Different Views of the American Dream

The American dream is an ambiguous notion, each person with their own unique opinion based on their current circumstance and past experiences. In my opinion, the American dream is about achieving happiness and contentment through pursuing one's personal fulfillment and validating one's self-worth, where one can achieve their fullest according to their capabilities and be recognized for their accomplishments, disregarding their race, ethnicity, or social status. The American Dream, although not easily acquired, is achievable through hard work and dedication. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, “I Have a Dream”, and John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, exemplify their personal views on this ambiguous subject.

My concept and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s concept of the American dream entail equality, but do not share the same concept in terms of property distribution. In Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have a Dream” speech, he criticized Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, which promised equality for all men, but only gave property owning white men equality, defaulting on their obligation “insofar as her citizens of color are concerned”, which he felt was unjust. I also believe the American dream is living in equality and unity between people of all races, colors, and religions because without racial equality, one could not be prideful in one's racial identity and as a result, one would lose their sense of self-worth. Despite racial, ethnic, and religious diversity, these distinctions must be disregarded in order for everyone to achieve their fullest, to judge by the content of one's character or one's accomplishments, rather than race, and to create a secure and livable world. However, I do not agree with Martin...

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..., they use it to lighten their workload because knowing that they have something to work towards and having a common dream gives one a sense of hope, friendship and determination, enabling them to move onward in life with a sense of purpose and self-worth. John Steinbeck used the American dream as a method of dealing with difficulties, and both him and Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in common ideals, such as freedom, contentment, safety, and self-worth.

The American dream has different interpretations depending on one's experiences, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. John Steinbeck, a pessimist, wanted to demonstrate the harsh realities of adversity that settlers in America faced while attempting to achieve their American dream. Whereas Martin Luther King, Jr., an optimist, wanted to achieve equality and unity between people from all walks of life.