Category: American Dream

The concept of progress or the pursuit of the American Dream since 1930s has been a matter of concern for many immigrants who believe that they can achieve much in the US than in their native countries. Different people have varied perspectives about the concept of progress.

To immigrants, progress in the US provides opportunities for them to achieve material affluence, advanced education, and general prosperity in life. However, in the process of achieving all these, immigrants experience different challenges but almost of a similar nature, in a strange land. While some of the immigrants are struggling to achieve progress in the US, many of them experience conflicting needs and desires.

Most immigrants want to embrace the foreign culture, and at the same time maintain their native cultural orientation and practices. Immigrants rarely discuss the possibilities of hardships or failure in pursuit of progress in the US.

This essay shall present the concept of progress, and historical experiences among immigrants of Chinese and Filipino in the US using Bone by Fae Ng, and America is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan.

Ng tries to look at what happens when hopes of progress in a foreign land fail to come true. Ng looks at the feasibility of achieving progress among Chinese immigrants in the US. To most immigrants, the thought of achieving progress in the US is amazing.

However, Ng notes that these hopes and dreams of happiness can fail and lead to disappointments. Ng presents realities immigrants experience in their pursuit of opportunities in the US. The author presents historical experiences of Chinese immigrants as full of challenges in their attempts to achieve freedom, life, success and happiness.

Ng gives honest accounts of Chinese immigrants in the US through a family living in Chinatown, in San Francisco. The author presents a father figure who has failed to achieve his hopes of progress through a struggling family of Leon Leong.

Through this, Ng rejects the notion that all immigrants can achieve progress in the US. This is because most of the immigrants remain divided between their heritage orientations and giving it up in order to accommodate the new culture a foreign land presents to them.

Scholars insist that not all can achieve progress in America. In fact, a closer look at the concept of progress and the American Dream suggest this fact. Ng presents a lead character who is among Chinese immigrants who can never attain this progress.

These immigrants struggle but progress is simply out of reach for them. In order to prove that progress in America is not possible for all immigrants, Ng presents characters with limitations and eccentric acts. For instance, Leon shows possibilities of hope in achieving success in the US. However, we can see unavoidable failures in his approaches.

Ng enhances this fact by showing that Leon main occupation is making household items from junks. This is after experiencing rejection and discrimination in most employment sectors.

Leon says that I only had to open the first few to know the story: We Dont Want You. A rejection from the army: unfit. A job rejection: unskilled. An apartment: unavailable&He had job skills and experience: welding, construction, and electrical work, but no English. Leon represents the historical experiences of most immigrants in Chinatown.

Ng also demonstrates the attitudes and expectations of different immigrant generations. The author shows the conflicts of her characters as painful experiences. Ng notes that earlier immigrants hope to achieve progress through their children. This is because they believed that surviving in a native land and improving their livelihood was in the distance future only possible to their children.

Ng also highlights a representative life of constant strain leading to suicide. For instance, Leila has a strained relationship with every character in the novel. Onas suicide gives a new experience to Chinese immigrants life. These aspects of strained relationships show difficulties immigrants experience, sometimes pushing them to suicide. A family condition in this novel represents the broad picture of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco.

The first generation of Chinese immigrants in the US has to contend with the issue of identity crisis. The definition of self has to reflect both what it means to be an American and at the same time a Chinese. Ng shows this through Leila and her sisters. These generations must struggle with the American mainstream culture and culture of their heritage.

Carlos Bulason shares the ideas of Fae Ng in relation to experiences of immigrants in the US. Bulosan presents negative aspects, which Filipino immigrants experienced in the US in pursuit of progress. Bulason characterises Filipinos historical experiences as full of historical injustices like racism, violence, severe experiences of poverty, and cultural alienations.

At the same time, immigrants also experience inequalities in terms of social, economic and political rights. Bulosan serves the social role of a writer by exposing the unfair social systems in the US that Filipino immigrants had to contend with in a foreign land.

Majority sees the US as a land of progress. Consequently, the US has attracted a large number of immigrants. However, multiculturalism has caused a number of problems to the immigrants. Despite the freedom in the US, many immigrants remained tied to their cultural heritages and races. These aspects hinder progress in the US among immigrants who find it hard to fit in the mainstream culture.

Bulosan presents the idea that most Filipinos immigrants leave their home country to pursue progress in the US unknowing of the impending difficulties, and unfavourable conditions that await them. These immigrants experience sociological and psychological difficulties that prevent smooth integrations into the mainstream culture of America.

America is in the Heart presents economic and assimilation challenges most Filipino immigrants face in the new land. Bulosan expresses the toil most immigrants undergo in the canneries for a mere pay of 13 dollars for the whole job fishing companies offer immigrants. These economic difficulties force many immigrants to become wanderers moving from one city to another in an attempt to secure employment opportunities.

It is unfortunate that Filipino immigrants cannot even secure works as farmhands. Immigrants experience career and financial difficulties because the American employers view their education as overseas and of no value.

Employers have noticed the nature of Filipino immigrants as hardworking. Consequently, these employers are ready to exploit cheap, available labour from immigrants. In addition, Bulosan presents several instances of racism and violence against him. For instance, while he was in San Diego, the hotel owner repeatedly assaults him.

The drugstore also refuses to provide services to him. In California, the narrator and his friend hear the news that local whites are hunting Filipinos at night with shotguns. However, nasty experiences among Filipino immigrants occur to Filipinos with Native American women as their wives.

For instance, in Holtville the narrator observes racial discrimination when a local hotel refuses to serve a Filipino immigrant with his family. In addition, the restaurant owner yells thus, You goddam brown monkey have your nerve, marrying our women. Now get out of this town!

Cultural orientations of native Filipinos create conditions that make it difficult for them to assimilate in the mainstream American culture. Racial discrimination has extended to include features of the body, accent and poor English. Filipinos who speak fluent English are still foreigners in the US.

The author tries to condemn such violations of immigrants rights, and at the same time show immigrants that progress in America can sometimes be elusive, and more often than not remains a dream among the majority of the immigrants.

Bulosan highlights the fact that most immigrants lack appreciation of their own country. At the same time, they are also not aware of the difficulties that most immigrants undergo in such of progress in the US. He stresses that progress is not necessarily in the US but may also exists in ones own native country.

In conclusion, both Ng and Bulosan main concerns are the pursuit of elusive progress among immigrants. These authors note that most immigrants experience social injustices, economic hardship, and cultural strains in their pursuit of happiness and economic prosperity.

Once the initial hope has disappeared, most immigrants experience and turn to menial jobs for their upkeeps. In worst cases, some strains may even lead to suicides. Immigrants must understand the impossibilities of achieving success in a foreign land that present barriers of every nature. These authors believe that progress may not necessarily be in a foreign land, but rather in ones own country.

