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Masculinity and Identity: The New Standards for the American Dream
The American Dream cannot be conceived in only four different pathways. It has always
been something much more complex, but requires knowledge of self in order to succeed. The
generalization is that the dream is more accessible for men, but it has become less achievable
because of the many obstacles men face now. It has evolved into something that is pursued
because of the importance of money, titles, and masculinity. And it is with these purposes in
mind that most males end up confusing achieving financial stability with the plight of achieving
manhood. This type of mix-up occurs in many forms such as, the creation of the multiple
personalities witnessed in the men of Fight Club and Scratch Beginnings to establish an
identity. The identity created to fulfill a desire seen in The Great Gatsby and is the central
theme of The Myth of Male Power. And identity created to combat male powerlessness in the
main characters of Raisin in the Sun and Death of a Salesman. All of these men are in a
constant battle with finding their identities through the American Dream and they display all the
things that can go wrong when identity is based on illusion. Possession of a strong masculinity
and established identity is needed to successfully achieve the dream; otherwise, the pursuit of the
American dream turns into the pursuit of self-identity and not financial stability. This problem
plagues males, searching for identity, sabotaging their achieving the American dream.
Identification through Materialism: The New Meaning of the American Dream
In the pursuit of financial stability, men often get caught up with establishing what kind
of a man they are and forget about what the dream entails. It is about the freedom from worry of
financial burden through stability. This requires total assurance of character or a solid identity. As
demonstrated in the movie, directed by David Fincher, the narrator, Edward Norton, is stuck

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identifying himself through Ikea catalogues and living a bleak existence. He is content with his
life. Meanwhile he unconsciously creates the man he wants to be, antagonist, Tyler Durden and
Fight Club where he seeks his masculinity and fights against the idea of materialism influencing
identity.
Growing up, these men were promised that if they dressed and acted a certain way, theyd
gain certain things. Being fed this illusion that materialism would tell them who they were, only
to realize they had been lied too. The men of Fight Club are Americas abandon children with
essentially no identity, making the dream unachievable for them. They sabotaged themselves into
thinking that materials could define who they were and are now lost, because they dont know
who they are, once theyve lost it all. Fight Club asserts the falsity of the American dream and
how it becomes all about materialism. It also identifies the flaws found within men who undergo
a constant war with themselves trying to establish their true identity. The film displays this with
the narrator who is, one man, first consumed by materialism, then taught by made-up persona
Tyler Durden, to live without any unnecessary possession. Fight Club also aims to target men
working hard in jobs they dont want, for things they dont need and destroys the standards
created by society that tell them theyre all alphas. Tyler Durden is the prime example of a man
with a precise identity, who knows that he doesnt want to pursue the American dream because of
its empty promises. Knowing that salvation lies within, Durden becomes much more powerful, in
the narrators mind, in his plight to destroy the idea of the American dream for men.
Essentially, for men to succeed they must know themselves and not but into the
materialism that will lead them to financial ruin which completely contradicts the American
dream. Durden and Fight Club are the symbols of rebellion against the dream because it is

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composed of materialism which men use to find themselves and then end up losing themselves in
it.
Contrastingly, from movies to real life examples of the capabilities of the American
dream, is Adam Shepards project in his documentation of his journey, Scratch Beginnings.
Shepard sets out on a project to prove the bonafide spirit of the dream by boycotting materialism
and starting from the bottom. He proves that while a person can definitely not get rich through
scratch beginnings there is hope success which is a foundation for financial stability. In short,
Shepards journey is to prove that the honest American dream still exists and isnt composed of
materialism that blurs masculinity and prevents from establishing a genuine self-identity.
Through his journey, Shepard establishes his credibility by putting himself through this
test. He does not analyze the dream from somebody elses shoes, but his own. Moreover,
Shepard does not realize how important it is to establish a strong, masculine front from the
beginning and throughout his journey its tested. He resides in a male homeless shelter and it is
here he learns about how human contact is vital when it comes to pursuing the American dream.
Just like in Fight Club, all the men still depend on each other regardless of who wins or loses a
fight and its because they know what theyre fighting for that they are able to trust one another.
The same rule applies in the Crisis Ministries Homeless Shelter that Shepard resides in. Here, it
does not matter what a man was before he walked in but who they were as a person: likes,
dislikes, and common ground between other residents. However, like in Fight Club, masculine
identity was present amongst even the homeless and the abandon and at the very bottom was
where Shepard found himself and attained his masculinity.

