America is the land of opportunity to many individuals. It gives people a chance to become who they really desire to be. This idea though is not always true. What sometimes occurs is that people who want to become a true American they make themselves believe that the only way to do so is by becoming wealthy and straying away from their values. What has been ingrained in much of society is that if one does not do one of those things they are lesser than the ones who do. They are part of the larger of society called the disenfranchised. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, and the movie, The Godfather, each start off their lives as respectable and honorable individuals. In the end though they have become true Americans, which pushes them further away …show more content…
They vary, but at the same time they are the one thing that American society has made people believe as the only way to be happy. To Gatsby it means you have to have lots of wealth. Even at a young age, “resting on his oars and looking up at the railed deck, the yacht represented all the beauty and glamor in the world” (106). As a young boy Gatsby had believed in the power of wealth and how having it will lead to happiness. The yacht is what Gatsby had always had his eye on because it represented more than a boat, but what happiness meant to him. He was deceived by the beauty, thinking that it was what would get him out of his situation and lead him, to where he wanted to go.In the novel, even when he has a lot of money he is even more disrespected because he stops caring about respecting himself. The whole time Gatsby was trying to get away from his situation of being poor he never was able to become happy. This was because he followed the wrong path. He convinced himself that money would allow himself to be happy, when what would have made him happy was staying true to his morals and what he truly felt was right. Contrary to Gatsby, to Michael, being a true american means being the most powerful one. A “true American” has to demonstrate their powers to others to gain control over them. He wants to make sure that people listen to him and do what he says. If they do not he believes he has to punish them for disobeying. Just as his father had said to him in the beginning of the film, in the end of the film Michael said, ‘Fredo - you’re my older brother, and I love you. But, don’t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.’ Michael has lost his sense of compassion and fairness for all. He has lost his want for others to work with him to figure out a problem, which has led to him becoming so controlling. Having all of the control means that he is able to make all of