Introduction

In the modern world, peoples movement across the countries has been marked by political and economical diatribes. Richard Rodriguez portrays the way people fit themselves in the larger scheme of nations. Everyone is affiliated to the Nation-State and their affiliation has been marked by the changing political equations. However, the myth of nation-states is often broken by the interest of individual well-being. Rodriguez is a portrayal of the victory of the individual over the nation-states. Secondly, his arguments seem to reinforce the age-old belief that there is nothing like a closed gate. The human mind finds a new direction for every block it faces over a period of time. Possibly, better and superior to the earlier one!

The American Dream

As Richard says, By the 1970s California was full of immigrants. The Mexicans, the Chinese, and everyone else who migrated into the state of California had a long but standing dream. They had all come to America. The United States was America for them and that was the place to get work and grow business. The dreams of these people were slowly resolved and made in the golden lands of California, though in the initial days the migrants never really occupied the important locations of California.

There were restrictions on the movement of the people to the US. The countrys federal leadership opened to the happenings after noticing the large-scale settlements of non-white people. Particularly, when the state did not have the majority of people from New York and Oklahoma, it was getting concerned! The federal government had brought in all the regulations that it could on the settlement of immigrants. But still, people continued to move in with their American Dreams. We are only looking for work slowly transformed itself into a settlement. However, there was a pseudo cultural milieu that was created by them in trying to retain their identity.

The Central Valley was manned by the working peasants from the Mexican territory. Though they express an interest to only go over there for the picking, the work seems to end up swallowing them. The freedom that it promises, the money that it provides really break up into much more when the person does return him; all add up to the charm of the new place and the person transforms himself from being a Mexican to an American. The author also plays with the fact that the national boundaries in the American continents seem to be laid differently. American seems to refer only to the citizen of the United States and does not include the rest of the people in the continent!

The American dream that is carried by the individual in his heart drives them to the new world wherever it may be. Whether it be west or the North, he moves to the new world and amalgamates himself or herself into this America of his dreams. More often than not, possibly enters into the country with the idea of getting back to their homeland after some time, only to find them drawn into its spiraling growth and becomes a citizen of the country, even before it recognizes him as one. This is possibly the reason why, as Richard says, back in Mexico it would be time to head home to the US. The person just wants to be back in the US at the earliest possible opportunity. The American Dream is at work.

This proves the first hypothesis that the nation-states and their boundaries are immaterial to the individual in his hunt for his own dreams. The rules and laws that were made to constrain the settling of the people whether it is in the education front where the Chinese seem to have blocked all the seats in the biochemistry programs of the universities or the Mexicans in the Central Valley picking peaches, they could not restrict the settlements of these migrant people.

Now the other side of the migration, the author, therefore, suggests also seems to have no national barriers. This settlement of immigrants has made California crowded and forced the earlier generation to move away from it; away from the crowded world. Further north to Colorado and across the border may be to Canada.

Whither Opportunities?

It is only common to find men queue up to places that have opportunities. It is also important for their survival and growth. Richard Rodriguez is stressing just this point when he says, go north, young man. It is important the growth of the human race is kept alive by the creative thoughts of human beings. As Tennyson said, One good custom would corrupt the world. It is only true that there is always a languid performance from people who are comfortable. It is the people who aspire for growth and who are in need of growth, that really cause it. And in this case, it is so for the Mexicans.

The author has portrayed the case of the Mexicans with no or fewer opportunities in their own part of the country move over to the neighboring country for more opportunities. With the annexure of the southwestern part of the country into the nation, these people who were considered out of the country suddenly found themselves American. This opened a large gate of opportunities for them. It is the opportunity that drives these people.

When they move out of their homes, it is not with happiness that they go. Almost every one of the immigrants moves out of their homes with the sadness of separation behind them; and a longing that will possibly take them back one bright day. They leave behind loving mothers and caring sisters only to find themselves in a country that is full of competition and a place where they might have to struggle to outshine others. But the trouble that they go through becomes worthy when the results do show up. The land of opportunities integrates with their American Dream. The freedom that they enjoy in the new land just seems to be something that they have not experienced earlier in their own country.

The Mexicans moved north

The current scenario in California is one of the crowded streets and an atmosphere that is hard to inhale. Fresh air is difficult to come by what with the growing pollution levels in the cities of California. Naturally, these are the results possibly of the southern invasion that the author reflects upon. When the opportunities dry up, it is only customary for people to look for new places and new opportunities. Westward ho has possibly lost its charm with the land ending at the ocean. It is, therefore, important for Californians to look at moving further up North for new opportunities and life. Whither Opportunities, there we should be!

Conclusion

The author has brought to the fore very many important arguments. However, this essay has considered two of them. One, the melting away of the national boundaries! The author indicates that NAFTA was the modern-day realization of the same which was earlier done by the farmers of Mexico without any specific legal attachment to it. It was the opportunity that the new America promised which made them move from their home to the new work. And then, move on make the new place their home subsequently. The movement of the people is not something that could be easily controlled by the law. The opportunities will and continue to attract people to move over.

The movement of people in other parts of the world from Africa to Europe or from Asia to Europe continues to exist even within the strict legal codes of these European countries. There will not be an end to the movement until the equality of the people across all countries is realized by the human community. Until new opportunities exist for every human in the world and there is a comfortable spread of the human population across the world, the movement of people would continue to occur. From the high pressure to the low pressure; from the more populated to less populated; from the land of poor to the land of riches. This has been held true by the author.

The term American dream was first used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (1931). The book defined the American dream 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&.dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain 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 or position. (What is the American Dream?).

Martin Luther King dreamed of racial equality, John Winthrop envisioned a religious paradise in a city upon a hill. The question is how far they have been successful. How many war veterans of World War II were able to settle down, have a home, a car with a family? Did Martin Luther King feel his dream was attained? Did Malcolm X realize his dreams? Did the immigrants who settled in America find peace and prosperity? The answers to these questions are the American reality!

American history is replete with stories of discrimination against women, Native Americans, people of color, and people of Japanese descent who were incarcerated during World War II and the workers. But it should also be noted that these groups did not remain quiet and along with that repression came resistance among all the groups mentioned&suffrage movement, the abolition movement, the fight for womens rights, for workers right, for the rights of indigenous people says Sara Jones, an exceptional actor who is for rights of women. (Magazine).

