...Bonds 1 Kenneth Bonds Instructor Poff English 1302-184 February 22, 2013 Living the American Dream/Nightmare Robert Haydens’ “Frederick Douglass” talks about issues that Frederick Douglass the man endured and suffered through. To have been a “slave” (7), beaten to his knees” (8), while others, some who stand around encouraging this inhumane treatment are free. We can only imagine the thoughts that would race through our heads during times of cruel punishment, humiliation and mistreatment: Please KILL me so this Misery will END!? If I take my own life I won’t be subjected to the torture any longer? In contrast, Edwin Arlington’s “Richard Cory” tells us about a wealthy, educated, free, and we are going to assume that Mr. Corey was white. Was Richard Corey living the American Dream? We would argue – yes, yes he was? Did Mr. Douglass, yearning for freedom, civil rights and equality suffer the American Nightmare? Once again, our answer would be “Yes”. Here we have two men in America – one Black, one White at two polar opposite ends of a racial divide; two different worlds in this one world we call “America”. How can one man’s dream be another man’s nightmare? Depending on the source, the answer to this question will vary. Our answers to this question are simple: Race – the color of one’s skin and education. What makes America a great place to live; also can make America a viciously evil place to live? One’s race, national origin, religious beliefs and education...
Words: 825 - Pages: 4
...What does the American dream mean to you? My American dream is to own my own house with a small family out in the country well maintain. The American dream mean to me that your living how you want to. In the book, Raisin in the Sun the American dream in the play was to own something like a house or business. In the book, The Great Gatsby, the American dream was to be the wealthiest person around and have the nicest things around. The American dream could mean something different to every person. The American dream to you should mean living a good life or owning everything you always wanted to own. For an example, you have everything you have ever wanted or wanted to be like being a bank accounted and living a big house driving a Corvette....
Words: 369 - Pages: 2
...What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy. In the fifties, the 'age of suburbia', the American Dream was epitomized by the ability to own a home, live in safety and in a community of like minded souls. The great exodus from the cities to the suburbs defined the American idea of the good life'. The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great...
Words: 1833 - Pages: 8
...What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy. In the fifties, the 'age of suburbia', the American Dream was epitomized by the ability to own a home, live in safety and in a community of like minded souls. The great exodus from the cities to the suburbs defined the American idea of the good life'. The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great...
Words: 1974 - Pages: 8
...American Dream As a Myth Erica Rideout HUMN240-F1WW Professor Deborah Rosenstock July 7, 2012 The myth of the American Dream does not have to be taught or learned. Growing up in America, it is imbedded in our minds at a young age that America has it all. American is the land of opportunity and allows its citizens to work hard and gain an uncapped amount of success. However, it is more apparent that this “dream” has transformed into a myth over the several years since its creation. Once upon a time, America was seen as the place to gain opportunity and success. However, as times continue to change, this vision of the dream continues to slip out of American’s hands and more into the mind as a myth. The major component of the myth of the American Dream is a simple one. America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Our American ancestors have fought for freedom and gained it allowing fellow Americans endless opportunities that can lead to great success. These opportunities do not just end with Americans; they are extended to all nationalities that come to America with hopes of living the so called American Dream. Although the American Dream may just be a myth, it definitely gives people hope. Most times, that hope is enough to lead to the drive and determination necessary to reach some level of the American Dream. There are several artifacts that help display the myth of the American Dream. Two artifacts that I have chosen are relevant to views...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...The American dream can be defined as the of pursuit of happiness in a person’s life. In today's society, some people believe the American Dream is in their grasp, but others do not see how that dream is achievable. The American dream is a reality because the more work that the person puts in is the further more in the future he gets. If a person works hard enough for most of their life, they can definitely achieve their dream. In the book, The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, there is a character name Gatsby and shows that people need dreams to move forward in life beside moving back. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby went from rags to riches overnight and he was living the American dream by cheating his way social, and financially. In the novel Gatsby had a big house and inside the house had extravagant parties all the time. Gatsby lifestyle was and still is the definition of the American dream. But Gatsby was still searching for his dream and that was Daisy “Fifty...
