The “American Dream” is something that can affect anyone, good or bad. It creates a goal that some may be able to achieve. The American Dream is “an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also the prosperity or life that is the realization of this ideal” (Merriam Webster). When the “American Dream” was first used it was in a book called “The Epic of America” written by the American historian, James Truslow Adams. When this book was written America was going through a difficult time, The Great Depression. In his book he used the “American Dream” to describe the complex beliefs, religious promises and political and social expectations (America Day Dreamer). The “American Dream” can mean many different depending on who you ask. It can be compared to many different types and styles of literature. It can go a closely along with different works of literature as well, such as “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes. Despite all of the different definitions and ideals, each American is working harder and getting closer to the goal of the “American Dream” …show more content…
The different literature that we have learned throughout the semester are Native American, Puritan, Revolutionary, The 20’s, and 1950’s.
All of these types can be compared the poem “A Dream Deferred”. There are many different aspects that go into each of the time period and
literature. As stated before one of the literature types that will be compared to the “American Dream” and “A Dream Deferred” is Native American. “Native American literature written in the 18th and 19th century is considered a literature of transition between the oral tradition which flourished before Europeans arrived on the continent and the beginning of the 1960’s when the Native American Renaissance began” (Native American Writers). Native American literature is mostly done through oral storytelling and has a combination of tribal myths and symbolism. “Some representative writers as of the early 21st century include Louise Erdrich, Sherman Alexie and Leslie Marmon Silko” (ehow). One aspect that is a part of Native American literature is hero initiation. This is when a hero goes through certain trials and struggles to ultimately become a heroic character. Another part of Native American literature is trickery and things of that nature. “For the Lakota tribe, for instance, the trickster is represented by the spider. For the Kiowa, it's embodied by the coyote” (ehow). Most of the time the trickster of the story and mean and self-indulgent. Mythology and symbolism were used a lot too throughout this timer period and place. A lot of time animals are given human qualities or it has something to do with nature. All of these aspects lead into the bigger picture of the “American Dream” and “A Dream Deferred” It can be related a lot to the American dream and some people might see it differently. So one thing about America is it is very diverse and it creates an atmosphere with different cultures. With Native American literature it is much different than all of the others. I also believe that in a Dream Deferred” has qualities that relates to this type. For example one part that I though supported my point is “ Or crust and sugar over— / like a syrupy sweet?” I found that very interesting and I think that it can relate to some of the other types of literature too. Another big part of literature and the “American Dream” is Puritan literature. Puritan literature is very different than most but I find it the most interesting. A lot of literature written back then was first person narratives and would be written in formats of journal and diary. They would be about going to America, immigration, and day to day life. They would come to you in sermons and things of that nature. As well as historical narrative and poems were very popular genres. Influence was a big part of literature because when they were narrating or writing they had very strong beliefs and passion. The biggest part about them is their plain style. They were extremely simple people and they were based on the concepts of humility and simplicity. They hated when people had self conceited thoughts and interesting clothing (Mrs. Britten's English Zone). The most interesting part though was their purpose in writing. They did not really think that reading and writing were made for entertaining. While they did not do it for entertaining, it still had an impact on the “American Dream”. Throughout Puritan literature you can see things that relate to the American Dream and then some that does not. I think that the way that you see “A Dream Deferred” and the “American Dream” also has an impact on how it relates. I found in “A Dream Deferred” this excerpt “Does it stink like rotten meat?” This means that after a dream has been forgotten does it just slowly rot away. There are certain things that I found that still heavily impact the way the Puritan way affects the “American Dream”. I found that Revolutionary literature affects the “American Dream” the most. It has so many aspects that relate to America and the “Dream”. Some different aspects about it are, a lot of it is based around the birth of America. It Established a “native” voice or tone that praised and built American History (Evidente English III). There was so much patriotism and instilled pride in their literature that it was amazing. It created a common bond in my opinion within the country. Since Revolutionary literature is so heavily based around America it affected America and the “American Dream” a lot. When it created that bond it made the ideas for what the “American Dream” is all about. In “A Dream Deferred” when it says “Or does it explode?” I found this line so powerful because when it says that, it is saying or does the dream just die. Another major literature group that heavily impacted the “American Dream” was 20s literature. “The 1920s, sometimes referred to as the Roaring Twenties, were characterized by economic prosperity and tremendous social, artistic, and cultural dynamism” (Boundless). In the 20s was when advancements in technology started happening. They were coming out with cars and cellphones, which completely changed America. Everything started to evolve and I think that it affected the “American Dream” a whole bunch. There were different ways to become successful and more things to strive for. Part of the “American Dream” is success and money. With all of these new advancements it gave people new goals and ideals. It also gave more people the chance to obtain these things. For example motion films were starting to come around and actors were becoming more popular. People wanted all of the new technology and I found that it changed a good majority of the “American Dream”. The 1950s literature was not my favorite but I found it still very important to America. “reflected the conflict of self-satisfaction with 50's Happy Days and cultural self-doubt about conformity and the true worth of American values” (Computerland). With it being about self-satisfaction, that has a lot to do with the “American Dream”. Some people obtain the dream will self indulgent ways and that is not good. I feel like it was a happy time though and that also has to do a lot with the “American Dream”. I really feel that the quote stated above impacts and describes the dream. While reading “A Dream Deferred” I found an excerpt that supported it “Or crust and sugar over— / like a syrupy sweet?” While I used this before, I felt that it would be appropriate. I used it for the same reason but I really like this part. Within the poem “A Dream Deferred” it talks about a dream dying, the “American Dream”. For example during the whole poem it talks about different way a dream can disappear. Then at the end it says that it might just explode and I found that very powerful. Everyone has different opinions on whether the dream is still alive or not and I think that it is. It keeps a goal for everyone to keep striving for. The “American Dream” keeps everyone going for something and it keeps changing. It affects everyone in different ways whether it is good or bad. It can be related to many different types of work and literature. Things like “A Dream Deferred” can be related so much to the dream. It keeps on making its way into people’s life and I do think that, that is the only part that will not change.
