American Dream: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby And Theodore Melfi Hidden Figures

“In a decade that roared with social amends,” it was often referred as the American Dream. The two famous literature texts are very comparable connecting key events to American Dream and issues from the current situation of George Floyd. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Theodore Melfi “Hidden Figures” both utilize conflict and represent the fraudulent nature of The American Dream and suggest that it is the philosophical root of immorality in modern American society, which have led to the riots we see destroying the wealthiest nation of our time.

Class conflict is a frequent theme throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and Theodore Melfi “Hidden Figures”. In Fitzgerald’s nonfiction novel, class conflicts was one of the main ideas relating back to the American Dream and characters are being portrayed through actions of class warfare. Class conflicts refers to the rich vs poor an example of this is evident in “The Great Gatsby”, Daisy would not be with Gatsby due to being poor and not having enough money. As Gatsby wasn’t from a wealthy family, Daisy did not accept him as who is and as a lover. Throughout the book Gatsby’s lack of wealth led to numerous conflicts. An example of this is seen in chapter 6 “His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people…” when the reinvention of James Gatsby himself, sense of dissatisfaction in his original life, leading him into a new life of success. We the audience are positioned to view the attitudes, values, beliefs of Gatsby’s character. However, Fitzgerald uses this technique of hindered character revelation to emphasize the quality of Gatsby’s approach to life, which is a crucial part of his personality.

On the other hand, ‘Hidden figures’ (2016) explores and challenges how 1960’s society (and even modern society) represents the working class. In the text, people of colour are left poorer and less powerful, as they are not considered for positions unless they are increasingly talented, which becomes more and more difficult as they receive less and less starting capital and status. An example of this is when “In 1940, just 2 percent of all black women earned college degrees, and 60 percent of those women became teachers, mostly in public elementary and high schools.” The narrative perspective of the American Dream and the statement above illustrates that black women were unfortunate to access education opportunities and only few were lucky enough to graduate and have job. Moreover, in those days only whites were reserved for profession such as engineering, according to top university there was no black women engineer till 1940. Both the literature illustrates that the idea that anyone can become wealthy or that hard work can bring happiness and success is exposed as false. Literature tends to examine how The American Dream impacts on humanity and the negative effects of believing that its message is real. The reality behind The American Dream often leads to feelings of failure and dissatisfaction.

By showing the stories of three, remarkable working women, Melfi’s film opposes the commonly held idea that minorities are an inferior underclass underserving of wealth and status, with effective uses of film and poetic devices. Through Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary us the audience is positioned, instead, to embrace the idea that there may be diamonds among the roughened proletariat. An example of this is seen in the movie when the boss of NASA gives Katherine pearl as her leaving gift, where it describes that she can’t afford a pearl with her own money. Furthermore, throughout the movie Katherine also experiences a growing gap between rich whites and poor people of colour and this is being widened by the callousness and systemic racism in the system. This is illustrated in the kettle scene where no one uses what she has touched, and everyone gives her strange faces when she walks. This has positioned us the audience by creating strong messages about the elitism running through every strata of society.

In ‘The Great Gatsby’, Fitzgerald takes cautious attention in describing locations in order to construct a symbolic representation of the wealth in a place and the people within it. He is ambiguous and up for debate by whether the state of the people causes wealth, or if the wealth causes the state of the people. An great example of strong emotive language used is when he symbols ‘East Egg’/ ‘West Egg’ where the ‘East Egg’ Symbolises (bourgeoisie); and the language emphasis wealth and it’s decadence corruption (Ch1pg11-14) and ‘West Egg’ symbolising the new money, language emphasizes try-hard; extravagance and wasteful, fake (Ch3 pg40). Moreover, the text sets a scene in ‘Valley of Ashes’ (Ch2 pg31-33) using aesthetic features, setting and metaphorical landscape, to symbolic no man’s land where the people live empathy purposeless lives. George Wilson lives there, and he is a defeated man who does not have the respect of his wife nor his colleagues. This has positioned us the audience to have empathy for the underclasses and view valley as a place of hopelessness and drudgery. Fitzgerald illustrates the vast differences in wealth and the conditions endured by the very poor.

Moreover, the producer’s (Theodore Melfi) stylistic devices also perpetuate this optimistic perspective is created by a range of Aesthetic features, such as: The repeated pattern of Katherine Johnson running through the halls of NASA, first as an outcast, then as an undesired-but-necessary compatriot, and finally is a hero. The way Katherine and other reactions change when she runs through the hallway represents the shifting perspective of society and audience’s gold of equality. Each time the motif repeats, Katherine becomes more and more recognized for her merit, positioning us the audience to believe that American Dream is becoming more achievable when it is giving a false illustration. Both text…,.

Hidden figures’ perspective on the American Dream promotes an optimistic representation of the American Dream. While main characters were unable to fulfill obtain status based on their merit back in the 1960s, their meritorious actions and determination acted as a catalyst for future progress. The producers’ Theodore Melfi perspective, through the characters and narrative of the film, positions readers to believe that they too can action change and expect to, one day, be rewarded for their labours and Skills as an American Dream. While on the other hand ‘The Great Gatsby’ was a proletariat that had an American Dream that he could work hard enough to join the Bourgeoisie. In reality, Gatsby the main character portrayed through Nick’s eyes was could make enough money in an organized crime, but not legitimately as existing business would’ve crushed him. As a result, he has never acknowledged us the audience.