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Nikole McGee

Mrs. Stanford

LIT 237

18 May 2018

The True Goal

In youth the world is picture perfect and the future is painted rose gold, but as time

passes, this perspective begins to dissolve. Young children are influenced by their surroundings,

including parents, teachers, and peers, and they develop ideas about their future based on what

these people say and do. During this time of adolescence is when the idea of the American

Dream is developed. The American Dream may be unique to an individual, but overall it

describes reaching the ultimate goal of success: being wealthy. As children grow older, this idea

of the American Dream becomes less and less realistic due to the hardships that come with being

an adult. These hardships may include: stress from work, paying bills, being a parent, gaining

responsibilities, etcetera. Modernist author F. Scott Fitzgerald represents his understanding of

this concept through his fiction novel This Side of Paradise. This Side of Paradise is a story

about a boy named Amory who separates from his mother in order to attend a high-end private

school, it is here that he develops his idea of the American Dream and he then goes on to achieve

his dream, all the while having a distanced relationship with his mother, though he feels close to

her emotionally. This side of Paradise accurately depicts how Americans are taught to strive for

unrealistic goals at a young age, and in order to combat this, one must understand and embrace

individualism. The commonly recognized theme of disillusionment in This Side of Paradise

reflects the corrupt ideals that are associated with the American Dream through character

development and public resonance.

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The American Dream is planted into the minds of young children as a seed that is

meant to grow over time. The article “A Study of Positive Youth Development among

Adolescents in Urban Areas” is a scholarly journal that supports the importance of holistic child

development. Positive youth development has the ability to shape the lives of young children

and, if utilized correctly by parents or guardians, can steer them towards realistic aspirations for

their future. The phrase “positive youth development” is used to describe the full development of

an adolescents psychological, physical, and social growth. In this journal an experiment was

conducted that focuses mainly on the psychological aspect of positive youth development

through a study of 100 teens between the ages of 16 and 18, half boys, half girls. The conclusions

drawn in this research experiment can outline an understanding of how the main character in

This Side of Paradise grows, develops, and changes not only physically but mentally, these

changes can be seen as Amory’s view of the American dream changes in the book. Amory’s

journey begins when he is young and positive youth development was very helpful in his

adolescence. Some adolescents who alienate themselves or are bored with life challenges may

show signs of a deficiency in positive development, making them stand out from their peers, and

causing them to be more prone to psychological disorders. While Amory was mentally stable, he

was still fed lies about how to achieve the American Dream, which is reflectant of the way that

teens in real life are asked to do today (Sneha and Shukla 2017). It is easy to influence children

and young teens because they are so vulnerable due to their inexperience of life. During

adolescence is when disillusionment of the American Dream begins to settle in. Teens are often

asked to plan and set large goals for their future as preparation for financial success and schools

push college education, letting teenagers believe that college is non-negotiable . This idea that

college is a necessity is one that can be recognized as a modern societal expectation, and those
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who avoid college are looked down upon. This expectation has good merit, but is unreasonable

in a society where getting famous takes nothing but a unique feature to set one apart from the rest

of the world. College cannot be considered the key to financial success if it is increasingly

common among young adults, rather the key is to stand out from the crowd and be a uniquely

talented individual. Amory in This Side of Paradise is easily manipulated, like most teens, into

believing this due to his upbringing in an urban society. This notion can be supported by the

article “Does Growing up in Urban Compared to Rural Areas Shape Primary Emotional Traits?”

in another research experiment that addresses adolescents. More specifically, this article focuses

on the psychological states of those who grew up in urban or rural areas. The main character in

This side of Paradise goes to private schools and primarily grows up in urban areas, reflecting

the findings of this article by analyzing how Amory develops into an adult in the book. The study

found that growing up in urban areas influences a person’s primary emotional tendencies (fear,

care, sadness, anger, and play) and makes them more intense, which is evident in This side of

Paradise because Amory tends to be very emotionally invested in his interests and his family,

especially his ultimate role model, his mother (Cornelia 2017). Amory spends his life living up to

standards that his mother and peers have set for him, knowing that in order to live a happy life he

must be an egotistical male who is financially stable and has no problem with intimate

relationships. Amory always does as he is told in school and in adolescence because that is all he

knows, though he eventually experiences the traumas of World War One, changing his original

perspective and making him question if there is more to life than he has been taught. This

realization that Amory has in the book is what reveals the book’s major theme of disillusionment,

and disapproval of the American Dream. The article titled “The Political F. Scott Fitzgerald:

Liberal Illusion and Disillusion in `This Side of Paradise'”, is analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald
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through his literary classic This Side of Paradise. The article supports the theme of

disillusionment within the idea of the American Dream. Fitzgerald’s writing is heavily influenced

by political and social issues of his time period, especially liberalism and disillusionment that is

associated with it (Craig 1995).

