Analysis Of Fleeting Native American Dream

1398 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Affects of assimilation policy on aboriginals

Curran MacMillan Browning/2 MF – Formal Essay 13 October 2014 Fleeting Native American Dreams The Native American people have struggled throughout the history of the United States. They have been forced away from their land and have been oppressed for years, while the majority of society, the white population, thrives. The American Dream that has been introduced to Native Americans is the idea that all people, including them, can achieve the freedom, wealth and equality that the land of opportunity has to offer. Unfortunately, this is a false optimism. Because of Native American’s long history of oppression and the relocating of their people to reservations, they have lived impoverished lives and have had to cope with many inequalities, especially …show more content…

The main characters in the short story, Lyman and Henry Lamartine, are Native American brothers that have a nearly inseparable connection through a car; a red convertible for which the story gets its name. The brothers’ journey begins when they decide to go up to Winnipeg one day. This is where the two brothers first realize their dream. They see the car for the first time; a car that “reposed, calm and gleaming, [with] a FOR SALE sign in its left front window” (1). This vehicle is the embodiment of freedom, the freedom the boys yearn to experience. Although there are many symbols throughout the story, the largest of them is this red convertible. After making the abrupt decision to purchase the car, they use it to escape from the hard, impoverished life that they were raised in. They spend the summer traveling to Chicken, Alaska and across Montana, Idaho and many other U.S. states. The convertible serves as a source of happiness for both brothers and represents their independence. The convertible made them feel like they never “[had] to sleep hard or put away the world” (2). They left behind the unfair and lackluster quality of living from the reservation and got a taste of their dream, however …show more content…

The American Dream clashes with this traditional Native American culture because Native Americans had already enjoyed true freedom and happiness in the United States for thousands of years before any invaders stepped foot in the New World. The freedom Native Americans life once ensured has been severely limited and the people as a whole has been oppressed, pushed back from the majority of American citizens. For the few Native Americans left in the country, freedom is an unfamiliar idea and true happiness cannot be completely realized within the isolation of reservations. If these native people cannot be fully free or happy, then they cannot achieve the American Dream. To sum up Erdrich’s short story, the American Dream simply is not achievable for Native Americans. Proven using symbolism and point of view, Erdrich plunges deep into the reality behind the American Dream by giving insight to what Native Americans are experiencing. The lack of freedom, the poverty and the inequality have always kept the American Dream out of reach for Native Americans. The American Dream is not possible. Maybe it is time to change the American Dream to better all parts of the society rather than only the wealthy few who are lucky enough to be born into luxury

Show More
Related

  • ummary of The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich

    432 Words  | 1 Pages

    Two brothers, Lyman and Henry, had very little in common other than their blood. One day they decided to catch a ride to Winnipeg. The car was introduced while these two were doing some sightseeing in the city. They spotted the red Oldsmobile convertible. Lyman, the storyteller, almost made the car a living thing when he said, "There it was, parked, large as life. Really as if it were alive." (461) The brothers used all of the money they had, less some change for gas to get home, to buy the car. The car's significance was the bond that it created between the brothers. The purchase of the vehicle brought these two together with a common interest: the car. Once the bond was formed, the brothers became inseparable, at least for a while. The boys spent the whole summer in the car. They explored new places; met new people and furthered the bond that the car had created. When they returned from their trip, Henry was sent to war. He left the car with Lyman. While Henry was gone, Lyman spent his time pampering and fixing the car. Lyman saw the car as an extension of Henry. Lyman used the car to maintain an emotional bond with his brother who was thousands of miles away.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Lakota Women By Mary Crow Dog

    390 Words  | 1 Pages

    Native Americans have been fighting till this day for freedom. Millions of Native Americans have lost their lives fighting for freedoms and their lands. So far, not much have been done to the Native Americans and they have not achieved everything they had hoped for. Most Native Americans are still living on reservations and government are doing little to help them. A book titled “Lakota Women” by Mary Crow Dog takes us into the lives of the Native Americans, her childhood, adulthood, and her experiences of being an Indian woman.

