One of the greatest classic novels in American history, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, lends itself to being an indispensable work of literature that strengthens and challenges fundamental values. and the ideals that Benjamin Franklin expresses in his Autobiography. In the intended passage, young Franklin arrives in Philadelphia hoping to become a new self-made man and begins his journey with little money and few resources, much like Gatsby. Arriving by boat, he attempts to pay the people on the boat for his trip but his payment is initially refused because he rowed the boat to get to Philadelphia. Franklin insists that they accept his payment and says, "A man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he has much, perhaps for fear of being thought little." » Eager to make a good first impression on the people of Philadelphia, Franklin attempts to establish that he possesses substantial wealth that he is capable of paying his own fare even though it is not necessary. As he enters town, he is hungry and asks a boy where the nearest bakery is. Franklin walks into the bakery to ask for a cookie then finds out they're not made in Philadelphia, so he asks for a three-cent loaf. Once again, he does not receive a three-cent loaf of bread, but rather “three superb puffy buns”. Surprised by the amount of bread he gets for pennies, Franklin eats one and enters a Quakers meeting house. After sitting for a short while, he falls asleep during the meeting but is then kindly awakened without a word of complaint. Ben Franklin's account of his first day in Philadelphia is the successful story of one man's attempt to capture...... middle of paper ...... Americans once considered the definition of their identity. It follows the life of a man who shares the same dream that Benjamin Franklin believed in when he arrived in Philadelphia to make a living as a new man. Jay Gatsby however fails and ends up dying while pursuing his dreams because his dreams are unrealistic and the end goal of his dream is tainted by selfishness and greed. Fitzgerald helps readers understand that even in a time of prosperity like the Roaring Twenties, the famous American concept of becoming rich and famous can be a fruitless pursuit that leads only to disappointment and heartbreak. Fitzgerald, however, concludes the novel on a positive note, saluting humanity's tenacity to continually pursue its dreams and providing some hope that perhaps one day, every American citizen will be able to realize their own American dream...