The Hearth and the Salamander - Analysis

First off, I really like this book. It reminds me of the Giver which is one of my favorite books. The people in this society are so brainwashed. They're like uniformed puppets. Technology is one of the main causes. People stopped reading books because they lost interest in them with all the different forms of entertainment. Books make people think and question within themselves. Books have meaning and symbolism that affect the people that read them. With all the different ideals in books it only makes sense that books would cause the people that read them to have different ideals as well. Which is why the society in Fahrenheit 451 has outlawed books. Books cause controversy and abstract thinking. If people all think the same and don't question the society they live in it eliminates unhappiness. Mildred towards the end of this section of the book says that she is "happy, and proud of it". She's so brainwashed that she actually believes she's happy. She sits around all day and has conversations with the characters in her TV parlor living a meaningless life, but she's content nonetheless. She's content because she doesn't know what she's missing. There's no controversy that troubles her, everyones the same. Those that are different are casted out, like Clarisse. She questions everything and is very observant, while Mildred on the other hand couldn't care less about anything other than her "relatives". The people who built this society had a fear of being inferior. They took away all meaning and purpose of life. When a person dies they are insignificant. Since everyone is the same they don't have anything to leave behind in the world; all their ideals are the same, they have no impact to make on the world. Montag realizes the true value of books and what they represent later in the chapter when he ponders on how long it probably took these writers to write their books and how much effort went into them. These author's life purposes and ideas are all thats left behind from them in the world, in their books. The firemen torch these books without a second thought, believing that they are preserving the happiness in society but there is no true happiness in this society just the illusion of it. They're wearing the mask of happiness Montag mentioned in the beginning pages after his first meeting with Clarisse. Without individuality they all live meaningless lives. No one will care when they die, there will be no funeral for them. Life itself has no purpose, which should be a sad thing; but to the society in Fahrenheit 451 this is just the way their society works.

Withering of The American Dream - The Great Gatsby

               In a picture-perfect America, the American dream is the pursuit of happiness. In a materialistic society like East and West Egg in The Great Gatsby, the American dream is more about pursuit of wealth. Money and happiness are not one in the same which is what diminishes the American dream. The change in ideals of the American dream took place during the roaring twenties when the economy was booming and people started gaining interest in materialistic things. People pursued wealth in their lives with the idea that money would bring them happiness, but happiness doesn't come from materialistic items. Happiness comes from being content with yourself and your decisions. 
               Gatsby believed the way to achieve his dreams was through acquiring as much wealth as possible. To Gatsby being part of the wealthy class was everything, because in order to get to Daisy he had to be on her same level socially. The only problem with that concept is that East Egg is about old money, Gatsby won't ever belong in that part of the New York. He will never be accepted because he wasn't born into the same lifestyle of the old aristocracy. The American dream is the idea that anyone in our country can become anything they want as long as they have the will to achieve that success. With the materialistic social class system in The Great Gatsby that is merely impossible. Gatsby had all the money and possessions he intended on having but his dream still wasn’t fulfilled. His dream is ruined when Daisy finds out the means to which he acquired his wealth. Not only was Gatsby considered new money, but he made his money illegally which was just not good enough for Daisy. He put Daisy on a pedestal and was disappointed when he realized his dream wasn't fulfilled as he wanted it to be. His dream didn’t work out for him because of the morals and fundamentals it was based upon. His dream was more about wealth than anything else. No matter the amount of wealth he possesses he will never be good enough for Daisy. Daisy has no morals and only cares about the materialistic side of the spectrum. Neither Daisy nor Gatsby understand the idea the true meaning of the American dream. 
               The corrupt views instilled in them because of their social class make them out to believe in the pursuit of wealth rather than happiness. Gatsby tried endlessly to make his dream a reality but the more he tried the farther from his dream he got. Gatsby replaced his morals with greed, without the right morals the American dream is unattainable. As time passes society seems to become more and more materialistic and as this happens the American dream continues to diminish, just as Gatsby’s dream became more and more materialistic which ruined his chances at true happiness. The original morals of happiness in the American dream have now turned into that of greed and wealth as shown in The Great Gatsby.

The Great Gatsby (ch 7-9)

I knew Daisy was going to pick Tom! The fact that her and Tom left town with no regard for Gatsby, Nick, Wilson, or anyone else in the story proves just how shady they both are. Tom still doesn't really care for Daisy and she's a complete idiot for believing that he does. He passed her on to Gatsby to drive home with to prove his point, show how secure he was. She is just a possession to him. He'll probably start another affair wherever it is him and Daisy ran off to. Daisy seemed completely indifferent to Gatsby's death which is a whole new level of shallowness for her. Even though she picked Tom she could've showed the least bit of respect towards Gatsby by attending his funeral. Gatsby's dream was ruined by social status. Not only was he 'new money' but he acquired his wealth illegally. Daisy on the other hand was old money, which explains her lack of empathy for others. She doesn't know what it's like to be poor and doesn't care for those that do. Daisy symbolizes the old aristocracy's lack of heart and morals. Even though Gatsby was wealthy and a criminal he still had those qualities the people of East Egg lacked. During this time the American Dream turned from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of wealth. Gatsby may have become as wealthy as he wanted but that wealth didn't get him Daisy. He was chasing wealth to get to Daisy but failed to realize the fault in his plan. Daisy lacks the morals to live up to his expectations; after all, she is from East Egg what more could he expect from her? He should have realized that if she wouldn't date him because of his social status then she obviously didn't truly love him and things wouldn't have worked out between them anyways. He learned that the hard way, and even through the end of his role in the book he still loves Daisy, like a fool. Even with all the wealth he had, Daisy still chose Tom. She doesn't care that she betrayed him. She doesn't care he died. She simply doesn't care about anyone but herself.