The American Dream Analysis - 827 Words

The American Dream is another controversial element of American life whose validity was well-debated by writers of the era. This was an ideal that many immigrants from the Old World strived to achieve, hoping that their penniless fortunes would quickly change for the better. One author, William Bryant Cullen, emphasized how America is a refuge for â€Å"Earth’s trodden down and opprest† peoples, including the â€Å"hunted head† and the â€Å"starved laborer.† This phrase from the patriotic poem indicates that the poor peoples of Europe, including fugitives or debtors –– the hunted heads –– and the jobless common folk whose competitions for wages increase with the population boom in the Old World –– the starved laborer –– are all welcome in America. He†¦show more content†¦The American Dream was a broken promise, presented as immensely favorable by blinded men, despite its consequences in real ity. Another source of discord and disagreement within America during the early period of the nation’s formation was the concept of culture. With a surge in sectionalism after the short-lived Era of Good Feelings, the economic and cultural divide between the North and the South eventually grew further and further apart. This sentiment of detachment from another group of people with the same nationality is prevalent in John Jakes’s North and South. Within this story, George Hazard and Orry Main are close friends who developed their tight friendship through camaraderie in the West Point Academy and their dual participation in the Mexican-American War. However, as the years gradually approached the commencement of the Civil War, the institution of various divisive policies such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act slowly turn the two friends apart from one another. Orry is a South Carolina plantation owner who has a large possession of slaves at hand. Although he perceives the cruelty of slavery, he understands that the entire cultural and economic base of the Southern United States has its roots in unpaid labor, and wishes to protect the institution as a whole. Unlike Orry, George is a wealthy Northern factory owner who regularly participates in the Underground Railroad to aid fugitiveShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream Analysis1366 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream was developed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, and he stated, â€Å"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 and achievement.† This concept is flawed in today’s standards as Adam’s â€Å"better and richer and fuller† life, is more focused on being successful and accepted, rather than being happy. Therefore, Adam’s â€Å"American Dream† needs to be revised to imply that success doesn’tRead MoreAnalysis Of The American Dream1063 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is the American Dream? Is it home ownership, gaining fame or wealth, having a great family or is it gaining a peace of mind? Many people have different versions of what the American Dream is, some people believe the dream is lost, and some people are right in the middle and still believe the American Dream is still alive. â€Å"The American Dream† by Brandon King debates about what the true state is left in the American Dream now. Throughout the essay, King asks if the American Dream is dead, aliveRead MoreAmerican Dream Analysis995 Words   |  4 Pagesrealize that each character has their own dreams and aspirations for life. These dreams are used to resemble Steinbecks opinions about the American dream. Therefore, Steinbeck proves that the American dream is unrealistic and unable to be achieved; this is proved through the dreams of Lennie, George, and Crooks. Steinbeck believes that the American dream is unrealistic and unable to be achieved. Lennie dreams of tending rabbits on a farm with George. Lennie’s dream is never achieved due to his tragicRead MoreThe American Dream Analysis1162 Words   |  5 Pagesblack women in his writing? Why? What is The American Dream? What is the Dream Coates talks about? What is the difference? This should be three paragraphs long. (He goes further into it on page 146) * The American Dream is the ideal that anyone can be successful if they work hard enough. This insinuates that America is the land of equal opportunity where any individual can pursue happiness and prosperity through hard work and dedication. This â€Å"Dream† is found in the Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreThe American Dream Case Analysis1355 Words   |  6 Pages American Dream Case Analysis At 1981, The George A. Hormel Meatpacking Company cut wages from $10.69 to $8.25 to claim the need to remain competitive. Companies threat workers that they either close one plant and then open it at lower wage places or exit the business directly. Local unions like P-9 firstly request that all the workers should stick to $10.69 an hour in ten or fifteen years that we could call its target point. The company didn’t agree, they asserted new member workers the companyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The American Dream 1071 Words   |  5 PagesThe American dream to me is a secure way of life for the future. Having a steady job, no struggles and financial securities. Living life to the absolute fullest while being successful by doing what you love. So my idea is supported by connecting to Sam Walton and Jay –Z profiles/interviews. The interview says no matter how hard you had it growing up, you can still conquer anything if you work hard enough and put your mind to it. T his is the same as the visual image of the homeless person in theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The American Dream 754 Words   |  4 Pages Nyreel Powell Ms. Jones American Literature 1 June 2015 The American dream in A Raisin in the Sun Have you ever had a dream and it didn’t come how you wanted it to be? Have you ever had accomplishments that you wanted to achieve but people were getting in the way of them? The four main characters in this book all have good dreams but there are people in the way of getting to those dreams or their dream is too high to accomplish. A Raisin in the Sun a play written by Lorraine Hansberry, andRead MoreAnalysis Of Urban And The American Dream Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pagesemerged in the mid-twentieth century. There are many influential films that have emerged from this genre such as City of God (2002) and Straight Outta Compton (2015). Urban/hood films generally surround young men, that are typically Black/African-American (but other racial groups can be present as well) who live in the impoverished areas of cities. The characters of these movies are often trying to find a way to better the standards of their lives (and may compromise their moral beliefs to accomplishRead MoreLevitt American Dream Analysis726 Words   |  3 Pages The Levitts have a simple version of the American Dream during the 1950s. Each son had a specific American Dream they were trying to achieve. For Alfred, the American Dream was to be married and to make other people happy. He does this by making the communities have a perfect design with green grass. William Levitts viewpoint on the American Dream is different from Alfred. William wanted to make money and live a life of which he is â€Å"on top of the world.† A quote which shows this states â€Å"In hisRead MoreMarxist Analysis of the American Dream990 Words   |  4 Pagesare relishing in The American Dream While capitalism promotes the belief that this dream is achievable, it is more often than not, a literal dream, and leaves its pursuers poor, and weak. This keeps the working class powerless, and pacified to propagate capitalistic values. Clean cut examples of this are cases in such societies where people do not have the chance to advance but have the chance to succeed. A strange position that seems to contradict a culture thats Dream is to be powerful and