    Read More

  • Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    the “American Dream” a dream that is unreal. The American dream was intended for people of

    Read More

  • The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    A key symbol in this story is the red convertible. The vehicle as a whole symbolizes the strong bond that was once held between the brothers. The color red has many different meanings. In some Native American cultures the color red means beauty, faith and happiness but sometimes it means blood, violence, and energy. Within the story there were two brothers that loved each other dearly. They had love for each other and everything was great between them. One day Henry lost his job and his brother Lyman had already had money saved up and they went to Winnipeg to get away and there they saw the car, the red convertible. Since both of the brothers were so close, they decided to buy the car. Both brothers loved the car just as much as they loved each other. The color of the car symbolized the love these two had for each other because the color was bright and vibrant and the car represents the strength of the actually bond between these two. After they made their trip to Alaska the car needed repairs. At the same time Henry was called to serve his country. When the car needed repairs, so did the relationship between the brothers. When Henry returned, he was not well and suffered from PTSD.

    Read More

  • Susan Cloud Discrimination

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    The systematic racism and discrimination in America has long lasting effects that began back when Europeans first stepped foot on American soil is still visible today but only not written into the law. This racism has lead to very specific consequences on the Native people in today’s modern world, and while the racism is maybe not as obvious it is still very present. These modern Native peoples fight against the feeling of community as a Native person, and feeling entirely alone and not a part of it. The poem “The Reservation” by Susan Cloud and “The Real Indian Leans Against” by Chrystos examine the different effects and different settings of how their cultures survived but also how so much was lost for them within their own identity.

    Read More

  • American Horse by Louise Erdrich

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    Louise Erdrich’s short story “American horse” is a literary piece written by an author whose works emphasize the American experience for a multitude of different people from a plethora of various ethnic backgrounds. While Erdrich utilizes a full arsenal of literary elements to better convey this particular story to the reader, perhaps the two most prominent are theme and point of view. At first glance this story seems to portray the struggle of a mother who has her son ripped from her arms by government authorities; however, if the reader simply steps back to analyze the larger picture, the theme becomes clear. It is important to understand the backgrounds of both the protagonist and antagonists when analyzing theme of this short story. Albetrine, who is the short story’s protagonist, is a Native American woman who characterizes her son Buddy as “the best thing that has ever happened to me”. The antagonist, are westerners who work on behalf of the United States Government. Given this dynamic, the stage is set for a clash between the two forces. The struggle between these two can be viewed as a microcosm for what has occurred throughout history between Native Americans and Caucasians. With all this in mind, the reader can see that the theme of this piece is the battle of Native Americans to maintain their culture and way of life as their homeland is invaded by Caucasians. In addition to the theme, Erdrich’s usage of the third person limited point of view helps the reader understand the short story from several different perspectives while allowing the story to maintain the ambiguity and mysteriousness that was felt by many Natives Americans as they endured similar struggles. These two literary elements help set an underlying atmos...

    Read More

  • Essay On Native American Boarding Schools

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    In our day and age where our youth are becoming more aware of the history of the country and the people who inhabit it, the culture of Native Americans has become more accessible and sparks an interest in many people young and old. Recent events, like the Dakota Access Pipeline, grab the attention of people, both protesters and supporters, as the Sioux tribe and their allies refuse to stay quiet and fight to protect their land and their water. Many Native people are unashamed of their heritage, proud of their culture and their ancestors. There is pride in being Native, and their connection with their culture may be just as important today as it was in the 1800’s and before, proving that the boarding school’s ultimate goal of complete Native assimilation to western culture has

    Read More

  • Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary Of a Part-Time Indian Essay

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    Being unwanted, uncared for, unloved and forgotten by everybody even by your own family is a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. As the book The absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie talks about an Indian boy, Arnold Spirit, who was born in the Spokane Indian reservation in Wellpinit with brain damage. Arnold takes us along on his journey and we learn how absolutely awful and devastating poverty is and it is not for an individual but for an entire community. This condition leads to senseless death. They never had the chance to be anything but poor and hopeless Indians. If they stop dreaming of being poor and start searching for hope and try to live up with high expectations and accept more to them. They will look to their future with excitement and confidence and begin to do more of what they ever imagined. As a result, they will have a better living condition. Throughout the novel, we learn from Arnold’s fight for a better life. He inspires us and gives us hope. He goes to Reardan where white people live searching for hope. There, he makes new white friends and changes their ideas about Indians. Another inspiration we see in this book is, Mary Spirit, Arnold’s older sister, who leaves her reservation to make her dream come true. She goes to Montana, gets married and starts focusing more on writing her romance novels rather than focusing more on the reservation opinions. Therefore, Arnold’s and Mary’s decision is that they are not simply Indians or White but human being who belongs to many tribes.

