Zach Whitehouse Assignment 1

In "Inventing My Parents" Ludvigson alludes to Fitzgerald and the Great Gatsby. Ludvigson alludes to the American Dream that is spoken of in the Great Gatsby. The American Dream was the desire/belief in the 1920's that people could work themselves up to be rich and powerful and live a wonderful life. This was the dream of the American people. In Ludvigson's poem it is alluded to when she says, "they disagree about the American Dream." This resembles an argument  or discussion that is being made in this setting. It adds dimension to the poem because people can easily understand and relate to the reference of the American Dream. People at this time were reaching and striving for this American Individualism and exciting life and this allusion really gets this message across of what was going on in this diner in her poem. Or at least her representation.