American Cultural Identity In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

American Culture Identity

The American cultural identity is as complex as its rich and prominent history. Americans have shaped history time and time again through many influential qualities. Americans throughout the centuries have been; determination in pursuing new opportunities, defiant for change, and zealous about the change and opportunities they seek. These traits are exhibited in the women’s rights suffrage movement, the evolution of jazz and the art of collage paintings. The American cultural identity has also been reshaped over time and is reflected throughout American literature. Famous novels such as Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, and The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, tell the stories of American

Stanton and Anthony often collaborated on petitions, speeches, and even co-authored, “History of Woman Suffrage.” Stanton is also known as the primary author of the “Declaration of Sentiment”. This document’s main purpose was to demand to its readers the right for women to vote. The introduction quotes the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…(Declaration of Sentiment).” The use of replicating one of America’s founding document’s introduction is to reestablish the idea that Americans have rights that allow them to pursue their happiness. The Declaration of Sentiment also enlists a list of grievances decided on by women in the suffrage movement. Key grievances include the action of taking women’s wages and property, denying women the facilities needed to obtain an education, destroying women’s confidence and in turn lessening their self-respect, and if married, making her civilly dead (Declaration of Sentiment). These protests assure men that women had suffered enough and are American citizens with the same equal rights as them. This relates back to the American cultural identity in that these women were determined for change and fought to make a difference for

Willy Loman lives the life of an unsuccessful businessman pursuing the American dream. Willy also pushes is sons to follow him in his footsteps and achieve the dream as well, even though they find happiness in other ventures. Willy’s unfortunate pursuit leads him to a life of misery and psychological distress. He eventually commits suicide leaving his family with insurance money from his death. Willy Loman chased the wrong dream, as he believes that a well-liked businessman would bring him success instead of the hard work others had put it in to reach the American