The story This Side of Paradise is primarily set in the 1920’s, so it’s allusions to the

American Dream refer to a different version of the American Dream than the easily recognizable

modern version. In the 1920’s the American Dream had many provisions that prohibited the way

that it could be achieved. In this time period racism and sexism were not uncommon or frowned

upon; being a white male meant living in a higher class society than all other human beings,

creating the stereotype that all successful white males at the time were also meant to be

extremely confident and arrogant. Along with this, men were expected to marry well and early to

a woman who was loyal but also willing to live in his shadow. Finally, being wealthy completed

the picture of the American Dream, but this would only be true if this wealth had either been

acquired through hard work and education or wealthy ancestry. Today the American Dream

strives for the same goal of wealth and happiness, but under different circumstances. Racism and

sexism are words now met with a negative connotation and diversity in America is more of a

trend than a burden. After the fight for women’s rights, strong independent women have become

increasingly popular, and the idea of individualism has proved to be the new social norm. The

ultimate goal today is to be wealthy but unlike standards in the past, how one’s wealth is

obtained is not important, though it is much more difficult than it has ever been. The changing

definition of the American Dream can be supported by the article “Generation X and Its

Evolving Experience with the American Dream” because it discusses how social constructs

change and evolve over time as definitions of the American Dream change and evolve with them.
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This idea of the American dream also changes within the minds of individuals as they transition

from childhood to adulthood, this article discusses in depth how Generation X (generation

between 1960 and 1980) experiences the American dream in this way. In contrast to other

generations, Generation X has proven to be more resilient than others, making it easier for them

to recognize disillusionment within the idea of the American dream. Though This Side of

Paradise discusses the Silent Generation (1920s) this article is one example of many that

explains how different versions of the American Dream are developed over time. The article also

supports the notion that the American dream becomes less after one is faced with the hardships

of adulthood (Patty 2017). Though This Side of Paradise may seemingly be out of date, it still

conveys the important message that achieving the American Dream is an unrealistic goal to strive

for because it essentially proves that money is the key to happiness, but it is not. Financial

success is solely a benefit, but being truly happy is an entirely separate battle. The American

Dream is an unrealistic goal because it is so rarely achieved and ultimately sets young adults on a

path that will eventually lead to failure, and if people spend their lives striving for something that

they will likely never have then they will forever be unsatisfied, and, likely, unhappy as well.

This Side of Paradise sheds light on this false stereotype of success. The best way to combat this

issue of striving for unrealistic goals is to understand the importance of setting obtainable

personal goals as an individual.

Individualism can be a difficult concept to grasp because utilizing it correctly requires a

healthy balance of being independent as well as dependent. This can be supported by the article

titled “Public Health and Political Theory: The Importance of Taming Individualism.” because it

discusses political roots of liberalism within the idea of the American Dream and is useful when

trying to understand the deep political and social roots that are embedded in This Side of
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Paradise (Viens 2016). The issue with being overly independent is that it can easily lead to

becoming too invested in one’s personal needs and wants, and may create a selfish outlook on

life. On the other hand being too dependent on family members or peers can make a person too

clingy. However, finding a happy medium between these two may be the pathway to true

happiness. This balance would create an individual who is able to help others as well as learn

from them, to develop relationships while still being able to rely on themselves, all the while

remaining personable. Having this balance and learning to grow and be emotionally connected

with surrounding peers is the goal that Americans should be striving for instead of materialistic

or financial success. The article The American Dream Revisited: Is It What You Want or Why You

Want It That Matters? outlines what the American Dream is and what its importance is to the

individual. Ultimately the answer to the question in the title is that it is more important to

understand why the American dream is so appealing. This is because people are made to believe

that with financial success comes emotional solace. This proves that the true goal American’s

want to reach is happiness and comfort, not wealth, proving that people are inherently good but

they are easily manipulated into believing that money creates happiness (Carver and Baird 1998).