Words: 625 - Pages: 3
...so-called ‘American Dream’ dead, alive or on hold?” He believes that the ideals and values of the American Dream are very much alive even though many people have lost confident in the Great Recession. Under the difficult economic circumstances today, Brandon redefines the American Dream as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future according to the more intense spending habits of Americans. In order to living the American Dream, Brandon lists solutions to three main problems, inequality, economic insecurity and eroded faith in the American Dream. In sum, he believes that though existing, inequality is not a reason for the lost of American Dream in the poor and supporting the top businesses would help the recovery of economy. He also highlights the values and rules of the American Dream, which would help living and inheritance of this spirit. From my perspective, I agree with the main problems he concludes but for some of his solutions, I stand on the opposite site of the author. I think narrowing the income gap is very significant and so do supporting businesses, while the dependence of the spirit itself is in the less important position. Following are my analysis of each argument. According to the article, inequality is regarded as the most worrisome problem by many people. In contrast with economists like Robert Reich and Paul Krugman who believe that the concentration of wealth at the top would not help living the American Dream because it...
Words: 1225 - Pages: 5
...American Dream The term “American Dream” is used in a number of ways, but essentially the American Dream is an idea which suggests that all people can succeed through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live happy, successful lives. Many people have expanded upon or refined the definition of the American Dream, and this concept has also been subject to a fair amount of criticism. Many people believe that the structure of American society belies the idealistic goal of the American Dream, pointing to examples of inequality rooted in class, race, and ethnic origin which suggest that the American Dream is not attainable for all. The idea of an American Dream is older than the United States, dating back to the 1600s, when people began to come up with all sorts of hopes and aspirations for the new and largely unexplored continent. Many of these dreams focused on owning land and establishing prosperous businesses which would theoretically generate happiness, and some people also incorporated ideals of religious freedom into their American Dreams. During the Great Depression, several people wrote about an American Dream, codifying the concept and entrenching it in American society. For people who believe in the American dream, anything is attainable through hard work. The concept plays on the idea that American is a classless society, although it is obviously not, as any honest examination of the United States will reveal. The idealistic vision of the American Dream...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...The Unachievable American Dream One of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, and one of the most iconic civil rights activists in our countries history, Martin Luther King Jr., both believed in equality for all. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” ( 327). Since then, America has become the number one country for achieving life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, we know this better as the American Dream. The American Dream is something that every American strives for. Immigrants from other countries come here and become American citizens with the hope of someday achieving their ideal American Dream. We all design and carry this image in our heads of our own American Dream. The job we hope to have and the pleasant family we hope to build and raise in our perfect ideal homes, are all images that come to mind when thinking of the American Dream. Most of us, every day of our lives, are doing the best we can. We try to make this dream become a reality, but the reality of this dream is that it’s getting harder and harder to reach; due to unemployment, poverty, and our countries overall economic state. Over the past few years the country’s economy has been in a downward spiral and we’ve reached an economic recession. Poverty and unemployment rates amongst United States citizens have...
Words: 1281 - Pages: 6
...What is the American Dream? Rafael Cruz once said, “Only in America can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That’s the greatness of this country.” The American Dream depends on the person, many people have different views and what they believe in. When asking my mom, Sue Stoll what she believes the American Dream is; she stated “The American Dream in my eyes is being successful by yourself or with a significant other, overcoming obstacles, always trying to better yourself and society, and living with what you have.” Over the years, the America Dream has changed; it depends on where you were brought up, how you were brought up, and what you were taught as a young child and teen. The influence your parents had on you has a lot to do with how you want to be and how you see America. After hearing my mom’s view on the American Dream, I see where I get my idea of the American dream of. So what does the American Dream mean to me? In my eyes, the American dream is not being wealthy, living in a mansion in New York City, and having the newest and best things in the world. The American Dream in my eyes is, being happy whether you have it all or have nothing, being successful, and living the life you would be proud to look back on. From the day I could talk my parents always told me to be thankful for what I have. As I grew older I was taught they would provide my needs but my wants was all on me. Growing up we lived a simple life, we didn’t do things or have...
