream of but was always lonely and unhappy. His idea of living the American Dream was showing off his elegant life. He was always flaunting everything he had. Like Willy, money meant everything to Gatsby. They both needed money, and the wanted success, but most importantly they wanted to be liked by many people. Being well liked played an important role in both books. Willy wanted to be liked by his family, so he lied about his job and the money he was bringing home. He made his life seem better than it was to get approved by people. He wanted his wife and two sons to think he was important. Unlike Willy, Gatsby obviously had money; he threw huge elegant parties to draw attention to him. He showed off his flashy items to try and win over Daisy. He wanted people to know who he was. Gatsby’s parties brought many people to his home but almost all of them had no idea who he was. The Great Gatsby and The Death of a Salesman tried to live the American Dream by succeeding in life, having money, and by being well liked. Although they were different in many ways they had the same ideas on how to live this dream. Willy never reached the American dream. He did not have a good job; he was not bring home any money, and was well like, by anyone really. Gatsby did not make it either. He had money but remained lonely. He never had to work for his money it was practically given to him. They both tried to reach the American Dream but just could not make it.