    Read More

  • Death Of The American Dream In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Dream, as referred by all, speaks of the great nation – America - which upholds the notion of “equality, liberty and fraternity” and, that all men are created equal by the Creator and hence, are given equal rights for equal opportunity at success. The American Dream glorifies the nation of America as the highest Super-power in the wor...

    Read More

  • The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven Analysis

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    Native-Americans make up one of the smallest portions of our population, but are still victims of mass incarceration and police brutality Many Native-American reservations have high unemployment rates. Poverty in these areas is also common. Reserved, sacred land for Native-Americans is also disappearing as more and more land is being taken away by United States government. The government also disobeys treaty rights by exploiting their land for natural resources to gain profit. Low graduation rates are common in Native school districts. Suicide is much more prevalent among Native-American youth when compared to the rest of the nation. They also generally receive poor healthcare. Violence and abuse of children and women is more common in Native-American communities as well.

    Read More

  • High Suicide Rate Among Native American Teenagers

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    In most American families parents are overjoyed as a result of the happiness and success of their teenage children. Across America teenager are enjoying their “rite of passage”, such as friends, after school activities, sports, vacations with their families and their first car. At the same time, little is known of the extreme poverty and despondency existing within the reservations of the Native American communities. Many Native American families are still struggling with the pain and anguish their ancestors suffered during the ethnic cleansing and forced relocation of the 1800’s such as the Trail of Tears.

    Read More

  • Native American Culture Essay

    1765 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper will discuss the Native American culture and briefly review their history, some beliefs and roles in society today. A short description into their culture with References will be used to show how Native Americans have been affected throughout hundreds of years. The trauma this culture endured has created many barriers, yet one often seen today is their extreme problem with the disease of Alcoholism. The Native American culture has gone through endless struggles, which has cost them to lose so much and still continues to impact them today. They are slowly moving back toward getting benefits that should have been available long ago, but in today’s world Native Americans still battle with many barriers not only in society, but in getting appropriate treatment for mental health or addiction issues.

    Read More

  • The American Dream in The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the United States there is an idea many pursue called the American dream, which differs from person to person. The American dream according to americanradioworks.publicradio.org is “a revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition”. Yet it has been said there is no real definition of American dream, instead it merely proves that it has an unconscious influence in American mentality (Ştiuliuc 1). The American dream is different for each person because everyone yearns for things that will they hope will in return make them happy. Whatever that may be, each person goes through different struggles to obtain what they want. According to Frederic Carpenter, the American dream “has never been defined exactly, and probably never can be. It is both too various and too vague” (3). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse depicts the different interpretations on what the American dream actually is through the opinions and actions of Hector Esperanza, Efren Mendoza and Mrs. Calhoun.

    Read More

  • The Inequality Of The Native American Society

    1627 Words  | 4 Pages

    All men are created equal (Declaration of Independence). Yet, the Native Americans continue their fight for decades since colonization. There is a constant struggle to urge for equality from William Apess in his 1833 essay, An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man. In modern day, the fight continues after his lifetime. Equality and freedom is the goal for most Native Americans. Although securing the rights of the Native Americans are progressing, it is slow. Therefore, the inequality continues at a faster pace, as opposed to major changes that would impact the Native Americans positively. Throughout history, they are exploited for their land and natural resources and severely underfunded. As a matter of fact, the common theme seems to be that the Native Americans are continuously suppressed by the “superior race”, which showcases the prevalent thoughts in America. William Apess and

    Read More

  • The Influence Of The American Dream

    2198 Words  | 5 Pages

    When the term ‘American Dream’ was first mentioned in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, he described it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Clark). When Adams mentioned the term, it had much more of an idealistic meaning, rather than the materialistic meaning it has in modern society. At the time of it’s mention, the dream meant that prosperity was available to everyone. In the beginning, the American Dream simply promised a country in which people had the chance to work their way up through their own labor and hard work (Kiger). Throughout history, the basis of the dream has always been the same for each individual person. It

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Fleeting Native American Dream

Open Document