Words: 1279 - Pages: 6
...In the past the American Dream was an inspiration to many, young and old. To live out the American Dream was what once was on the minds of many Americans, however soon afterward those same dreams were twisted with corruption. In The Great Gatsby, the American Dream was presented as a corrupted version of what used to be a pure and honest ideal way to live. The idea that the American Dream was about the wealth and the possessions one had been ingrained, somehow, into the minds of Americans during the 1920’s. As a result of the distortion of the American Dream, the characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby along with many others, lived life fully believing in the American Dream, becoming completely immersed in it and in the end suffered great tragedies. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tells the story of the failure of a salesman, Willy Loman. Although not all Americans are salesmen, most of us share Willy’s dream of success. We are all partners in the American Dream and parties to the conspiracy of silence surrounding the fact that failures must outnumber successes. Miller amalgamates the archetypal tragic hero with the mundane American citizen. The result is the anti-hero, Willy Loman. He is a simple salesman who constantly aspires to become 'great'. Nevertheless, Willy has a waning career as a salesman and is an aging man who considers himself to be a failure but is incapable of consciously admitting it. As a result, the drama of the play lies not so...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...entitlement to the American Dream, with hope being the inspiration for materialism, and it only takes time to define whether someone is living the American Dream or not. It is comprehended simply by the book’s cover that the story ahead will entail a loss or great sadness, as seen through the light blue anomaly directly under the teary eyes, as if supposed to be a tear and not just a stain on a photograph. The American Dream is quite a known part of the United States, so much that even people not from or in the US know what the dream is, which is a main reason many people to immigrate to the United States, a place of hope and opportunity. Although the American Dream is defined by the...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...The American Dream: Why the American Dream is A Dream The American dream is solely based upon the hard work to achieve prosperity, success, and the upward movement in social class. Everyone's American dream is specific to personally set goals. While reading the book The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are many examples that symbolize the American dream. Two main details from The Great Gatsby will focus on Gatsby's hopes and dreams, as well as, obsession with wealth. F. Scott Fitzgerald has a very illusory message pinned on the American dream. He feels that the American dream can drive a man to do extraordinary and unethical things. “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies” (Friedrich Nietzsche). People will chase a better tomorrow that is always just a tad out of reach. In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby does many ludicrous and unethical things to achieve the American Dream. Gatsby throws extravagant parties every weekend in hopes that Daisy Buchanan will show up amongst the large crowed. "Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay" (Fitzgerald 147)....
Words: 600 - Pages: 3
...The American Dream What is the American Dream? As this question comes up, different people have different thoughts floating in their minds of what the American Dream really is to them. For some, the American Dream is to live their lives within the laws of the American Constitution. For others, it is the dream that is fulfilled with chances, successes, and wealth. Therefore, the America Dream comes to be the freedoms, the opportunities, and the prosperity for all. America is the country that holds the strongest Democratic Constitution of laws that protects human’s rights. For many years, thousands of immigrants have been coming to America searching for these rights, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” (Declaration of Independence) Within the Constitution, the people are guaranteed to be able to express themselves freely, to be created equal, and especially to put faith in their own beliefs as they wish. Overall, living the American Dream is to obtain the freedom of speech, the freedom of political, and the freedom of religion that are protected by the American Constitution. America has become to be the “Land of Opportunity”. The United States of America has created many turning points in the immigrants’ lives with its endless opportunities. From the “many useless plants, wanting vegetative mold”, (from Letters from an American Farmer) the immigrants receive the chances to refresh themselves in the American Dream. They get to attain better living conditions and achieve...
Words: 406 - Pages: 2
...Dream Big America White picket fences and a comfortable savings account are a couple things that people often associate with the American dream. Most people believe that this idea is becoming less achievable as time goes on. It also goes back to how a person defines the American dream, is it the rags to riches story that most people only hear about, or does it go deeper than that. Now I believe the American dream is about securing a life that is content and debt free. Having a life where one doesn’t have to be burdened by bills and living paycheck to paycheck. In the essay, “ Is the American Dream Over?” by Cal Thomas, he blatantly puts blame on the government for diminishing views of the American dream. Thomas says, “ The creation of government that is out of control, and thus out of touch robs every citizen, preventing fulfillment of the original American dream(569).” He thinks that society has put too much faith in the government. Even though it seems as if the American dream no longer exists working hard towards your goals make it very attainable. Thomas then refers to Bob Herbert’s composition, “ Hiding from Reality,” disagreeing with him that the American dream is alive and one should not put too much dependence in the government. A person needs to take initiative of his or her own lives and put in the necessary work to make it happen. I agree with Thomas, the American dream is very much a reality the necessary steps to achieve this dream is a good education, respectable...
Words: 1396 - Pages: 6
