Comparing The American Dream In The Great Gatsby And Lost In The Kitchen

An American is not just someone who lives in America, but is someone who is doing their best to make America a better place for everyone. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr., and “Lost in the Kitchen" by Dave Barry, all have an essence of the American Dream lurking in them. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is what many people think of when they hear the term “American Dream”. This is a materialistic lifestyle filled with parties and fancy vacations. This is seen through the elaborate parties thrown by Gatsby at his mansion, and through details seen through the novel. Gatsby, who was once a poor man and low class citizen, had a dream and a goal, to reach absolute financial success. To

“Lost in the Kitchen” by Dave Barry, is a short story about the events that unfold during a Thanksgiving dinner. It talks about how while the women do all the cooking and cleaning, the men relax and watch football, and the children and the dog run around. It then talks about how when the men try to help out in the kitchen, the women take over and the men don't get to do anything. Therefore, the men were asked to watch the children while they were watching the football game. Barry writes, “there is a famous law of physics that goes: ‘You cannot watch small children and the Detroit Lions at the same time, and let's face it, the Detroit Lions are more interesting.’”. As funny as this is, in the end it all turns out the same way, the men look at the TV for a second, the children get hurt and then the men get yelled at by the women. However, is this an accurate representation of the American Dream? Getting yelled at by your wife and watching football. The answer is no, it is not, because there is a deeper meaning to all of that. In all of that, there is family and friends hanging out in the comfort of a home, having fun and enjoying laughs with the occasional yelling and