Category: American Dream

Despite the seeming glamor and wealth, the character of Great Gatsby is deeply and inherently tragic. Striving to bury his deep discontent with his life in an attempt to recreate the past, he refuses to acknowledge that the people around him have changed. Furthermore, his pursuit of the material wealth as the epitome of the American dream makes him lose sight of the truly important issues, such as the ability to reconnect with others and move the relationships forward. As a result, due to his refusal to recognize the superficiality of wealth and his inability to accept change, he ultimately becomes the representation of the failure of the American dream.

Remarkably, the novel admits that, on the surface, pursuing the American dream does lead Gatsby to one of his goals, namely, the one of reaching a valued social status. Superficially, Gatsbys life appears to be quite satisfying: Its a lot easier to be morally upright when youre not pinching and scraping to make a living (Fitzgerald, 1925). However, delving further into the story of his relationships with other swill show that he is deeply dissatisfied and depressed: Rich people only ever get richer, they dont get happier (Fitzgerald, 1925). The plethora of wealth that he possesses and that represents him achieving the American dream do not make Gatsby happy. Thus, the novel makes it evident that the American dream in its superfluous nature failed those who sought to attain it.

Since Gatsby seeks to maximize his wealth and relish in the memories of the past, fearing to connect with people and accept inevitable change in their relationships, Great Gatsby becomes the representation of the failed American dream. Gatsby embodies the core elements that make the infamous American dream dysfunctional. As a result, Gatsby is portrayed as a tragic and somber character that chose the path leading to his ultimate demise.

Reference

Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. 

Introduction

Allen Ginsbergs 1956 poem America recounts the tumultuous Time following WWII when the countrys prospects were bleak. By opening the veil of national passivity, the poem expresses those times of political insecurity and asks for positive change. This poem appears many major subjects, including earlier conflicts, nuclear weapons, and Asian foreign policy. Other prominent topics are racial turmoil in the United States and the anti-communist struggle. America is an overview of Ginsbergs political ideas as well as an appraisal of the countrys current position at the Time.

Americas Theme

America is theory-based political poetry that shows hostility toward democracy and has strong feelings about some aspects of society. The authors rebellious attitude and his Russian lineage contribute to his vision of a socialist society modeled on Russias communism in the United States. The authors inquiries into America as a whole show his firm hold on his convictions, presenting him as an extreme in that sense. At the Time, the world was entangled in the old war, which helped reveal the true natures of the countries involved. The speaker addresses America directly at the start of the poem (Ginsberg). Things are gloomy and depressing, and the speaker is disappointed. He is broke both financially and psychologically, and he is tired of the countrys conflicts.

The speaker believes that America is at the point of collapse, and he is eager to learn when the country will recover its prosperity. He also considers the elderly communists and labor activists who are still fighting for their goals. The speaker makes it clear to the reader that he is aware of his actions. He is now bereft of reason and spends his Time attempting to go against the grain. When his attempts at hooking up fail, he stares at the flowers inside the closet, smokes marijuana, and becomes drunk. This grueling habit represents restlessness and inactivitys despair.

The speaker then makes a sarcastic appeal for lyrical uniqueness, followed by an emotional plea to release the unions imprisoned militants. The appeal is also directed to other oppressed people. He had attended many fantastic communist gatherings as a child, but that age is long gone. In this poem, the uneducated and paranoid individuals who blame Russia for every catastrophe are also mocked. To summarize, the poet believes that this state of futility cannot persist forever. Someone who wants things to change must take action. The poems conclusion expresses an optimistic speakers willingness to help solve all of these difficulties on his initiative.

Ginsberg establishes the poems tone by addressing America with a disgruntled attitude, discussing the periods culture and how military the country was, and pointing to topics such as nuclear testing. Ginsberg was a man who believed in peace; after all, he created the phrase flower power, so whatever war position he takes will be unfavorable. As the poem progresses, it gets increasingly political, addressing the cold war and the battle against communism. By comparing the pronouns he and her, Ginsberg personifies both America and Russia. Ginsberg grew up as a communist; therefore, this section of the poem is a little more personal to him. He does not disguise the fact that he sympathizes with communists. Though the Russian menace has passed, America still has another antagonist to contend with. Furthermore, it will remain that way in the future (Shoopman).

