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"A man without land is nothing."
Though the passage I have selected is short, I believe it is the most obvious indication to the main theme of the book, as well as a common goal for not only Duddy Kravitz, but countless others, fictitious and not. I could have chosen a longer quotation from the book, but I felt that this phrase clearly communicates to the reader that the "American Dream" has been a preoccupation with Duddy since he was very young.
Duddy's grandfather acted as a prominent father figure to him during his early childhood, when his father could not always be there for him, and as a result of always having him around while Duddy was so young and impressionable, he had a lot of influence on Duddy's developing mind.
Coming from someone in such a position at that point in Duddy's life, a statement like "a man without land is nothing", has a particularly strong effect. The words themselves are very blunt and closed to interpretation. He wasn't simply telling him it would be nice to own property, his grandfather was telling him he will never have amounted to anything in his eyes, unless he owns land. A message that strong coming from a figure with so much influence on a boy like Duddy can have a very monumental impression. It is clear that Duddy did, in fact, take these words to heart, as he is constantly involved in get-rich-quick schemes, starting when he is still in school. This preoccupation would eventually be Duddy's downfall.
Though The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was written years ago, the idea of materialism, and measuring one's success by their possessions is also a prominent theme in pop culture in the West. Luxurious and excessive lifestyles are in, perpetuated by "blinged out" rap artists and rock stars who own multiple houses, and drive unnecessarily large and expensive sport utility vehicles and sports cars. Pop music has evolved throughout the 20th Century, and has now gotten to a point where it's not just music, but an industry. Singers are actors and vice versa. To make it big in the music industry you not only have to have talent, but a strong business sense, and your own clothing line, of course.
Duddy is not a very well-liked figure in the novel. He arouses readers’ sympathy because his family and friends do not appreciate him. There is much evidence of this throughout the novel. Perhaps the best illustration of this is when Duddy returns from St. Agathe with six expensive sport shirts for Max as a gift, but only to find out that his father is not interested in the gift. Duddy is not loved in his family, yet he needs love desperately. Since his father, uncle and brother do not love him, his desire for love is projected onto his dead mother.
...m to obtain land, and it was his father who told him stories of a man who gambled in order to achieve wealth. Survival was not something that was strived for in this book, as each character possessed the essentials required to survive. Both Duddy Kravitz and Jerry Dingleman did not worry about the sustainment of their mere survival; instead, they worried solely about living lives of luxury. While it may seem as if in the end the book was ultimately about land, I think that the land was merely something that Duddy used to show off the money he possessed. If it had not been for his grandfather, he still would have pursued the obtainment of money just for the sake of being wealthy. Duddy Kravitz was a powerful symbol that expressed man’s desire to obtain money, and man’s capabilities of going through any means possible in order to obtain the money they desire.
...many realities that exist within America's society and that most do not fit the typical American dream. Even those people that achieve some measure of success, as Ralph did, are often plagued by personal problems that outweigh any measure of wealth or reputation. The lie of the American dream is that it promises to fix humanity's problems with material gain – it promises happiness from things that are not capable of giving it. And so, followers are all left unfulfilled by the great American dream, left with a reality that is much different than what was so easily guaranteed. The reality that everyone experiences, whether it is the suburban soccer mom or the tired immigrant, is that the dream is mostly unachievable. The reality we think exists is only a myth – a true mythological reality.
During the time of depression in the land, everyone dreamt for better, richer, and fuller life that made the U.S. writer James Truslow Adams to coin the term “the American Dream” in his book “The Epic of America.” It is not the dream that comes in the night and vanishes in the morning, but a dream to achieve the fullest stature with greater opportunity for everyone based on his/her ability or accomplishment. This is to get the social order where each woman and man have to be recognized for innate capabilities regardless of his/her birth and must be recognized for what they are.
There is something to be said about quotes. The way the knowledge of achievers is brought down to just a few lines. It gives us a sense of both reflection and wisdom. They are relatable and can guide us to a conclusion of where we are and who we aspire to be. In our quote assignment we are told to choose three quotes from a selection that was posted on the board every week. All of them can be related to my life in some way, shape, or form. However, these are the three that I believe relate to me the best.
Other than being a topic of the novel, The American dream identify with a few characters. Lennie and George's fantasy of owning their little homestead and rabbits with Candy was a case of what a normal American dream was amid the 1930s Great Depression. The Great Depression has changed throughout the year relying upon the condition of the country. Amid the Great Depression the normal dream was simply singular fulfillment. To fulfill one's self amid the Great Depression was distinctive. Getting another or surprisingly better occupation was restricted of gaining fulfillment, yet the place where there is fresh chances to succeed was filled with emergency after the share trading system smashed. The American dream had lost its impact on America amid the 1930s, yet was still vivacious when men like George and Lennie sought after a superior and distinctive life and perpetual miracle into the desire for the better of individual
you better be an attractive conformist if you want to be promoted as an artist in the business of pop music.
In this day and age, pop music dominates the airwaves at every turn. Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and many are commonplace names among teenagers and younger demographics not only in the United States, but all around the world. The United States has accepted the position of international, cultural role model long ago, dating back to the 1950’s when rock and roll caught fire as a hybrid of blues, country, and jazz and spread to the rest of the world almost infectiously. Since then, every major artist that comes out of the United States has easily become a global icon, regardless of the language or nationality of their adoring fans. However, one could conceive that this glamorized version of music comes less from the soul of the artist and is merely born of fiscal ambitions and visions of grandeur. The point made previously is not to critique any pop icon’s talent, which clearly they have proved to possess an abundance of it to keep the public swooning at their every whim, but instead, to show that there are musicians out there producing beautiful music without the threat of corruption and adherence to mainstream culture.
Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the Jazz Age. The American Dreams seems almost non-existent to those whom haven’t already achieved it.
It is at this point in which reality sets in. The reality of the American Dream is that is impossible. It cannot be fulfilled to completion. This is what F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works attempt to convey to the world. Happiness cannot be achieved through the gain of material possessions or wealth.
The American Dream, in my eyes, would be described as unrealistic. It's a notation put in people’s minds that an individual can achieve anything he or she sets his or her mind to do. Now the outlook is being perceived as pessimistic, then again, I believe “The American Dream” is overestimated. When I was a young child, I aspired to be a princess who lived in a castle with a handsome prince and live happily ever after; I aspired to be a princess until I was thirteen. Still, it was instantaneously disappointing when reality dawned upon me, I could never be a princess. Although it left me completely devastated, I soon realized, there’s a huge difference between dreams and reality.
In conclusion, the American dream targeted the individual working hard in the pursuit to become successful and wealthy, with high-quality job and prosperity. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the American dream symbolizes being free from any kind of restrictions and the ability to have the pleasure in the wide-open Western edge. However, The Great Gatsby criticizes the American dream due to moral and social value decay of the society.
In recent discussions of the two articles we just read Texas V Johnson Majority Opinion and American Flag stands for tolerance. We have come to the quote from Barbara Jordan that “ We as human beings must be willing to accept people who are different from yourself.” This quote also connects to the story the What of this goldfish would you wish. Why this quote connects the story is because Sergei is debating on using the fish to heal the boy or letting him die but whatever decision Sergei makes the fish will still accept him which proves Barbara Jordan quote
Which two quotes do you relate to most, or which are you most drawn to and why?
In the novel it talks about how some people have dreams to become billionairs or saving the world from what is happening, while others have dreams to be the best video game player in the world (RPO). This pretty much shows how everyone’s American Dream is a little different from one person next to, yet they still strive to reach what they believe is the right form of the dream to satisfy their