Success Sinclair And The Great Gatsby By Scott Essay Example
Success Sinclair And The Great Gatsby By Scott Essay Example

Success Sinclair And The Great Gatsby By Scott Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (602 words)
  • Published: November 30, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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Both The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald explore the pursuit of the American Dream in society. Sinclair focuses on the difficulties faced by immigrants and lower-class communities as they strive for economic advancement. The presence of corruption within private businesses and social institutions, such as the justice system, hampers equal opportunities for those without financial advantages. In The Jungle, achievement is depicted as a result of hard work and embracing a modest lifestyle. The main character, Jurgis Rudkus, an immigrant from Lithuania, comes to America with aspirations of climbing the social ladder. Motivated by his desire to attain the American Dream, he takes on various low-paying jobs in hopes of saving enough money to support his extended family and improve their societal status. However, his dream remains unfulfilled due to inadequate wages, limit

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ed access to essential services (such as housing and healthcare), and widespread institutional corruption. Overall, Upton suggests that pure diligence alone does not always guarantee opportunity and success within American society.

On the contrary, achieving success relies on one's willingness to engage in corruption and immorality. This is exemplified by Rudkus and his family's inability to prosper financially despite their efforts. The family endures mistreatment, sexual abuse, and exploitation in order to maintain their jobs. The sexual abuse inflicted upon Ona, Rudkus' wife, by her boss serves as evidence. Furthermore, Rudkus' father-in-law is compelled to give away a significant portion of his salary to the person who helped him secure his job. As the author remarks, the population inhabiting this environment, largely consisting of low-class foreigners, teeters on the brink of starvation and relies on the whims o

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individuals just as brutal and unscrupulous as slave drivers from the past. Consequently, under these circumstances, immorality pervades society just as it did under chattel slavery (Sinclair, 129). This quote encapsulates the conditions under which Rudkus' wife toils. Her supervisor, Miss Henderson, operates a prostitution ring in which she coerces the women and girls under her control to participate. These forms of exploitation not only trap the family in poverty and impede their social advancement but also perpetuate corruption and immorality within society. In The Great Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald portrays American society as consumed by individualism and the pursuit of wealth as the means to attain the American Dream.In Sinclair's The Jungle, success is associated with corruption and immorality, while in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, success is linked to having a good education, proper family and social connections. This is shown when Nick Carraway moves to New York to find a job and engage in bond trading, but discovers that he cannot succeed without the support of well-connected and economically established "old money" friends and relatives. Additionally, The Great Gatsby connects opportunities and success to the beauty of women, as evidenced by Daisy Buchanan, who is courted by the rich Jay Gatsby despite being married. Daisy's desire for her daughter to be a "beautiful little fool" reflects society's emphasis on valuing women for their looks rather than their intelligence. This highlights the way in which the old society valued submission and subservience in women as a means to attract men who were seen as the pathway to economic success. However, both texts also reveal that opportunity and success are tied to corruption and immorality. In

The Great Gatsby, this is illustrated through the portrayal of New York's high-class society and the involvement of the wealthy Jay Gatsby in illegal drug activities.Similarly, The Jungle depicts the characters' involvement in immoral activities such as prostitution as a means of survival.

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