To me, the American Dream is finding a new, better life. Whether one seeks wealth like the El Dorado archetype or seeks freedom like the City on a Hill archetype, it all leads to a new, better life. Actually, I think life goals, such as new, better living conditions, are the American Dream. This way, it does not apply to only immigrants or minorities. For example, in the movie “The Princess and the Frog”, Tiana’s “American Dream” is to fulfill her father’s goal of owning a restaurant. It’s a better living condition in mind and the movie visually exemplifies hard work and dedication to reach that dream. Hard work and dedication is what I hope I’ve captured in my photoetry project and is portrayed in The Great Gasby. Gatsby longed to be presentable enough, which to him means being rich, in order to host social parties to find Daisy. This was Gatsy’s American Dream, which was also a new, better life. You get what you give and that is only achieved through determination. The three archetypes that Russell Banks talks about involve determined characters, as well as in TGG, and hopefully I’ve captured this element with my lenses too.