When people go about their lives, they do not decide on living in a particular way but only decide on a desired end result. Jay Gatsby of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby dreams of a universal goal with which he believes he will be fulfilled. However, Gatsby does not make a decision on how to live and thus concludes with only an illusion of fulfillment. On the other hand, Henry David Thoreau achieves his goal by dreaming in an entirely different perspective and making a decision on how to live. The final result which comes after their decease shows the effectiveness of their different dreams and ways in fulfilling them in a particular land of America. The American dream Thoreau achieves is a dream of integrity and satisfaction, which Gatsby fails to obtain for his dream is only material and limited.…