The topic of our concern is the reality that is faced by women, blacks, and war veterans who are associated with the American army. These three sections are inseparable when we referred to the struggle they have put in to realize their dreams and every soldier attains status due to position. It is noteworthy that the U.S. army can be discussed through these perspectives. The reality IS shocking! The U.S. Army has to its credit success in almost every battle they have fought. Most prized and most favored are the armed forces that the dark cloud within them has not been noted. On account of various issues, women, blacks, and war veterans, in their desperate attempts to realize the American dream have only suffered setbacks. It would not be unwise to dwell upon the issues that surround them. Women have always been fighting for their rights and against the atrocities meted out to them from every direction. The blacks have always had their fair share of abuse and the war veterans have been the neglected lot shunned by society and the American army. It would be enriching enough to discuss the past and the present of the U.S. army from these three significant perspectives.

Women throughout history, in America or in any other part of the world have forever struggled to attain recognition. There was a time when women were treated in sub-human conditions and her plight was restored invariably due to her efforts alone. Rape and torture by soldiers continue to haunt the lives of many women in and around America. Living under harsh conditions, the American soldiers in a desperate attempt to give vent to their feelings commit crimes against women. In the past, the rate of crimes by soldiers was alarming. Women were hapless creatures, mute spectators to their dismantled bodies. Now their condition, though not yet improved, has not worsened. Rape and sexual assault are quite rampant in the US military. Women soldiers employed in the Middle East reported rape and sexual assault by their fellow soldiers. They seem to fear not the enemies but their own countrymen! To add to their woes, they do not receive adequate testing for sexually transmitted diseases and their pleas turn a deaf ear. Could you imagine the traumatic situation of the women who suffer causalities as their men soldiers? They could be worse sufferers than war veterans. At a recent party, a female general was sexually assaulted. What more is needed to draw insight into the deplorable attitude of the army! It is reported that only 5 to 6% of soldiers accused of domestic violence are ever court marshaled. (Maki). Rape, in the U.S. Army, has acquired horrifying proportions and it is high time that suitable action is taken in this regard.

Blacks have always fought for the independence of the country. Their position is far from satisfactory. Thomas Wolf said, &to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity&.The right to live, to work, to be himself and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him. (What is the American Dream?). A sarcastic laugh comes from my mouth. A recent newspaper report showed a black soldier being ill-treated by a white. When the U.S. Declaration of Independence declared, &all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, did it mean that the men are whites only? (What is the American Dream?). a sizable proportion of blacks took part in the civil war. In 1862, three Union Regiments of African Americans were raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The contribution of the blacks to the civil war is worth mentioning. (Weidman). The question that comes up to my mind is whether the blacks get equal privileges as the whites. Racial prejudice and discrimination on account of color are the hallmarks of American society. No doubt blacks are not allowed to travel along with the whites. There are white-only restaurants. Far more shameful is the case of Cassius Clay, who later changed his name to Mohamed Ali and threw his gold-coated copper medal into the Ohio River as a mark of protest against not being awarded the gold medal when he emerged the boxing champion. These are minor instances. There are cases of blacks being tortured by whites on trivial issues.

War veterans, though promised huge returns and a comfortable life continue to languish under inhuman conditions incognito. Earlier war veterans were recognized for their efforts but now, they remain a neglected lot left to the mercy of government policies. They are not given respect due to them. Thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are returning home only to become mentally unhealthy. The mental health injuries include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. Those who seek help have to wait for five years. It is reported that 600 thousand unresolved benefits cases are pending. A nonprofit organization such as Swords to Plowshares in San Francisco tries to pick up the pieces of veterans broken lives, but they are not able to meet the overwhelming need. In 2005, the suicide rate for veterans 18 to 24 years old was three to four times higher than non-veterans. (Blecker). They do not receive enough public support and it is estimated that this condition could lead to epidemics of unemployment and underemployment, homelessness, and family breakdown.

America is the only country in the world that has a liberal economy and strongly believes in a powerful workforce based on equal rights and quality. The Americans preserve their natural heritage and their attitude to wildlife is exceptional. Far more significant is their contribution to medicine and scientific research. The deep desire to explore areas unexplored has made them emerge as the superpower. The US defense forces serve their country with utmost dedication. Its a matter of pride that the work of the sincere is recognized and the treatment meted out to the soldiers and their families are exceptional. The soldiers have nothing to worry about back home. Their interest lies in their country. The selfless service rendered by the soldiers is suitably rewarded. America does remain the country that strongly believes in self-reliance and independence.

Works Cited

Blecker, Michael. On Memorial Day: Broken Promises to Our Veterans. SFGate. 2008. Web.

Magazine. The Hindu. 2004. Web.

Maki, Amy. Rape in the U.S. Military. Socialist Action. 2008. Web.

Weidman, Budge. Teaching with Documents: The Fight for Equal Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War. The National Archives. 1997. Web.

What is the American Dream? The Library of Congress. The Learning Page. 2002. 2008. Web.

The reading investigates the growing pay gap between Blacks and Whites and the US, as well as possible explanation for this financial inequality. Shapiro (2007) proves that being Black in the US accumulates in societal costs of around $140. I find this evidence convincing since race has a literal price that oppressed minorities have to pay, and this discrimination indicates oppression in the modern capitalistic society.

Wealth of a Nation

The research assesses the financial inequality that is present among African American families. The authors argue that even when a Black and White person earn the same salary, their wealth is different due to racial implications (Oliver & Shapiro, 1990). These findings highlight the previously proven social and cultural oppression and show that racism is a structural problem that is extremely hard to address.

Wealth Gap Between Minorities and White Americans Doubles After Housing Crisis, Recession

The speaker evaluates the accumulative wealth of Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites in America and arrives to the conclusion that race plays a role in financial burdens that many people of color experience. Harrison (2011) appeals to the research that discovered that unlike Whites, marginalized Blacks and Hispanics rely more on housing, which makes them more vulnerable to economic discrimination. I find this evidence valuable in the fight for equality as people of color are often perceived as responsible for their economic despair, while the White dominant system is to blame.

Twenty-to-One

The report examines the pay gap between races and provides some statistical evidence for the socioeconomic inequality. Pew Research (2011) reviews cross-racial wealth and income throughout the 20-year period and claims that since people of color base their wealth on housing, recession of 2006 caused the socioeconomic gap to double. The case of the crisis affecting marginalized people more than others shows that current social support and government protection fail to address the reality of latent discrimination.

Groundings with My Brothers: Commentaries

The commentaries of the book overview its contents and the authors influence on the Black Power movement today. The personal story of Austin reflects how Rodney (2020) inspired Blacks worldwide to explore their history, culture, and rediscover their power. I find this commentary and the book overall extremely influential in terms of addressing ones heritage and reviving the nations pride in the fight for freedom.

