Thesis Statement: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck both portray the same views of the American dream in the struggles towards the dream, the protagonist’s determination to achieve the dream and the disappointment of failure to achieve the dream.
1. Description of the American Dream.
1. Brief summary of The Grapes of Wrath and importance of characters
2. Brief summary of The Great Gatsby and importance of characters
C. How The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath relate to the American dream.
II. Both The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath demonstrate the struggles involved in achieving the American dream.
A. The struggles of the Joads and other families in The Grapes of Wrath
1. The death and loss of family members
3. Not being able to find jobs, forcing them to keep moving
B. The struggles of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby
1. The marriage of Daisy and Tom Buchanan
2. Gatsby’s inability to repeat the past
III. Even though the protagonist’s in The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby faced many struggles, the perseverance and continued to work hard to achieve their dream.
A. The determination and perseverance of Tom Joad
1. The ability to help his family push on and give support to everyone
3. After his dream changes, he is determined to spread what he has learned from Jim Casy
B. The determination and perseverance of Jay Gatsby
1. Waiting for Daisy his whole life, living across the lake from her
2. Getting Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway to help him find Daisy
3. Taking the blame and punishment of murder for Daisy
IV. In both The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Gatsby, the characters face struggles, try to overcome them, but do not succeed in the end and fail to achieve their American dream.
1. The failure of getting a job and being forced to stay in the barn
1. The inability to repeat the past
2. The inability to get Daisy to love him again
1. Struggles in achieving the American dream
2. Protagonist’s determination and perseverance in achieving the dream
3. Disappointment in failure to achieve the dream
Kenneth Lee
Dewan
English 11
May 3, 2000
The American Dream
I. Introduction
A. What is the American dream?
B. Introduction of The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath
1. How the plots relate to the American dream
2. How the perception of the American dream in both books are similar/different
C. Thesis – These two books exhibit the perception of the American dream in the same way because of the initial false perceptions of success, the struggle to achieve their dreams, and their ultimate inability to achieve their dreams.
II. False perceptions of the American dream
A. Gatsby’s desire to change his past
1. Extravagant parties
2. High class lifestyle
B. Joads desire to create a new life in California
1.
III. The struggle to achieve the dream
IV. The failure to achieve the dream
V. Conclusion