During Ginsbergs discussion about Time Magazine, the flip to first-person happens. His tone likewise shifts in this segment, from earnest to mocking. The boundary between the first and second person grows progressively unclear at this point in the poem until he exclaims, I am America at the end. Another possibility is that the first-person transition takes place before rather than after his description of Time. Perhaps he is not the only one who is enamored with Time Magazine and reads it every week. In these lines, the I might refer to America rather than the author (Kramer). This poem appealed to me since it was one of the few poems I came across that did not laud America in any manner.

Allen Ginsbergs America was written at a difficult period, shortly after World War II and at the start of the Cold War; this was when taking a position for personal views was fraught with controversy, and Ginsberg did precisely that. Although many people see America as the finest country and the most accommodating of various races, Allen Ginsberg demonstrates that Americans are not as accepting and wonderful as many people believe (Lauter). Like any other country, America has faults and weaknesses that cause many people to feel unhappy or upset with their country.

Ginsbergs admission to his experience with communist doctrines, such as Marxs, supports his frank admissions and declares that, unlike many other Americans, he will not pray about it or seek forgiveness. He is self-assured and unapologetic; like the country, he has flaws, but he is not embarrassed by them or attempting to disguise them. He feels that many Americans are in denial about national and personal problems. The speaker attempts to address and chastise America several times before realizing he is addressing himself. He is both American and America.

The speakers perspective on America swings from speaking to it, being a part of it, to mocking it for its political and military relations. He mentions Time Magazine (pp. 41-50) and the toll it takes on Americans before realizing it affects him as well. The magazines content substantially impacts the countrys emotions, which he criticizes, but he confesses that he is hooked by it as well, reading it every week (line 44). The poem identifies America and the speaker as two distinct entities and a unified one from this point forward.

The bravery of a speech like this in 1955 has no parallel in modern American culture. Ginsberg was effectively declaring himself as a criminal, a felon, and a traitor. You should have seen me reading Marx; my therapist believes I am completely correct, He says, further antagonizing the situation. Ginsbergs sardonic character shows through here, as he is declared sane by a doctor, most likely certified by a government department of medicine, at a time when Senator McCarthy would have thought that Communists were dangerous and mentally unstable.

Conclusion

Ginsberg shifts from addressing America to addressing himself in the second verse; this is a significant step since it is here that he realizes there are two Americas. It comes to me that I am America, and I am speaking to myself once more. It is also significant to note the mention of marijuana in this section (Kramer). Ginsberg was an active marijuana user and was at the vanguard of the psychedelic movement in the late 1960s, but it is clear that he had been using the drug daily for over a decade before. This insight comes from Time Magazine, which he is infatuated with and reads regularly. It is continually lecturing me on responsibility. For Shoopman, people in business are profound, as are movie producers.

Works Cited

Ginsberg, Allen. America by Allen Ginsberg. Poetry Foundation, Web.

Kramer, Jane Books: Odd Man in; Allen Ginsberg in America. TIME.com, Times Magazine, Web.

Lauter, Paul. A Companion to American Literature and Culture. John Wiley & Sons, 2020.

Shoopman, James G. Patterns of American Popular Heroism: From Roman and Biblical Roots to Modern Media. McFarland, 2020.

Living in poverty, where money is a ghost of the past, existing but never seen; immigrants live a life full of fear and uncertainty. The danger is at every corner, and life as they know it could end at any time. Food is a luxury that many can only taste in their dreams. They hope for a better tomorrow and want nothing more than to be able to survive another day. There is only one way to escape from the pains of survival: migration. America is seen as the strongest country with a chance of prosperity and hope. Although the journey is long, and many fail to make it, those who have nothing left to lose travel to America in hopes of prosperity. They envision America as a country that will push them forward and allow them to excel economically and personally. Unfortunately, America isn’t as welcoming as expected, even though they are phrased to be “the land of the free” and the “home of opportunities”. Immigrants crossing the Mexico-U.S. border come to the United States seeking opportunities for a better life but instead are met with oppression by the harsh reality of a hateful society that stands in the way of the “American Dream”.