References

Harrison, R. (2011). Wealth gap between minorities and white Americans doubles after housing crisis, recession. The War and Peace Report.

Oliver, M. L. & Shapiro, T. M. (1990). Wealth of a nation: A reassessment of asset inequality in america shows at least one third of households are asset-poor. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 49(2).

Pew Research. (2011). Twenty-to-one: Wealth gaps rise to record highs between whites, blacks and hispanics. Pew Research Center.

Rodney, W. (2019). Groundings with My Brothers. Verso Books.

Shapiro, T. (2007). Transformative Assets, the Racial Wealth Gap and the American Dream. McGraw Hill.

The American Dream entails the belief that any individual, regardless of their place of birth, class, race, or ethnicity, can achieve their version of prosperity in a society that upholds upward mobility. American society constitutes a society that provides this type of mobility, especially in the economic sector. To support the success, the US introduced the Dream Act of 2001, which aimed to create a seamless process by which individuals would apply for a conditional residency that would eventually grant them citizenship to live in the US permanently. While the act seemed to promote immigration, it introduced several stipulations, such as allowing undocumented young people to join the military or college to gain their citizenship. Several public seat-holders have refuted these stipulations as they claim the American Dream Act will increase illegal migration through undocumented and unauthorized immigrants. Ultimately, the American Dream Act needs to be supported so that current, former, and future dreamers can have a fair opportunity to achieve upward success.

The American Dream Promise Act has boosted the US economy, showing that most immigrants contribute to the countrys wealth. In 2021, about 46.5 million immigrants had acquired permanent citizenship in the US (Gooden & Myers, 2018). These individuals have profoundly contributed to American societys art, business, and culture. For instance, 17% of the total civilian labor force constitutes immigrants. In some industries, such as those of aged care, they constitute two-thirds of the workforce (Gooden & Myers, 2018). Generally, American Dream Act has strengthened the American economy by promoting the immigration of individuals who contribute to sectors such as labor.

The American Dream Act considers the military a stepping stone towards achieving financial success for most immigrants, indirectly strengthening the US defense systems. One of the Dream Acts promises is the availability of military jobs for both documented and undocumented immigrants (Gooden & Myers, 2018). Alongside the military services, immigrants who make it to the Armed Forces experience added benefits such as attending college without having proper citizenship.

While it appears the Dream Act supports only immigrants, the promises made by the policy also favor other American minorities. The American Dream act promotes freedom and equality for all minority groups, whether American citizens or not. The policy promotes opportunities for all individuals to accumulate wealth and live dignified lives (Gooden & Myers 3). In anti-racial campaigns, the American Dream is often quoted, especially when the involved parties want to emphasize the importance of equal treatment in all sectors of the US.

In contrast to many supporters of the American Dream Act, some individuals claim that the policy promotes the entrance of illegal immigrants. The opposing parties believe that the Dream Act provides a shortcut for immigrants to become US citizens. These individuals state that the Dream Act allows unauthorized youths, who fall in the category of illegal immigrants, to work, study and contribute to the American community. Additionally, the opposers claim that unauthorized immigrants should be deported to their country and that the bill should be abolished or even renamed a Nightmare Act as it encourages foreigners to enjoy US citizens privileges (Gooden & Myers 11). However, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of unauthorized immigrants has remained constant, 11.4 million from 2015 to 2018 (Gooden & Myers, 14). Generally, the opponents support the dismissal of the policy as it would increase the number of illegal immigrants.

In conclusion, Dream Act hosts several benefits to the country, citizens, and immigrants, making it viable for progression into a bill. The Dream Act has increased the American labor force and military service men and has promoted unity and freedom among US citizens. However, some claim that the Dream Act provides a shortcut toward citizenship and increases illegal migrants. These claims are refutable since the number of unauthorized immigrants has remained relatively constant, showing no evidence of the Dream Acts contribution towards illegal immigration.

Work Cited

Gooden, Susan T. ; Myers, Samuel L. (2018). The Kerner Commission report fifty years later: revisiting the American dream. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 4(6), 1-17.

Introduction

The incumbent President Barack Obama was seeking re-election as the president of the United States of America for the next four years. He was facing Mitt Romney, a republican candidate, in the November 2012 polls. Americas first lady, Michelle Obama, in her speech at the Democrats National Convention (DNC), told of how her husband was passionate about leading the Americans to eventually achieve the American dream.

Michelles purpose was to introduce her husband as man who was more concerned about the common citizens concerns and who was willing and able to help everyone to realize his/her American dream because he himself had walked that path and knew the hardships and the challenges that each and everyone who seeks to succeed in America goes through.

This speech analysis answers the question of whether Michelle Obama was trying to advocate for her husband selling the real American dream to the audience at the Democratic National Convention or her claims and promises were unrealistic.

Speech Analysis

Barack Obamas wife, the Americas first lady, gave a speech that showed the world the values that the president held dear. Michelle successfully used her husbands background as well as hers to convince the congregants that the American dream was real, since her husband and she had walked that path and made it to the White House.

The first lady recounted of the childhood struggles that she and her husband had gone through to achieve what they gained so far. She revealed that only due to the students loan, they were able to graduate from the college. By mentioning that fact, she appealed to the majority of the youth facing the same struggle and unsure of their ability to complete college.

She was able to capture the emotions of the audience by stressing that success is not how much money one makes but how many peoples lives one touches. The audience was seen to be totally mesmerized by the success story she told and responded by several applauds and ululations.

The first lady was delivering that speech not only to the Democrats but also to all the Americans who were seeking for a better life. She told of her privilege to travel across the country due to which she met a lot of people who inspired her a lot.

She described the stories of the wounded soldiers willing not only to walk again but also run marathons, young Americans in Afghanistan ready to do it all again for America, teachers working without pay just for their love to children, and so on. In doing so, she managed to build her credibility with the audience.

She successfully used emotion as her main convincing force to win the hearts of the audience. She explained the hardships that her husbands grandparents went through to ensure they would give a better life to their children, thus she again resonated with the American dream. Most of the audience was convinced that she was telling their stories despite the fact that she was the first lady living in the White House.

She insisted and reiterated that her most important title was not the first lady but the mother concerned about the welfare of her children. She was thus able to identify with the thousands of American women who were not the first ladies but mothers in order to make them relate to her story of care and worry about the future of their children.

She presented her husband as a person who after four years in the White House, did not change a little from the man she had married twenty three years ago. She spoke about Barack Obama as about the one who was caring for the less privileged. She explained that due to the same reason, the president signed the Lilly Ledbetter fair Pay Act, reduced taxes imposed on the working families and improved the economy through having created more jobs.