The American Dream is something that anyone no matter their background, social standings, or ethnicity can improve their life through hard work.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bills without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1).
What is The American Dream? “The American Dream is 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. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth and position.” (Adams) This quote is from James Truslow Adams, a historian, who coined the term “The American Dream”, in his book “The Epic of America”, published in 1933.
The American Dream is the belief that anybody can achieve anything in life. America is known as the country of opportunity regardless of race, gender or nationality. The land of opportunity and equality rights and liberty. The American Dream is to be successful no matter what social class an individual belongs to. The opportunity for upward mobility through hard work leads to a successful life. Individuals in society often strive to obtain many resources that are important. The structure of the economy is typically related to education, occupation, housing, and health care which are not distributed equally to enable an individual to achieve equal opportunity some will have to go through hardship in order to obtain it. The lack of social mobility makes the
Up until now, the term American Dream is still a popular concept on how Americans or people who come to America should live their lives and in a way it becomes a kind of life goal. However, the definitions of the term itself is somehow absurd and everyone has their own definition of it. The historian James Tuslow defines American Dream as written in his book titled “The Epic of America” in 1931 as “...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.” The root of the term American Dream is actually can be traced from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
The American Dream has changed; it is no longer the same as it was fifty or even one hundred years ago. Today, people not only search for prosperity and wealth, but they also search for happiness, equality, and determination. The American Dream is for everyone, not just the rich. The term “The American Dream” is a term used to describe the American way of life in general. It is a noun stating “the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” Dreams are not limited to just one social class, everyone has a different version of the American Dream but they all work together in a community to create an organized, working society. A dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or idea that is open to anyone.
The American Dream is an idea that anyone can live in the United States through hard work and live happy successful lives. There are many obstacles that would stand in the way from achieving the American Dream. Fear, money and education/training, families changing in size, disability, race and gender, are some of the hurdles that many Americans face as they try to achieve the typical American Dream.
The American dream is the idea held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity.
The American dream can mean a variety of things. However, the greatest common view of the magnificent American dream would relate to freedom and prosperity. Even though these ideas and dreams can differ for each person, they all revolve around the same purpose. There is not a single person that would not want to be free or prosper in life. People all the time are chasing after their own form of an American dream. Therefore, everyone has some form of a dream, and countless people would refer to it as an American dream.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes is a poem that talks about what happens when we postpones our dreams. The poem is made up of a series of similes and it ends with a metaphor. The objective of the poem is to get us to think about what happens to a dream that is put off, postponed; what happens when we create our very own shelve of dreams? The “dream” refers to a goal in life, not the dreams we have while sleeping, but our deepest desires. There are many ways to understand this poem; it varies from person to person. Some may see this poem as talking about just dreams in general. Others may see it as African-American’s dreams.
"The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.
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. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.
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
The American Dream is a circumstance for every people in America to believe what they can do for their own and take advantage of every opportunity that gave them the chance to live in the country. That advantage will lead to a fact that life only flows on how the world has gone on, and on how the citizens of America reacts to it. Every person in America has a different perspective on life, to the point when they will look for a solution on how they will approach for their dream to live comfortably. American Dream is a dream that makes people experience challenges in life due to diversified circumstances present in the country.
What is the American Dream? The American Dream is having the opportunity to be successful as well as being able to gain money and wealth. We all have different types of definitions of the American Dream some say it's money others say its health. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott FitzGerald the message about the American Dream is if you don’t cheat in life you won't be successful. Cheating your way up can cost you your own life. To FitzGerald the American Dream does not exist, he shows it by showing us a wealthy man who was once poor that became rich that ended up dead and a man that was a hard worker that was poor who also ended up dead. It did not served us well because no matter what, if you're poor or rich you will always