The American Dream

Two pieces of literature, the novel The Great Gatsby and the play Death of a Salesman, examine the American dream, from opposite directions. Gatsby achieved it, and died. Willie Loman never achieved it, and died. Investopedia describes the dream as “anyone, regardless of where they were born or their socio-economic status, can attain their own version of success.”

But merely a fine line divides the Dream from...

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Letting Go

My last school used two works to explore the American Dream: The Great Gatsby who achieved it and lost, and Death of a Salesman, where Willie Loman didn’t achieve the dream yet also lost. But Willie Loman’s wife Linda had a haunting line, in talking about the irony of finally paying off the family house after their two sons had moved out, “Life is a casting off.” Or…

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Transcendence--In All the Wrong Places

One of my closest lifetime friendships was forged in high school and college. Ken and I then both followed Jesus, both left, only I returned. Ken has trekked the world. His innate curiosity and hunger for knowledge has led him to many worship events, in many faiths. During one of our conversations on his yearly trip back to the states, he offered, “Worship is funny. I visit my parents’ evangelical Christian worship, or that of my Muslim friends, and they all look the same.” Ken saw an outer similarity, but missed…

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