The first lady also used a tone to give hope to the audience. She used such phrases as the people I meet inspire me to create a sense of hope and a spirit of confidence in the America as a nation.

She was able to sell the idea that success comes from hard work and if America realized the much needed change, they would have to co-operate as a nation and work hard to eventually realize the change that they so yearned. Through such figures of speech, she was simply but indirectly asking the Americans to entrust the next four years of the Americas future to her husband since he had the best Americas interests at heart.

Even if many Americans or almost everyone in the world knew the story behind the success of president Barack Obama through his autobiography or even heresies, they were still willing to listen to the story narrated by Michelle Obama.

Michelle used the opportunity to present the story of her husband with a lot of emotions and facial expressions and managed to make a good number of audience shed tears of hope and joy. She avoided directly discrediting Mitt Romney though a critical analysis shows that she was contrasting two different backgrounds of two different Americans, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Michelle successfully managed to hide political intentions in her speech until the culmination of her speech when she asked everyone to vote for Barack Obama who, according to her, had the best of Americas interests at his heart and was determined to improve the welfare of all the Americans.

At the end, she was able to convince majority of the audience that change does not happen overnight, but instead, it is a gradual happening that will eventually be seen and experienced by everyone. She, therefore, asked people to support her husband for the second time so that the Americans could eventually realize and witness what they had overwhelmingly voted for in 2008.

Conclusion

The first lady, in her speech at the Democratic National Convention, was able to present to the Americans and the whole world an image of Barack Obama as a trusted, caring, hardworking person worth being voted for to stay in the White House for another four year. She succeeded to resonate with majority of the Americans, particularly by mentioning the hard work that made America become a successful nation.

She convincingly proved to the audience that the American dream was still achievable and not only by the democrats but also the republicans and the rest of America. In conclusion, an appeal to the people to vote for Barack Obama was well presented as it becomes apparent as she won the hearts of many. The core purpose of her speech was to sell her husbands candidacy but in an attractive and unique package that would appeal to the majority of Americans.

It seems everyone has a general impression of the American Dream as something much like a prized dessert that can only be obtained for a short season by the fortunate few who live in the region its made or can afford to have the produce shipped in. The difference in how the dream is defined lies in how one sees the shape and color of the concoction, whether the texture is just right for the shape of the taste buds assessing the flavor quality. A surprising amount of thought goes into the definition of the American Dream and one begins to understand that each persons idea of what this is has some general similarities that quickly break down into multi-faceted specifics. Few people discuss these impressions so these distinctions are not often fully realized. However, the collective conception of the American dream can be discovered to some extent by comparing one idea with another. The American playwright Arthur Miller provides a basic interpretation of the American Dream in his play Death of a Salesman that shares some similarities with that portrayed by American filmmaker Alan Ball in American Beauty.

In Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman loses himself in the image hes built up regarding who he is as he measures up to his idea of the American Dream. Harold Bloom writes about some of the early danger signs regarding where Willys ideas are flawed such as during a memory scene in which one can detect the seed of later difficulties as Willy tries to impress his boys by exaggerating the importance and prestige of his job (Bloom, 1996, p. 15). This is contrasted against the self-denying sense of loser indicated by Lester in American Beauty. A great deal of what his family knows about Willy is based upon the image he feels he must portray of himself while Lesters family knows him for what he is not. In both cases, this prevents his family from knowing the real character and isolates him entirely. Through his exaggeration about the importance of his job, Willy reveals his ideas regarding what makes a person successful as being based upon the degree to which he can impress others while Lester indicates he has failed in the dream because of his unimportance to others.

Throughout the play, it can be seen that Willys wife or children have attempted to assure him that his importance to them has little or nothing to do with his ability to impress others or his level of financial success. All they want to do is spend time with him. Loman has a faulty vision of what makes a person successful, which makes him flawed, but regardless of the opposition and the ultimate cost to himself, he refuses to give up that vision, which makes him, in Millers eyes, a tragic hero (Abbotson, 2000, p. 25). This is again contrasted against the film in which both wife and daughter of Lester are constantly reminding him of what a loser he is. As he is finally brought to the realization that his slipping memory means he cannot work anymore, Willy finds himself grasping for a foundation within his family that cannot now be developed because of the way he has kept his true self hidden behind appearances.

Because material success seems so necessary to Willy, he believes that his sons cannot love him if he is not successful. Love becomes an item to be bought rather than something to be freely given (Brockett, 1969). However, Lester discovers that he might still achieve his own dreams and sets about doing whats necessary to make those happen. Thus, Willys ideas of the American Dream are seen to be a strong, completely self-contained man who sacrifices all of his own inclinations in favor of providing his family with a decent house, the appropriate educational experiences and the money they will need to live on after he retires or dies while Lester has redefined it as achieving a certain degree of self-satisfaction and an ability to discern beauty in the world.

Arthur Millers play focuses on the story of an everyday American struggling and not quite reaching the quintessential American Dream just as Alan Balls film focuses on the story of a man who has, through partnership with his wife, managed to build the outer image of the American Dream without attaining any of the supposed satisfaction from it. Both writers explore the various social issues involved, such as the changing American landscape and new attitudes of women, while also revealing the very human personal weaknesses of characters struggling to attain a quality of life woefully out of his reach and/or completely destructive to the family left behind (Liukkonen, 2003).

Through this characterization of the little man in the form of Willy Loman or Lester Burnham, Miller and Ball respectively examine the deep moral conscience of the country to ask if this conception of the American Dream is something we truly believe, and to attempt to expose the fallacies where they lay. Millers unyielding humanism enabled him to demonstrate the ridiculous situations his character placed himself in as a result of his own pride, yet also presents him in a sympathetic light, enabling others to view him this way as well. In only marginally different ways, Ball was able to achieve the same effect. Rather than hating Willy for his inability to accept lifes realities or to wake up and realize the future is not going to wait, the audience instead finds itself rooting for Willy, hoping something will happen for him. Likewise, rather than despising Lester for his seemingly selfish and uncaring behavior regarding his familys welfare, the audience comes to realize that Lester has finally discovered the true value of life and his example has the potential of giving his daughter her own chance at real happiness.

