... is interwoven and deeply embedded in every fabric of American life. It has also been the focal point of many novels under the genre of American literature. This dream as I understand it, is associated with rugged individualism, generous enthusiasm and idealism in the pursuit of success, fame, power and glory ... growing up with poor parents, Gatsby came to despise of poverty. Nick Carraway the narrator of The Great Gatsby notes that Gatsby is the son of a "shiftless and unsuccessful farm people."(104) He also notes that Gatsby "never accepted them as his parents at all." (104) As an amb...

• Word Count: 7760
• Approx Pages: 31
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Emily Dickinson, Henry James, and Robert Frost. Emerson's essays are a series of loosely related impressions, maxims, proverbs, and parables. He has been described as belonging to the tradition of "wisdom literature" that includes Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Michel de Montaigne, and Francis Bacon, among others. Despite personal hardships, Emerson developed a moral philosophy based on optimism and individualism. In "Self-Reliance," he ... its publication, a discussion group was formed with Emerson as its leader. It eventually came to be called the "Transcendental Club." The club published...

• Word Count: 3135
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School