The American Dreamer The American Dream means so much to so many, but in very different ways. If you surveyed individuals to get a definition of the American Dream, I’m certain that the answers would be very diverse. This I attribute to the Dream being an individual thing and not one that can be defined by all individuals in the same manner. In this paper I orchestrate to show the dreams of several characters as described in two works, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Dreamer by Charles Johnson. In both of these works, albeit the dreams were different for these characters initially, the end result was for the same purposes. Though various experiences these individuals had to work through, the definition of the American dream …show more content…
Walter was a son, husband and father desperately seeking success in A Raisin in the Sun. To Walter, the definition of being successful was financial wealth, something he didn’t have at the time or growing up. Walter isn’t very happy with his life working as a chauffeur for a white man not having any advancement opportunities. To Walter his life is a disgrace and he is in desperate need of an entrepreneurial venture that will bring him financial security. Walter puts so much energy and time into seeking ways to become wealthy, but he wasn’t willing to put in the necessary work to achieve this goal. Instead, he always searched for a short cut which resulted in unsuccessful attempts to complete his goals. Walter’s dream was to be wealthy, which would enable him to obtain all things that fulfil his American dream. Those things include having funds to provide a home for his family and all other necessities that would make his life and that of his family completely. Chaym Smith in the Novel Dreamer was similar to Walter’s character. Chaym like Walter, was extremely unhappy with his life and what he had become. Smith served in the military during the War and after which he left due to a severe injury to his leg. Chaym was married but lost his wife and children to a fire. Subsequently, he became dependent on alcohol and suffered a mental breakdown resulting in a short hospitalization. Both characters exhibited rude and offensive behavior as a result of their circumstances. Initially Chaym didn’t think that dreams were able to become reality because of the type of world we live in. In his words, Chaym says, “…, (Johnson) and it showed me there’s two kinds of people in this world. Predators and prey. Lions and lunch. You see it any other way, buddy, and people will chump you off.” This is where
“The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American dream”(Tommy Hilfiger). In the story The Glass Castle, the protagonist Jeannette Walls demonstrates that anyone can live their American dream; sometimes hardships,in order to live up to their dreams. The Glass Castle is not much different from the present world, some want wealth and fortune, while others want peace and happiness. The society of The Glass Castle views the American dream in many ways, but two views are mainly shown in the story. The story supports the dream of having freedom and success, along with the dream of having peace and happiness.
A Line Between Love and Hate In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the character Walter Lee Younger, displays the demeanor of a character in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. In Hurston’s book, Janie’s grandmother, Nanny, was a woman with a very stubborn mindset on life, very similar to Walter Lee who presumably had life all figured out. They were portrayed as the antagonist in the novels but were just characters that meant well and had good intentions. Walter Lee Younger and Nanny are portrayed as selfish and emotionless characters by few critics but digging deeper into their situations and their decision making, they just wanted better for their loved ones and they both wanted one thing, a better life, whether it benefited themselves or the special people in their lives.
Dreaming is specific to one person which is why someone people chase after the “American dream" and some do not. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the ideals behind the American dream to demonstrate the
The American Dream What if you were told you will never achieve your dreams? Florence King once said, “People are so busy dreaming the American dream, fantasizing about what they could be or have a right to be, that they’re all asleep at the switch. Consequently we are living in the age of human error.” Humans have a tendency of wanting what they cannot have or being oblivious to what they do have at the moment.
Dreams are goals that keep man motivated to improve, evolve, and chase for the better things in life. But unfortunately, not all dreams come true. The American Dream is also a goal to achieve success through hard-work and dedication; The American Dream is a goal that is often fantasized by two men, George and Lennie. In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, George, the smaller man, leads the way and makes the decisions for Lennie, a mentally challenged fellow. They both travel and work together.