Both of these stories force one to begin thinking about just what our individual conceptions are of the American Dream. For many, the concept of the American Dream is a fuzzy notion closely aligned to that held by Willy Loman. It consists of home ownership in a decent, preferably suburban neighborhood, steady and stable gainful employment, companionate marriage and happy children  all of which are intended to lead to a happy and carefree retirement surrounded by doting family members. However, Willy discovers that his relentless pursuit of these ideals has not given him this sort of success as his constant traveling has alienated him from his children and his lack of position has not enabled them to save anything toward retirement. Similarly, Lester discovers that although he has the dreamed for house, he, too, has been stuck in a dead-end unsatisfactory job that has alienated him from his family and caused him to lose connection with himself. Both characters realize, only moments before their deaths, that the true happiness in life comes from being able to share experiences and happy moments. While security is nice and homeownership is often equated with security, the true security in life is found in knowing that one is loved by someone else. As each character realizes this, they are able to die with a smile on their face that serves only to haunt those left behind as they attempt to discover the meaning of the American Dream for themselves.

Works Cited

Abbotson, Susan C. Student Companion to Arthur Miller. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.

American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Writer Alan Ball. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch & Wes Bentley. DreamWorks, 1999.

Bloom, Harold. Blooms Notes: Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publications, 1996.

Brockett, Oscar G. An Introduction to Death of a Salesman. The Theatre: An Introduction. 2nd Ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969.

Liukkonen, Petri. Arthur Miller. Books and Writers. Finland: Pegasos, 2003.

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: Viking Press, 1949.

O Pioneers, by Willa Cather, is set about a decade to the 19^th century  1880-1900. O Pioneers depicts the lives of the Bergsons  Joe and his wife, their daughter, Alexandra, and their sons, Lou, Oscar, and Emil, as they explore their lives and the vast Nebraskan land over a couple of decade s.

The settlers into Nebraska, for instance, the Bergsons, mainly originated from European countries such as Sweden and Norway. The immigrants were farmers and ranchers whose aim was to obtain food for themselves and their families, as well as to rear animals in the farms for economic purposes.

John Bergsons struggle for survival as he endeavors to raise his family captures the life story of most of the early immigrants. He strives to establish himself economically in a tough and unforgiving environment: In eleven years, John Bergson had made but little impression upon the land he had come to tame (Cather 6).

The early immigrants, as illustrated by the Bergsons case, were in an invariant struggle for survival. Therefore, the immigrant experience was one of struggle and hardship in an effort to tame the wild Nebraskan land for their farming and habitation.

The weather patterns were also a contributing factor in making the immigrants early experiences tough. John Bergson loses his entire flock in one winter as he tries to settle in Nebraska (Cather 6). Even after his death, his children have to contend with famines that make the life for the early immigrants almost unbearable.

Sixteen years after John Bergsons death, &Came the hard times that brought everyone on the divide to the Brink of despair; three years of drought and failure& (Cather 28). Therefore, the early immigrants were in a constant battle for survival against the vagaries of a harsh climate that usually dealt a heavy blow on their best-laid plans and actions.

The experiences of the characters in the novel portray the endeavors of the early immigrants pursuit of the American dream. Primarily, the immigrants left their native countries to seek a better life (Veracini 110).

The instinct to forgo the comforts, which a home country offers by default and then sail across the oceans to a then wild and untamed America, was indicative of the immigrants spirit of adventure and the search for a better life. At the time when O Pioneers is set (1890-1900), many immigrants from Europe were still moving to America in numbers.

The Bergson family is originally from Sweden, and The Divide  the location in Nebraska where the novel is set, has many other Swedes, Norwegians, Russians, and natives from other European countries. At the very core, these immigrants sought a better life for themselves and their families. The very act of moving such vast distances in search of a better life signifies the immigrants pursuit of the American dream.

The experiences of these immigrants, for instance, John Bergson, speak a lot about the hard times they were willing to endure: Bergson had spent his first five years on the Divide getting into debt, and the last six getting out (Cather 34). The early immigrants, in their pursuit of the American dream, gave their all; the harsh climate and the extreme hard work involved in taming the wild lands of Nebraska took a toll on their health and even lives.

Most of the early immigrants died early or were plagued by diseases in their middle ages; for instance, Bergson dies at a comparatively young age of forty-six years, having spent his entire life trying to better it.

Ivar, once a prosperous farmer on the Divide, eventually loses his farm and stock due to the harsh and unpredictable weather conditions, leaving out his last days as a helper at Alexandras home. Therefore, for some characters like John Bergson and Ivar, the American dream is hardly realized in their lifetime; John Bergsons children are the ones who eventually get to live the stable and prosperous lifestyle that their father might have envisioned.

The American dream is also realized by the acts of various characters in the novel. The American dream encompasses acts of benevolence and humanity that make society better and Alexandras actions portray this. From a young age, she shows a desire to make the lives of those around her better. She takes care of her younger brother, Emil, in the beginning of the novel and exhibits a leadership streak at an early age.

When their father dies, she is designated as the head of the family ahead of her brothers, Lou and Oscar. Subsequently, for nearly two decades, she leads the Bergson family towards prosperity. She is friendly and offers food and shelter to some members of the community at the Divide for whom the famine and draught has taken a huge toll.

Alexandra practices modern farming techniques that make her farm prosperous and she shares her fortunes with the less fortunate members of the society. Emil, her younger brother, also displays selfless attitudes by refusing to pursue a romantic interest in Marie Shabata. Actually, Emil moves away from the Divide in order to give Maries marriage the respect that it deserves.

Although Maries husband, Frank, in a fit of jealousy later shoots him, Emil does not fall into the temptation of courting another mans wife even though both he and Marie had a deep affection for each other. Furthermore, Alexandras benevolence appears again when she pardons Frank even after he murders her brother, Emil.

Amongst the many reasons that immigrants had for immigrating to the US in the 1800s, the quest for a new life experience; a new start, was prominent.

By themselves, the immigrants were adventurers, ready for the challenge that new lands and climate offered. For instance, Alexandra describes her own mothers willingness and readiness for challenge aptly. She states that, if her mother were cast upon a desert Island, she (the mother) would thank God for her deliverance, make a garden, and find something to preserve (Cather 58).

Almost as an innate characteristic, most of the immigrants were adventurous and were always ready to take up any challenge that settlement in a new environment brought. Even in the settled lands of America, many of the immigrants were always moving from one locality to another in search of better land for farming, better jobs, and better weather conditions (Post 460).

For instance, Carl Linstrum and his family move from the Divide when his father secures a better job at a cigar factory, and this almost nomadic nature of the early settlers drove them initially to move away from their European countries.

In conclusion, O Pioneers by Willa Cather is a fitting tribute to the adventurous spirit that immigrants to the US have always had. In search of a better life, many immigrants, as shown in the novel, made huge sacrifices in an attempt to live the American dream. One is tempted to believe that, the sense of adventure, sacrifice, and benevolence captured in the novel have run through the generations to this day, bequeathing to the US a characteristic that makes it the great nation that it is today.

Works Cited

Cather, Willa. O Pioneers. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.

