Franklin’s Almanac: The Way to Wealth vs. The Great Gatsby

Franklin’s Almanac: The Way to Wealth vs. The Great Gatsby
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Franklin’s Almanac: The Way to Wealth vs. The Great Gatsby
The American dream is the notion that one can be anything they wish to be in the United States. Chance and opportunity are there for the taking, but these are limited to those willing to work hard, and set forth for what they believe. While reading Franklin’s The Way to Wealth and Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, one notices certain things that point to the American dream. However, one also notices the differences in the way characters in both books have different approaches to life and wealth. On the one hand, Franklin believes that one must strive to earn their riches and develop certain precepts to help enhance sustainability. On the other hand, Gatsby moves from rags to riches in record time but appears not to have learned anything to help him ensure his wealth’s sustainability. The differences in how the men approach life and issues of life are quite evident. While some similarities between Franklin and Gatsby are evident, they are different in the aspects of expenditure, the motivation behind their actions, and their moral astuteness.
The way Franklin and Gatsby approach matters finances and expenditure is different. Gatsby was the epitome of the personification of profligacy and extravagance. He threw parties at his house that attracted a large number of people mainly because of his popularity. On the other hand, Franklin believes in keeping what one has earned through hard work and diligence. He was a disciplined man who saw no reason whatsoever in spending his hard-earned money. The surprising bit of this difference is that both men were a success story of the American dream. They had worked hard and been able to be a part of the success stories often associated with the American dream. “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited—they went there. They got into automobiles which bore them out to Long Island, and somehow they ended up at Gatsby’s door” (Fitzgerald, 1925). The above statement alludes to the nature of the parties that Gatsby held at his house. His popularity attracted those he invited and those he did not. His extravagance was quite obvious for the world to see. On the other hand, Franklin believed in frugality. “So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one’s own business; but to these we must add frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful” (Franklin, 1758). Franklin was against the life that Gatsby was leading. He did not believe in working hard and squashing what one spends. He believed in saving what one earns.
Aside from the above, another difference between Franklin and Gatsby is their motivation. To Franklin, the individual was important. The Way to Wealth was a path towards one’s journey to successfully enhancing one’s image. On the other hand, Gatsby was motivated by his love for ...