The American Dream is this idea that every American has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. Each citizen is had earned to live a happy life in America. In the poem “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes, it is stated that the American Dream is non-existent. Many may think it is there an American Dream, however, it is just an idea that has never been conceived. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the American Dream is present; however it is very hard for one to achieve. Hawthorne and Hughes both display two completely different perspectives on the American Dream. Hughes portrays his perspective on the American Dream by saying it is nonexistent. People nation-wide have the idea that America is the land of opportunity or that everyone is equal. Hughes does not think this. He says, “O, let America be America again—The land that never has been yet—” (Hughes, 62-63). What Hughes means by this is that America has a reputation for being one of the best countries to live in because everyone is equal and free. Hughes is trying to get the message across that this is not the case. America is not at the perfect place, and never has been. Many races and genders in America are still discriminated against. In order to establish what the ideal American Dream is, we have to get our country to the “dream” that one wishes to live. While Hughes …show more content…
Hughes believes that there is no such thing as the American Dream, whereas Hawthorne believes that there is. Many authors, and people nationwide, have their own perspective on the American Dream, and they are all different. No two people have the same exact position on this topic. That is why is it called a dream. Everyone has their own thoughts, images, and sensations about the American Dream. This makes all perspectives so unique and special in their own individual
The American Dream was once the idea of being able to come from poverty and take that and create something from nothing making a better life for one’s family than had in the past. In the book They Say, I say With Readings Cal Thomas and Brandon King have both written papers discussing the topic of the American dream each author using a different angle to exploit their views on the topic. This paper will analyze both author’s texts, creating three different points made by each and comparing them. The first point will be on the American Dream and how it is portrayed in both texts. The second point will cover any texts used in the essays in comparison to the other paper and how those writings improve the author’s argument.
In “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes is a very vivid interpretation of what America was like for those who did not get the opportunity to live the “American Dream”. But really, what was the American Dream? How can the dream of the common slave be any similar to that of a common slave owner? Langston addresses this is many forms in many instances.
Langston Hughes had an American dream also, but in his dream, people were not happy or satisfied with their jobs they wanted to know why they couldn’t have a normal life like everyone else or have the freedom to do what they
The American Dream is the belief that through hard work and determination, anyone can achieve success in life. This is seen in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel is known for the exploration of the American Dream and the dangers of this dream when pursuing it through corrupt means. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, has been compared to many people throughout history because of his luxurious lifestyle, mysterious behavior, and complicated personal life. While many comparisons can be made, one person that stands out as having many similarities to Gatsby is businessman, aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes.
Every American strives for greatness because of the opportunity this country provides. Individuals chase love, wealth, and happiness, known as the American Dream, but find themselves running on an endless track to nowhere. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, sheds light on the impracticality of the dream. A dream that looks more like a nightmare. Nevertheless, many individuals pursue the dream realizing too late the fabricated reality that one cannot achieve love, wealth, and happiness.
Although we have the freedom to access the American Dream most people have challenges of achieving it. In the novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we see each protagonist struggling ,but at the same time a strong aspiration in obtaining their American Dream. For example, Jay Gatsby, he was the definition of the American Dream,he builds his social status from becoming a farm boy to one of the world's top millionaire but his dream wasn't complete without the love of Daisy. Unfortunately Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God
The American dream is to start your life with little to no money and work your way into making a liveable salary. The American dream is often thought of by immigrants, many immigrants move to the U.S. thinking they follow the American dream. In the book The Great Gatsby, James Gatsby the mysterious wealthy character who dropped out of college and started his life as a young man. Gatsby could be compared to the immigrants in the thought of the American dream.
The American dream is an illusion that is deeply implanted in the minds of the people, it sets a bar for life achievement and offers hope to work hard to achieve their dreams. As for Americans, they are raised in a society to where they are expected to make lots money and to have a healthy family. After all in our society success is largely based off positions of power and financial stability. For example, in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there were multiple interpretations of the ideal American dream in the 1920s. In the 1920s, due to the growth of materialism, people advertised and fancied the power of money to fulfilling their dreams.
The American Dream: Promising or Hopeless? A statement from the article “Rethinking the American Dream” reads, “(…) like so many before and after him, was overcome by the power of the American Dream” (Source E). The American Dream is the ideal that everyone should possess an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through determination. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel
The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. The American Dream presents a view of the American society in which ignores racism problems, income inequality, etc. In the 1920’s, it was a very difficult and resulting time for the American Dream. Due to increased immigration, changing women’s roles, and a extraordinary income inequality. The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could “strike it rich”.
The view of the American Dream is different for everyone. The Epic Journey, by James Truslow Adams, views the American Dream as a dream of attaining one’s fullest stature regardless of one’s social status. Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s American Dream relates to Adam’s dream but limited to materialistic wealth- a dream that seeks for motor cars, higher wages, and to impress the people of high status. Both Adams and Gatsby believe that everyone has an equal chance of achieving their dream. Adams says “The dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”.
Scott Fitzgerald would say that the American dream is a concept that you can achieve greatness or better circumstances by any means that you can. Also, the real dream is not riches because then people would become reckless, but the real goal is to reach ultimate happiness. He would say this because when people desire for something they are not, they go to measures the affect others and the outcomes are not often positive. The novel and Gatsby’s story show that the failure of achieving his dreams proves the the foolishness of short-cutting the dream by corruption without hard work, integrity, or real love. Fitzgerald’s version of the American dream would say that all have the ability to gain more success with hard work and being true to yourself.
Is the dream over? Can the American dream of the black man in America live? Furthermore, Hughes says, "Or does it explode?". Is the American dream dead for blacks and is it even possible? At this time the American Dream for blacks was near impossible but today for anyone if your dream “dries up” you fall behind.
Has the dream changed? What really is the the dream place the so call america? The way this text could be read and / or interpreted differently by two different types of readers is if one of the readers who agrees with the statement that Langston Hughes is arguing about in his poem. The second reader would be the one person who disagree with his statement because she or he has a different perspective of what Langston Hughes poem is saying and states that america has always been and had their freedom and equality to a certain extent.
American Dream James Truslow Adams, in his book which was written in 1931 and called “ The Epic of America” wrote about American dream, that American dream is about being richer and living in better life. Also that American dream is more materialistic, that people work a lot of hours to gain things which they want to have. Such as luxury cars, big houses. They want to be wealthy, rich and have all expensive things and live in a world of money and wealth.