Post, Charles. Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Colonial British North America: The Place of the American Revolution in the Origins of US Capitalism. Journal of Agrarian Change 9.4 (2009): 453-483.

Veracini, Lorenzo. The Settler-Colonial Situation. Native Studies Review 19.1 (2010): 101-118.

From the name of the book, it is clear that the cardinal theme of the book is the American dream. This is just but an insight into the many promises that the United States makes to its citizens. It is important, with the changing of times, to be able to comprehend how various issues such as family, history, religion, politics, and work among others are integrated into the American dream (DeParle, 2005).

Jason DeParle, in his book, seeks to address how the American dream is a agglomeration of real-life models of real lives that are made up of several emerges that are in most cases only approached in a philosophical point of view. It is based on Bill Clintons vow to end welfare as the Americans knew it in 1992.

This was a welfare that was very much detested by the general public due to its nature of undercutting most significant American values such as personal responsibility and self governance despite the many efforts they managed to put in (Kloppenberg, 1998).

Jason, then, a reporter with the New York Times, tracking urban poverty, had all reasons to typify the agnosticism surrounding this kind of welfare reform.

He however, goes way beyond partisanship by delving into what is capable of dissipating ignorance and confounding not only liberalists but also critics of welfare as well. The book goes a step further to dig into the equivocal interaction between life in the hood and public policy.

It is clear that just like any other politician, President Bill Clinton was aware of the fact that every individual had this general hatred for welfare. It also occurred to him that most poor people were bouncier as compared to the thinking of most of the liberals. His push for reforming welfare was inspired by one thing: his wish to give the poor the same piss and vinegar possessed by the immigrants (DeParle, 2005).

Relevance

DeParles literary work is centered between Milwaukee and Washington DC. It is about three women who live totally different lives, which however, have a similar trend. Angie abandons welfare and devotes herself to her work. Jewell on the other hand decided to put a stake on a man that was imprisoned while Opal conceals a very sad secret that have detrimental effects to herself and her children.

The book goes further to trace the family lineage six generations back to the times of slavery and threads paupers, politicians, reformers and rogues into a hypnotizing story. Putting humanity into mind, DeParle shows that though American citizens live in a country where everyone is given an equal chance to be successful in life, some may not be in a position to do so from generation to another (Krueger, 1994).

Peter Drucker is yet another renowned author whose book The Essential Drucker captures a contracted descriptor of his works of management over a span of sixty years. During the 1850s, when the concept and process of management was least thought of, or known, there were no enormous organizations and companies that were in need of management and hence there arose no need of managers.

As a result, charge hands were given the duty to be in charge of other employees in terms of disciplinary responsibilities though they themselves were also their fellow workers (Cullen, 2004).

However, after the Second World War, management managed to sprout and has continued growing rapidly to the extent it is now evidenced in all spheres of life. The thoughts and ideas postulated by Drucker were both instrumental in reviewing what has transpired over time and assisting in molding the same. It is worth noting that his ideas have gained general acceptance and recognition.

Drucker also avoids partisanship in his book by presenting varied ideas, some of which are mundane while others tend to be equally fundamental. The book is made up of three different but related sections that cover the functions of organizational management. Such include those of individuals in society of organizations as well as the organizations themselves (Ownby, 1999).

He explores the meaning of management, its proportions and the rationale behind its existence of business organizations and the courses of development of the same. He also reviews the impacts of the growth of non-profit making organizations and the lessons that can be drawn therein.

The essential principles he uses to define management emphasize the fact that it is all about human beings. It empowers individuals to perform jointly and amplifies their strength while at the same time diminishing their weaknesses. This effectiveness requires every individuals indomitable will to achieve the corporate goals that may have to be set.

Culture also plays a major role in management by the mere fact that the people involved all share a common venture. In an example, studying Japan and Indias economy reveals that Japan has a more robust economy (Drucker, 2001). This is attributed to the fact that Japan was in a position to employ management concepts from outside and integrated them into their culture, where they were allowed to grow.

Both books seem to give an overview of the need to put in a little, if not much more in doing common things uncommonly well if any positive improvement is expected in any given public setting.

Public Affairs Implications

According to me, the book American Dream is highly relevant, honest and authentic to the current happenings in the society. In it there is vivid revelation of the way Angela Jobes experiences were a proper representation of the shifts that could in one way or another perplex early doubters including DeParle himself (Cullen, 2004).

A bigger portion of the current debates on the reauthorization of welfare has always streamed from the question of whether to emphasize on the requirements of federal requirements or family matters.

DeParle advocated for Shaw to use his political capital to push for fatherhood as opposed to the federal work requirements, which he thinks can be very easily counterfeited. He gives an account of a certain woman in Wisconsin, who had been ciphered in the system as being in a position to satisfactorily participate in welfare works. This is contrary to the fact that she was pregnant and in a crack house.

It is very clear from the book that one major way of helping people with low incomes could be using the earned income tax credit to support them instead of letting them rely on welfare which had over the years proved ineffective (Kloppenberg, 1998).

Education among the citizens is yet another sure way of solving such a problem. In this case, individuals will be able to understand that it is only education that may be able to ease anyone of the pressure that may haunt one throughout his or her entire lifetime.

In addition, according to Stenholm, proper fine tuning should be administered in the United States immigration policy. Kaus on the other hand said Americans ought to have been given the first crack at jobs. He also explained that legalizing drugs would kill the widely believed notion that black men are solely drug dealers (Ownby, 1999).

Viewing the public affairs implications with the above mentioned postulations would definitely make one understand that it may not be as simplistic as it appears. Rather, much has to be included and collective responsibility is to be implemented from all the stake holders right from the civilian level.

References

Cullen, J. (2004). The American dream: a short history of an idea that shaped a nation. New York: Oxford University Press.

DeParle, J. (2005). American Dream. New York: Penguin Group.

Drucker, P.F. (2001). The Essential Drucker. New York: HarperBusiness.

Kloppenberg, J.T. (1998). The Virtues of Liberalism. New York: Oxford UP.

Krueger, D. (1994). Strategic Management and Management by Objectives. New York: Penguin Group.

Ownby, T. (1999). American Dreams in Mississippi: Consumers, Poverty, and Culture 1830-1998. New York: University of North Carolina Press.