As a society that depends on mass media, people tend to rely on social media and news outlets, that have been tainted with corruption and infiltrated with falsity, to shape their beliefs and values, which does lead to the negative stigma surrounding immigrants. Immigrants come into this country in hopes of a better future and a more prosperous atmosphere but end up with even less of a sense of identity when they are met with an unforgiving society. In the past, and recently, there have been many influencers who voice their opinions on immigrants and immigration, but only have negative thoughts about these issues. Social media and media outlets are very influential in a technology-based era. Cecilia Menjívar, a professor of Sociology at KU stated ‘We find that media have a central place in shaping the public’s views of immigrants and immigration”(Menjívar). Many people who go online will vent their frustrations, so it’s more than likely that Americans who oppose the idea of immigration will express those negative opinions for all their followers to see: which in turn creates a cycle that doesn’t end. Because those thoughts and opinions are expressed on the internet, it is easy for immigrants to acknowledge that they are unwanted in a prejudiced country that could care less about their origin story. These opinions and thoughts are “powerful reminders to immigrants that they do not belong and that they are unwanted” or that if they do seem wanted it’s only due to “the labor they contribute” to society (Menjívar). These negative beliefs imposed upon immigrants create a sense of identity loss. Immigrants come to this country with the purpose to discover who they are, finding a job to be able to provide for their families, and seeking a better life, but are stripped away of the opportunity to prove their self-worth and prove that they are hard, loyal workers. They want nothing more than to “distance themselves from images of immigrants as criminals”, which were imposed upon them indirectly(Menjívar). Instead of coming to this country to work for a living, they come in working to clear their identities up from an institution that has tainted their image with hypocrisy.

In a post 9/11 era, the government has begun to have more impact on social issues through their politics and policy by scrutinizing immigrants for every wrong move they make which impacts social matters and creates a more controversial atmosphere. Although the controversy over the social issue of immigration is at an all-time high in current news, the issues over immigration have long persisted in our society. Around the 1990s, “The association between crime and immigration strengthened during the Clinton administration”(Perez). They created policies like The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act which targeted immigrants based on their non-existent citizenship status and the portrayal that they were dangerous people. Later on, the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, “only accelerated the criminalization of immigration” because now all immigrants, no matter what origin they were from, were portrayed as terrorists and people who did not belong on U.S soil (Perez). President Barack Obama enforced policies of deporting immigrants who did not belong and were found to be on the deportation waitlist. The current president, Donald Trump, also based his campaign on a simple slogan that increased the distaste of immigrants: “build the wall”. He made other promises throughout the campaign such as: sending all immigrants back to their homeland and “making America great again”. One of the policies he began once he became president was his “plans to detain over 2000 immigrant families and children of July 2019”, which caused turmoil and immense amounts of fear throughout all immigrant communities. Some speculate that U.S policy on immigration has become more criminalized due to the negative portrayal that surrounds the issue in the United States. Because opinions are so openly expressed, many people seem to hold a firm point of view whether it be supporting immigrants or disliking them, which seems to influence politicians and their policies. Donald Trump is also infamously recognized for his choice of words in the primary. His comments included accusing Mexico of ‘not sending their best to the United States, and he also mentioned immigrants ‘bringing drugs,’ ‘bringing crime,’ and that ‘they’re rapists”(Menjivar). Expectedly, because he has a large follower base, the characterization minimizing the identity of immigrants and demoralizing their intentions fueled a fire and created a more hostile environment for immigrants in the U.S. Since then, there have been many controversies that display immigrants in a bad image and the disdain of immigrants continues to persist.

Immigrants come to America for a chance at prosperity but are met with oppression from the American people and are targeted as criminals. Besides being labeled as “rapists” and accused of “bringing drugs” into the United States by the current president, immigrants’ work ethic seems to go unnoticed and they are shamed for stealing jobs from the American people. Mead (2009) agrees with the idea that Latinos come maliciously to take American jobs and enjoy the benefits of the country without paying taxes. In reality, immigrants are said to have bolstered Social Security because they actually do benefit the economy as explained by Porter (2005) Illegal immigrants pay various taxes and their contributions to Social Security were much greater—the money amounted to ten percent of the surpluses from 2004, and it has been growing ever since with the higher number of illegal immigrants in past years. But even due to this, some Americans believe illegal immigrants should be denied all social service benefits because they do not pay federal taxes and are a drain on government services and the economy as stated by Marietta (2006). Besides not being wanted economically, immigrants are forced to adapt to a culture that is foreign to them. Recently, there have been many videos surfacing on social media of American people yelling and downgrading immigrants for not speaking English. They are told that they should speak English because they are in America, a country that claims to be a “melting pot” of diversity but forces American culture among immigrants. Hill and Torres (2010) claimed that hopes of a better life, greater opportunities, employment, and education drive Latinos to migrate to the United States, but more often than not, they become the targets of a conforming society that reject foreigners and express hatred for the life they desire. Through their journey to America and then living in America, immigrants experience a true abandonment, as they are victims of the system and are truly abandoned since there is no hope for “law and destiny” in their lives whatsoever (Agamben, Homo 60)