What Is The American Dream? To achieve any dream or aspiration, a goal must be set, and steps must be taken towards that goal. To what goal are we collectively striving towards? Rather, are we climbing up the same mountain by different means and with different results in expectancy? “The American Dream” has been referenced as a common ethos for any and all American citizens.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck illustrates the power in the use of symbolism to deliver an overall message on the hope of living the American Dream. The farm symbolizes the hope which leads to the indulgence of living “off the fatta the lan” (15). The dream farm is a necessity not a want in the lives of Lennie and George because they are so engraved in this dream farm that it has become the reason why they are friends, why they have hope for a better life, why they are enduring the obstacles that has cross their paths. While the illusion of reaching the American Dream and being able to control their lives as they reach it has a positive impact on the well being of Lennie and George, it is not a reality because there will always be a goal,
In the novel Of Mice And Men the theme of the American dream is present throughout the book by being their motivation to work, the dream holds their friendship together, the dream gives them life even if life never allows them to achieve their dreams. This book is a prime example of how the American Dream is powerful in people’s
An individual’s main life goal is not if they are successful or trying to achieve a certain amount of digits in their bank account, but it is if they are pursuing their American Dream. The ideal American Dream is living a comfortable life, being financially stable, and having the freedom to pursue happiness. With America’s poor economy, each year more Americans are unable to achieve their goals. Furthermore, our society would tend to favor the ones in the higher class. While most American citizens have an American Dream, ultimately only a portion of them is able to make their dreams a reality.
The dream motivates us to strive to greater lengths and push ourselves to fulfill it. Yet according to author John Steinbeck, no matter how hard we push ourselves, how much we believe in the dream, we will never be able to fulfill it. In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, dreams recur throughout the story, showing how although everyone needs a dream to imagine and motivate them, in the end, dreams are too idealistic for the far harsher real world, forcing everyone to settle for less perfect futures. Every single person needs a dream to imagine and to motivate them. This is shown when Candy and George contemplate their future plans.
Throughout A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry uses what Walter Lee Younger says and does about his dreams to become wealthy and be able to better provide for his family to show how his obsession over money slowly consumes him and almost drives him to forget his pride and self-worth. As the Younger family aspires to make their way out of poverty, following suit of many other families in the time period, Walter determines that the perfect plan would be to earn a lot of money by investing in a liquor shop. As more time progresses, Walter is unable to contain his enthusiasm for his plan and grows impatient. In fact, when he is finally given the rest of the money from the insurance check, he turns hysterical. He tells his son, “You wouldn’t understand yet, son, but your daddy’s gonna make...
In the text “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, the author uses the writing strategy of conflict to develop the central idea of how oneself can become selfish when trying to achieve the American dream. The text shows that the central idea is selfishness because circumstances are presented where various characters fail to take into consideration others while seeking their dreams. For example, Walters says, “ Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy ’bout messing round with sick people, then go be a nurse like other women-or just get married and be quiet…. ’’. This example of greed shows that the ambition to obtain a dream brings out the selfishness is true in the instance of Walter.
“People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get” – Fredrick Douglass. The Life of Fredrick Douglass by Fredrick Douglass was published in 1845. He was a slave who ran away to the North to be labeled as free in America. He soon became an abolitionist who was the voice of civil and political rights of slaves. On the other hand, a play called, A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959, expresses how wealth is a dream in Walter’s eyes.
The American Dream: A Raisin in the Sun The American Dream is defined as the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. However, in 1950s to the 1960s when the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was written the American Dream was defined slightly different. Post World War II the idea of the American Dream was owning a home -in a decent neighborhood, starting your own business- becoming an entrepreneur, a good paying job- with longevity, and family planning-
Dreams play an important role in John Steinbeck's of Mice and Men. They represent hope, as each of the characters strive for a better future. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck reveals the importance of dreams and how they propel the characters toward some form of satisfaction and stability in their lives. In this essay, an exploration of the importance of dreams of mice and men will be discussed, and how they can be a source of hope, an achievable goal or an escape from reality.