Though financial success is good, it should not be a person’s primary goal in life. It may

be argued that the American Dream is a necessity because it allows people to look forward to a

successful future and keeps them optimistic. It is good to set goals, and the American dream is

seemingly the ultimate goal. Society uses the idea of the American Dream to motivate people to

be active participants in their society by promoting that financial success is easily obtainable, all

it requires is a college education and a lifetime of dedication. The argument today is that in order

to reach this ultimate goal one must entirely embrace individualism and achieve this goal alone

through hard work. This idea has a good moral foundation, but it is too extreme and too much to
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ask of a single person. While setting goals is a good way to prepare for one’s future, the only way

to be satisfied is if those goals actually are realistic. The American Dream is not a realistic goal

and ends up doing more damage than good because it all too often ends in failure. The notion

that extreme individualism is necessary to achieve this ultimate goal falsely depicts that humans

can only count on themselves, but it is evident that, as a race, humans thrive better together.

While individualism is important, it is healthy to balance it with some dependency. One should

never turn down the opportunity to work with another person in order to better themselves or

someone else. Lastly, when it comes to finance, it must be recognized that being rich should not

come before being happy. While it is smart to be aware of financial needs and wants, a person

should not dedicate their lives to work and money before taking the time to create important

relationships with family and peers in order to be happy because the ultimate goal is not to gain

wealth, but rather to live happily in one’s environment.

In youth the idea of the American Dream seems like a fantasy, mainly, because it is, but

as a child, this is a good thing. Parents, teachers and peers help shape Young children are

influenced by their surroundings, including parents, teachers, and peers, and they develop ideas a

young children into the adults that they want them to become, never realizing how influential

they are. This is why the disadvantages of striving for the American Dream are often overlooked,

but it is evident that this dream is too unrealistic and unattainable, therefore it should stop being

taught at a young age. Adulthood teaches that striving to be famous or rich only leads to

disappointment after being faced with life’s hardships. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise

reflects this theory in through the development of the main character Amory, because Amory

grows up striving to achieve this dream but then when he realizes he can’t he falls ill to addiction

and depression. Though the story is fiction it is a very real concept. This side of Paradise is the
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ultimate guide to understanding corruption within American expectations and teaches its readers

to strive for realistic goals and maintain a healthy dose of individualism. A good life is one filled

with happiness, not wealth.

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Works Cited

Nikole McGee

Mrs. Stanford

LIT 237

26 April 2018

Youth of the American Dream

Carver, Charles S. and Eryn Baird. "The American Dream Revisited: Is It What You Want

or Why You Want It That Matters?." Psychological Science (0956-7976), vol. 9, no. 4,

July 1998, p. 289. EBSCOhost, starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?

url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=892716&site=ehost-live.

David, Patty, et al. "Generation X and Its Evolving Experience with the American

Dream." Generations, vol. 4, no. 3, Fall2017, pp. 77-83. EBSCOhost,

starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=125985348&site=ehost-live.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. This Side of Paradise. Scribner, 1948.

Monk, Craig. "The Political F. Scott Fitzgerald: Liberal Illusion and Disillusion in `This

Side of Paradise'.." American Studies International, vol. 33, no. 2, Oct. 1995, p. 60.

EBSCOhost, starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9512143538&site=ehost-live.

Saha, Sneha and Priyanka Shukla. "A Study of Positive Youth Development among

Adolescents in Urban Area." Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 8, no. 3, July

2017, pp. 454-457. EBSCOhost, starkstate.idm.oclc.org/login?

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url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=126081006&site=ehost-live.

Sindermann, Cornelia, et al. "Does Growing up in Urban Compared to Rural Areas Shape

Primary Emotional Traits?." Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), vol. 7, no. 3, Sept. 2017,

p. bs7030060. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/bs7030060.

Viens, A. M. "Public Health and Political Theory: The Importance of Taming

Individualism." Public Health Ethics, vol. 9, no. 2, July 2016, pp. 136-138. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1093/phe/phw025.