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In result of the new found masculine side of the author, he finds that he is better able to
attain what he wants and take another step towards building a foundation from nothing. Through
the tough exposure of the streets, he builds up the masculinity he never received in his sheltered
life and with this he is able to establish an identity that gets him where he needs to go. The fruits
of his labor result in turning 25 dollars into 4,000 dollars and a truck that drives him to his new
found job and apartment. He didnt receive complete financial stability but he did create a
foundation that will help him get there.
Through his journey, Shepard shows that materialism does not matter because it can all
be lost so easily. Creating and giving himself this environment of abandonment displayed what it
was like to be without, everything.
In essence, Fight Club displays masculinity and identity as a way of breaking free from
the dream, not achieving it, because its composed of materialism. Meanwhile, Shepard uses
them as attributes that create a path towards the dream. Both analyze masculinity and identity as
ways that lead to two different paths but the same result, which is financial stability. Fight
Club uses them as a way to break from the falsity of the American dream that is flawed by
materialism, because masculinity and identity freed the men from financial burden, through the
entrapment of identity through possession. Shepards case was to prove the opposite and
demonstrate that through masculinity and assured self-identity there is no way to go but up from
poverty, and to prove that the American dream still exists for any men who possesses these
attributes. Identity and masculinity is what matters and it is also the hardest thing to find. It is
what taunts men on the pursuit of the American dream.
Identity Based on Illusion: Not the American Dream

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It can be argued that most males enter the task of working for the American dream with
the idea of women in mind, and not financial freedom. Their whole identities are characterized
around women and love, and it is here where they lose themselves to illusion. This chase is
displayed in Fitzgeralds, The Great Gatsby, through Gatsby towards Daisy. It is also
exemplified in Warren Farrells, non-fiction book, The Myth of Male Power through the
working for women to prove masculinity. The men in these books are examples of the outcome
of what happens when a males identity is centered on an illusion that will not reward financial
stability.
Fitzgeralds, The Great Gatsby displays how a man can start off on an honest pursuit to
move up the financial ladder, but is blinded by a woman whom he believes can give him
everything and then some. Gatsby wanted the American dream, until he met Daisy. After this, the
dream becomes an obsession centered on a woman he believes is the physical representation of
class, social status, and wealth itself. This shift in focus leads Gatsby to change his entire identity
in order to get on the inside. This new mission to get Daisy prevents him from truly discovering
who he is; he works for Daisy and does what he does, bootlegging, to be able to win her love.
His entire identity is a sham which meant that even before he chose such a corrupt way to
achieve the American dream, it was still unattainable. His identity is not authentic, but was
sculpted to fit the standards of the people he was trying to be like. Fitzgeralds use of Gatsby and
his end displays what happens when males lose themselves to women and dont have an
established identity, because their vision of the American Dream was changed from the moment
they laid eyes on them.
Likewise, Fitzgeralds creation of Gatsby and Daisys entire relationship highlights the
basis of masculinity with men. Gatsby only displayed the primitive nature of masculinity which

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is sex, lust, and want towards a woman, but not the type of masculinity that possesses a positive
drive for the dream. In this case, his weak masculinity kept him attached to Daisy and unable to
move forward. Gatsbys pursuit of his manhood through Daisy kept him attached to this idea that
if he attained her, she would reveal who he was or present to him his identity. Fitzgerald
presented the case of the man who believes in identification through a woman. But unless a man
assumes an identity that is all his own and has a strong masculinity to help him carry himself, he
cannot achieve the American dream.
Also, Warren Farrells, non-fiction book, The Myth of Male Power, tackles the
orthodox belief of males being the alpha when theyre actually only working to provide for
women. Their entire identities revolve around the illusion that theyre needed, when the truth is
that they want to feel needed. Farrell is not saying the dream is unachievable for men, but just
more difficult because the more masculinity the male tries to put out, (working, providing,
protecting) the more emasculated they become for women. Moreover, Farrell is not saying that
male identities are solely based on women but they are an influence; therefore, all males
pursuing the American dream need to know what they want and accept who theyre really
working for. The outcome should be gain, not loss, and for most males its the opposite, which is
why they believe that the American dream doesnt exist anymore. It only doesnt exist for them
because the standards have changed and it has become more difficult to achieve, because males
dont know who they are or what they want when they begin their journey. Their morals are
loose and their standards are low and only weak men with no self-assurance fail at achieving
financial stability.
The Myth of Male Power reveals that men are not as big as theyve been brought up to
believe and demonstrates why men are prone to failing when it come to the American dream.