Introduction

Anyone growing up in America, and many who only dream of growing up there, seems to have an idea of a promised American Dream that floats in virtual space like a tasty dessert one only achieves if they have performed well. Although each person has a different idea of exactly what form that dessert make take  a bowl of fruit and cream, a brownie covered in fudge, ice cream and apple pie  there is a shared concept of something enticingly sweet, highly desirable, reasonably attainable and intended just for them. A great deal of energy and attention is given to the concept of the American Dream, but while most people seem to have this concept of a tantalizing dessert drifting just outside of their reach, few have any clue as to just what that dessert might look like for them. Because the concept seems to be universally understood, very few people discuss the idea of the American Dream to any great extent, but without any form of real definition, it remains puzzling just how anyone might be able to determine when or if they have ever reached it. Like the dessert that is sweet, desirable and attainable, the American Dream has some common elements such as a house, leisure time and the natural result of average effort, yet each individual must realize that their idea of home and their concept of leisure might be vastly different from another persons. Without actually defining what comprises the individual dream, it is impossible to discover it just as a lack of definition regarding what comprises an elephant might lead one to chase a rhinoceros instead as it is also a large grey creature with four legs. In his play, Death of a Salesman, playwright Arthur Miller presents the story of Willy Loman and his last ditch efforts to achieve the American Dream he envisions for himself and his family. This paper argues that Millers play illustrates the problem of fuzzy definition, discovers the actual elusiveness of the American Dream as a common treat and that the play itself argues for an adjustment of our concepts of this term in favor of something more personal.

Fuzzy Definition

Throughout Millers play, Willy continues to compare himself to a vague notion he has of the American Dream. The idea of the house being an integral part of the Dream is brought in almost immediately as Willy observes to his wife Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and theres nobody to live in it (4). This statement reveals the emptiness Willy has found in the accomplishment of providing his family with a home of their own as his sons prepare to leave again. As Linda tries to soothe him, he reminds her some people accomplish something (4) indicating that simply owning a home and raising a family isnt enough to give him the sense of satisfaction hed thought hed have at this point in his life. As he drifts in and out of his memories, Willy slowly reveals that while he had a vague notion of the American Dream as including the house and kids, there was also a significant element of something beyond this that equals success. It can be seen that Willys ideas are flawed as he talks with his boys in several memory scenes in which he is seen to be attempting to inflate his own importance and the prestige of his job, they know me boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, therell be open sesame for all of us, cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car on any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own (18). As a result of his boasting, a great deal of what his family knows about Willy is based upon the image he feels he must portray of himself in order to bring himself in line with his fuzzy notion of the American Dream figure. At the same time, Willy reveals his impression of successful people lies in the degree to which he can impress others rather than anything tangible or helpful for society.

Elusiveness of the Dream

Although Willy seems to have a very unclear idea of what comprises the American Dream, his family seems clear in their belief in him as the epitome of the American man. Throughout the play, it can be seen where Willys wife or children have attempted to assure him that his importance to them has little or nothing to do with his ability to impress others or his level of financial success. All they want to do is spend time with him. The boys are seen, in Willys flashbacks, to constantly beg him to take them with him on his sales trips while Linda continuously works to reassure him and support him in everything that he does. Hes the dearest man in the world to me, and I wont have anyone making him feel unwanted and low and blue (38), Linda tells Biff in adulthood. Unfortunately, Willy is incapable of abandoning the fuzzy ideas of his own youth regarding what makes a man great and thus remains trapped in a failed plan that has little or no hope of success. As he is finally brought to the realization that his slipping memory means he cannot work anymore, Willy finds himself grasping for a foundation within his family that cannot now be developed because of the way he has kept his true self hidden behind appearances. He must continue to keep up appearances as a great man in front of his sons even as his wife gently reminds him of the bills that need to be paid. This relationship he shares with his wife only serves to remind him of how much he owes her, telling her youre my foundation and my support (18) even when he just finished belittling her ideas. Willys ideas of the American Dream seem to involve a strong, completely self-contained man who sacrifices all of his own inclinations in favor of providing his family with a decent house, the appropriate educational experiences and the money they will need to live on after he retires or dies, yet he has been unable to attain this status following the prescribed plan of working steadily and faithfully for a single employer. By exposing Willys failure, Miller points out that the American Dream as it is generally understood provides no assurances of success in any way even if it can be clearly defined by a mans actions.

Need for a more personal Dream

Throughout the play, there is little option for Willy to do anything other than what he does within the context of his personality and understanding of the American Dream. His absolute belief in the American ideal in which a father lived by certain principles to provide his family with their basic material needs is inextricably tied to his ideas of his status within the family unit itself. From Willys perspective, the only way to attain familial success is to first obtain business success. With the type of business success discovered by his brother, Ben, who walked into the jungle a poor man and walked out a diamond millionaire at the age of 21, a man could then work to develop binding relationships between himself and the family his money will support. Upon realizing he had not achieved business success, though, Willy can clearly not consider himself to have achieved any degree of familial success. This is emphasized in his continued disparagement of his sons choices in life. His comments on Biff leave little room for doubt regarding Willys disappointment in his older son: Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace! (5) while his rants at Happy seem to be directed more toward his own failures: Youll retire me for life on seventy dollars a week? And your women and your car and your apartment, and youll retire me for life! (27). Willys belief that his family will receive a $20,000 life insurance benefit following his suicide is the only answer he can discover to finally achieve at least the first half of his concept of the American Dream. By clearing this hurdle, it is in only in his final moments of life that Willy is at last able to understand that his family, particularly Biff, really loved him all along simply because he was Willy. Because these are the final moments of his life, though, Willy is never able to directly benefit from this new appreciation of his life just as his death by suicide automatically voids the life insurance policy, thus leaving his family in greater debt than they had been before.

Conclusion

Through the story of Willy Loman, Arthur Miller illustrates that the American Dream everyone chases after is insufficiently defined to foster any real success. Willy thinks he knows what he means by the term  a house, a family, a career and a high level of respect among his peers  a definition that many could agree upon. However, he has an innate sense that this is not really enough; that what he really wants has more to do with loving relationships with others rather than awed respect or subservient dependence. This sense seems to be fueled by an understanding that the material accomplishments are not as fulfilling as hed imagined. Unfortunately for Willy, he has bought into the concept that there is one sure way to attain the Dream, by remaining faithful to a given company for a number of years, accumulating respect and owed favors, until comfortable retirement and one can rest in ease in the love and joy of the family built. Although the American Dream is thought to be relatively easy to attain, Millers play illustrates how elusive it truly is. Finally, in Willys last moments, Miller argues that the individual needs to follow a more personal dream rather than buying into such a general concept as an American Dream. This argument for a personal dream is made all the stronger for Millers depiction of it as both insufficiently defined to provide an accurate measurement for success in Willys struggle for assessment and more elusive than one might think in Willys faithfulness to the plan yet failure in attaining the Dream.

References

Miller, Arthur. (1949). Death of a Salesman. New York: Viking Press.