When immigrants travel to the United States they are told of an “American Dream”, a dream that entitles them to money, security, and freedom, but is a false reality of what they will truly face when arriving. The harsh reality that immigrants are met with is that America is not for all to come and thrive. Already being a foreigner, a target is created upon their backs and they are rejected into society. Society treats them as people who do not deserve a chance at salvation. Salvation from the maltreatment and danger of society. Immigrants enter a system that wants them eradicated and wants them sent back to poverty and danger. They must fight harder, work harder, and struggle harder to even get into the working class. All in all, immigrants are not granted the tranquility and success they deserve, especially when the American Dream is granted to only the top 1%.

Anyone who is coming or living in the United States has a dream, a vision of prosperity, better known as the American dream. With full of opportunities and work. Encouraged to better themselves to pursue their dream. Through hard work, perseverance, and will. The ability to achieve their dreams, regardless of circumstances of birth, or color. Everyone has financial success. Being able to get a great education. A perfect life is full of happiness, love, and money. Everyone has a different definition of the American dream. That’s okay that is what makes us different and unique as individuals. My American Dream would be having a stable job in what you are passionate about, with lots of money, having time with my family, and happiness. To also have the freedom to express oneself.

Unfortunately, our society is not perfect and made many mistakes in the past. However, I still think that the American Dream is still alive. Having the opportunity to chase your dream, and your goals is what makes our country great. People need to work hard to achieve greatness. Wanting to be equal is the dream that many immigrants share. They come to America in hope of achieving this dream. Obama says in his Inaugural Speech that, “…: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” Here in America, almost everyone is equal. This causes many people to want to come to live here and start their own American dream. In many of their homelands, they are not treated equally so they leave in search of their American dream.

My mom lived in a little town called Tlacochauaya. She has four brothers and eight sisters. She grew up in poverty. As a young girl, she took the role of working in the field. She would wake every morning at five to cut alfalfa to feed their bulls cows, pigs, and chickens. A donkey would pull her wagon to carry the alfalfa and would ride it to the fields. My mom would often look at the sky and ask herself “ is there more to life than this.” She lived humbly and barely had any clothing to shield her. Would often get bullied for the way she dresses and smelled. Embarrassed to attend school. She was bright, smart, trustworthy, responsible, and hardworking. All the tools to become successful. Her father didn’t believe a would woman should get their education because of. That didn’t stop her. She vision herself as having a better life than just working in the field. Believing that her hard work and courage would help her to get out of poverty. My mother was nineteen when she crossed the border. In hopes of finding a better life. So she can live the American dream. To have an equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work. She was determined to reach her goals when reaching US soil. Her first job was at Tacobell. She was employed as a cleaner and as well to prepped food. She would need to learn to speak a new language if she wanted to have better.

We Can’t Run Faster

Is the American Dream Dead? Or has it just changed since its introduction in the 1800s? – I hate my subheading, cannot decide what to do about it.

-Chelsea McLeary

‘Sadly, the American Dream is dead’ ~Donald Trump

The ideology of the American Dream has been alluded to in various forms throughout American history. A plethora of perceptions of its exact meaning exists, however, they all attempt to provide our America with motivation for a better, brighter, and more successful tomorrow. So, it is undoubtedly a grave concern when even our own president loses faith in the belief that has carried our country since its foundation. This supposed dream has been flipped and reversed between each decade as our society and economy grow, change, and are torn apart, therefore it is unclear at what point its demise occurred. But as this national ethos is investigated to identify its true death, it becomes increasingly more difficult to believe that it was alive in the first place.

The term ‘American Dream was first ‘invented’ in 1931 by famous author James Truslow Adams. He defined it as:

“a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

However, the reality of this dream differed significantly from his opinions.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, as we all know, is the author of the beloved American classic The Great Gatsby. His views on the American Dream at the close of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ clashed greatly with those described in Adam’s definition. Fitzgerald used his novel as a tool of education and a display of his criticisms of the Dream. He described wealth, greed, and materialistic values as being favored over hard work and shows hierarchical segregation as still present despite Adam’s definition. The characters are a vessel to prove the corruption apparent in upper society. Jay Gatsby is merely an illusion of success. His twisted morals and the way he gained his wealth are not the fulfilling American Dream described by Adams and even cheating through life, his goals were still unattainable. His dream crumbled due to this corruption. This is how Fitzgerald perceived the American Dream.

