Driving thought:
In Hemingway’s evocation of the Dream, no party is held harmless, and the reader must sympathize with the most unlikely of characters while lamenting that, on the whole, the American Dream collapses upon itself.
That said, there are three distinct social classes in Hemingway’s To Have and have Not. They are the lower working-class including Harry and the Conchs; the intellectual middle-class elite who are supposed to represent the American Dream, such as Richard Gordon, Professor MacWalsey, and the New Deal administrator Frederick Harrison; and finally, the uber-rich who are the supposed embodiment of The Dream made good, like Mr. Johnson and the people on the yachts.
From the perspective of the American Dream discussed thus far, explain the following statements using details from the novel as proof:
1) Harry Morgan, despite being far from heroic, is the best possible example of the American Dream made good. (200 words minimum)
2) The intellectual middle-class elite, despite being the champions of the dream, fail to measure up in the “Hemingway World” and thus fail to serve as an example of The Dream made good. (200 words minimum)
3) The super wealthy such as Mr. Johnson and the people on the yachts, despite being the destination and supposed result of The American Dream made good (the goal for all), are vapid shiftless individuals with no care beyond their own worries and woes, the resolution of which is at the cost of those under them in the social order. (200 words minimum)
Please address the readings and learning modules as part of your response. Avoid, phrases such as: “I think,” “to me,” “in my opinion,” and “I agree.” Simply present your argument with supporting material from the course.