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They fail because of their masculine overdrive and identity that had been created around the
notion that theyre the oppressors. Just like men are not supposed to have a weak masculinity,
they arent supposed to possess too much of it either, that will create an identity that makes them
believe that they must have it all: women, money, and power. Farrells idea supports that because
of this illusion men lie, steal and cheat their way to the top. It is also this that gets in the way of
an honest attainability of the American dream. He connotes that if men realize that they arent the
alphas and stop creating identities that chase a false illusion, then they will be able to achieve
financial stability.
Altogether, Fitzgerald and Farrell, through their books, demonstrate what happens when
males pursue an illusion that theyve let become them fully. They have no real identity and
display both disruptive categories of masculinity. Gatsbys weak masculinity that is controlled by
Daisy and an identity that is completely dependent on the same woman, and Farrells argument
that states why too much masculinity can ruin a man with the same dream of financial stability.
Men must find a balance between masculinity that will influence their identity and increase selfworth, because it will help them succeed in achieving the American dream and prove it still
exists.
Male Powerlessness In The Face of the American Dream
Male powerlessness is most often the cause that leads males to destroy themselves
through the creation of false identities to prove their masculinity. It stems from the idea that they
are still seen as children and in turn they act like children in the pursuit of trying to become men.
This type of behavior is displayed in the male characters, Walter and Willy, in A Raisin in the
Sun and Death of a Salesman. They mistook the American dream as something that would

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award them masculine identities and because they tried to use it to produce a different outcome,
they were blinded and destined to fail. Both men are fighting to prove themselves, ready to take
on that male responsibility, to their families and gain their manhood. The characteristics of those
men are evident in many males pursuing the dream. They dont know who they are and are
trying to search for their identities in the American dream. They have false illusions and the
wrong dreams.
Hansberrys, A Raisin in the Sun is centered on Walters male powerlessness and his
want to prove, against the matriarchal dominance, that he is the alpha. He is the prime example
of a man with little to no masculinity. Walter unconsciously represents a man who is still seen as
a child and will do anything to prove he is a man. Even though he is a husband and a father, he
cannot escape the grasp of his mother who is constantly interjecting in his dreams. Although he
possesses enough self-identity to know that he wants to begin in the business pathway, his focus
isnt on achieving financial stability but attaining his manhood. This idea of gaining his manhood
through the American dream makes him prey to scandals and schemes, and creates a false
illusion of what the dream is capable of providing. From the beginning, Walter was destined to
experience hardship in his attempt to pursue the dream because he was searching something
entirely different. So, he wasnt focused on becoming financially stable but used pursuing the
American dream as a method to grow out of the image his mother had of him.
Similarly, Walters pursuit of his manhood through the American dream turns out to
further complicate his life rather than help it. His mistake was believing that the dream could
give him what he truly desired, to feel masculine. Walter wanted to stop feeling so powerless but
with all his actions he ended up making his family financially powerless. Fueled by his pursuit of
masculinity, he ends up almost destroying his family. His self-influenced problems only further

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prove that it is necessary for a man to possess a strong masculinity and self-identity when
pursing the American dream.
However, in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, character Willy portrays a good
amount of masculinity, but no self-identity. He is the opposite of Walter but they are both
searching for their missing piece through the American dream, and that is their mistake.
Salesman Willys lack of identity drove him to lie and cheat his way to a better future and cost
him his life. Opposite to Walter, Willys lack of self-identity makes him the predator in the
scandals and schemes he engages in. He is an example of when there is indecisiveness of identity
that may lead to a focus in masculinity that gets many men into trouble.
Moreover, Willys powerlessness stems from the fact that he never knew who he was
(Miller 100). Since he wasnt aware of what he stood for, he was unable to make the right
decisions in order for himself to move forward. Coupled with having the wrong dreams (Miller
100), Willy was destined to fail and displays the outcome of men using the same methods to
achieve the American dream.
Powerlessness in the face of the American dream foreshadows failure. Both characters,
Walter and Willy, were men lacking either self-identity or masculinity, seeking the attributes
through the American dream.
Overall, self-identity and masculinity are crucial necessities for achieving the American
dream. A man who is ill-equipped is destined to suffer a lot, in his pursuit of financial stability,
and eventually fail. It is also important to know what the dream can provide: the American dream
is not for learning personal revelations but for attaining financial stability. And in order to
achieve that one thing, masculinity and identity must be present in the man who wants it. Fight

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Club described how masculinity and identity could be used to steer away from the dream
because its a trap that leads to financial ruin, not stability, through materialism. Scratch
Beginnings displayed a journey in which a man, Shepard, discovered himself and his manhood
by starting from poverty, and then began the quest for financial stability. The Great Gatsby and
The Myth of Male Power characterize how males can display the two disruptive categories of
masculinity (weak and too much) and produce an inauthentic identity based on an illusion that is
a sure way to sabotage their achieving the dream. And A Raisin in the Sun and Death of a
Salesman showed possessing no masculinity and lack of identity can ultimately make a man
powerless when trying to achieve the American dream. Each source characterizes a different
view on how lack of masculinity and identity affect a man pursuing the American dream. They
all either failed, destroyed themselves, or abandoned the dream altogether, because they didnt
know who they were to begin with and that makes the American dream pointless. So, it is vital
for a man to know himself before he attempts to pursue it, because if one does not know who he
is, then what is he working for?