The American Dream: Is the Improvement Worth It? Over the years, the people of America have been a mobile people. Native Americans moved with the seasons and the migration of animals; the first Spanish settlers moved to find gold; European settlers moved for land; and in recent weeks, Southerners have fled tragedy. Although these four major diasporas appear to have individual reasons, they all share a common root: the American dream – a need to improve a given way of life by making a radical change. In their respective books, The Great Gatsby and Sula, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Toni Morrison illustrate this phenomenon by creating characters willing to do anything to improve their personal lives; however, both writers incorporate great failure into the lives of their main characters, thereby rejecting idealistic thoughts of the American dream. From a young age, James Gatz considered changing his social status; he plans his days hour by hour; loses his first name for a new one; abandons his home, family and friends; and most importantly, he gets a job as a smuggler to earn the amount of money he wants. The schedule from an old book of James shows his plan for an entire day and includes a list of “GENERAL RESOLUTIONS (Fitzgerald, 173),” both of which show a general need for success. James' determination to "save $3.00 a week" (Fitzgerald, 173) demonstrates an early understanding of the American dream and the necessity of money. His deeper understanding of how life works is expressed through the change of his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, a name that seems to flow more easily and deserves more respect than his former harsh name of James Gatz. His new name, in essence, opens up a new life for Gatsby and allows him to start over as he wishes. Gatsby's next choice, abandoning his home, family, and friends to sail aboard a yacht for years with a near stranger, shows Gatsby's belief that living a fantasy life aboard a yacht will allow him to lead a fantastic life in all aspects of life. his life. Ultimately, it is at this point that Gatsby makes the biggest decision of his life, only convinced that a high income will bring him happiness, and ultimately the love of his life; Gatsby chooses to accept a partnership with a man working as a grain alcohol smuggler.