Ellis Island Joseph Bruchac Analysis

In today’s society, The American Dream is hard to achieve. For some, it is given to them the moment they are born, and for others, they need to work very hard to fulfill their dream. The American Dream is still alive today. Evidence of this is shown in the poem “Ellis Island” by Joseph Bruchac, a keynote address by Barack Obama in 2004, and The Declaration of Independence. Although these all help argue that the American Dream is still available, some obstacles can make it very difficult to accomplish the American Dream such as financial challenges.
For many, The American Dream is alive and well however, every person has a different dream. Whether it is to have a successful career, have a family, become famous or to be wealthy The American Dream is possible. For most immigrants coming to America, their dream is to seek freedom or begin a new era for their family. The poem “Ellis Island” is an example of an immigrant family that moved to America

hoping to create a better life for their future generations. The poem states “Circle Line ship slips easily on its way to the island of the tall woman, green as dreams of forests and meadows waiting for those who’d worked a thousand years yet never owned their own. Like millions of others, I too come to this island, nine decades the answerer of dreams.” The grandparents of John Bruchac wanted their future descendants to live in America and John made their dream come true. This applies to today’s America as many still come to America in hopes for a better life for their families.
Today’s America continues to offers many possibilities and opportunities for people searching for their dream.

Former president, Barack Obama, stated in his keynote speech from 2004, “People don’t expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all.” Obama felt optimistic about The American Dream. This statement explains how he thought that there was, and still is, enough opportunities for anyone to achieve their dream as long as they make it their top priority. Obama goes on to say, “They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.” The significance of this quote is that anyone can achieve The American Dream, regardless of their wealth, as long as they dedicate themselves and work hard toward their

goal.
There are many who feel that The American Dream is only achievable for those who are wealthy. Some believe that wealth is the only way fulfill a person’s life goals and without money, it is nearly impossible to succeed. Although those who are not wealthy struggle more to reach their dream, it is not unfeasible. No matter a person’s financial background, persistence and working hard towards a goal can lead to success and reaching The American Dream. For example, the founders of Apple started their company out of their parent’s garage but with tireless work they became one of the most popular and successful technology companies of all time. This is one of many success stories of people coming from nothing and achieving their American Dream.
Regardless what anyone says, The American Dream is still alive. Though it may be hard and take more effort than what some want to put in it, can be done. For some people, the journey towards The American Dream starts by coming to America. For others, the journey can start from poverty or other economic challenges. The freedom in America gives anyone the right to follow their dreams no matter what they may be.