This theme of corruption within the American Dream is extended by other sources such as the 2007 documentary “Park Avenue: Money, Power and The American Dream”. Director, Alex Gibney, discusses how the rich use their vast wealth to continue to control the system and hence have ‘rigged the game in their favor. The film uses the popular board game Monopoly as a metaphor for the current ‘rig’ in the American economy. Although monopoly could prove the American Dream philosophy because of the equal chance for each player to win, Gibney’s version had two players with one receiving twice the money and properties as the other. As expected, the ‘rich’ players become increasingly greedy as the game continues, without regard for the less fortunate player. This metaphor of corruption is a realistic portrayal of today’s America as ‘all the properties have been bought up and ‘all the zx has been distributed. Add In Tim Noah (Impossible To Be Removed From Poverty) Maybe A Graph? Therefore, corruption is the main theme in both texts, proving how the original American Dream is not possible as there is not an equal chance for each person to rise to success and achieve wealth, or even be removed from poverty.

Symbolism plays a significant role in The Great Gatsby. Colors, locations, and objects allow the reader to interpret the novel in varying ways and create opinions on its intended meaning. The Valley of Ashes was a key symbol in the novel and directly relates to the corruption of the American Dream in the 1920s. It shows the consequences of rich indulgence and contrasts the vibrant emptiness of the given wealth in East Egg with the bleak, bustling poor. Although these people work hard, they don’t receive recognition let alone success as the American Dream suggests. Characters such as George Wilson display this lack of hope and depressing mentality. Within this symbolism, the ash also represents its own idea. Grey signifies depression. Emotionless. Dull. Because the valley is described as having a ‘thick coating grey dust’, this also shows the substantial contrast between the glamorous East Egg.

Similarly, the documentary utilizes symbolism and devices to isolate Park Avenue from the Bronx. Sound, such as police sirens which relate to illegal behavior is used when showing the Bronx to position the audience to gain a negative view of this area. Although when showing images of Park Avenue, classical music is played to trigger the audience to associate it with richer more advanced people There are many examples of these symbolisms within the documentary such as taxis vs limousines, bird-eye view vs worms- eye view, etc. This ultimately shows the dissociation of classes which is not mentioned in the American Dream but is a harsh reality in today’s America.

[image: ]Even before Adam’s idea of the American Dream, the spirit was still apparent in American history. Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about the American Dream in his 1831 novel Democracy in America, referring to it as ‘The charm of anticipated success”. This proves the American dream was alive and prospered as America was becoming a nation. However, Fitzgerald showed how this idea crumbled after the war as greed prevailed against morals. Park Avenue: money, wealth, and the American Dream gives insight into the failing American dream and how our current economy doesn’t allow the original American dream to exist, as it is virtually impossible to increase your status from poverty and the current rich will forever continue to hold the power. However, there is still a large debate on the existence of a version of the American Dream. Many believe that the American Dream has simply changed since its original definition. In the 1950s-1960s, the Dream was believed to be owning a house with a white-picket fence, two kids, and a dog- the 1950 suburbia dream. However, in 2019, the dream is less about materialistic values and adding comfort and reducing worries.

Therefore, the American dream is dead. The idea that anyone can rise to achieve great success and wealth is impossible in our current economy. Although it may have been alive in the past, if The Great Gatsby tells us anything, the past cannot be relived and so we beat on, boats against the current. Despite this depressing fact, America continues to alter its Dream depending on our current state and proves the adaptability of our mindset to evolve as the times prove harder.

America provides opportunities for people who work hard, undocumented people who work hard are given more opportunities and access to the American dream. The American Dream is possible for some people in certain classes, however, everything isn’t given to most people to have access to American Dream, and aren’t given certain opportunities.

The American dream essay shows hard-working people that are only given opportunities, but everything about the American dream isn’t true. Roosevelt states “ the richness of the promise has not run out. If we keep the faith for our day as those who care about before we kept the faith for theirs… (Roosevelt 9)”. Everything Roosevelt states, is to keep hope for America, and then you will get the American Dream, but everything that he’s saying is not true, because after trying and trying again, people start to lose hope. Roosevelt grew up with a wealthy family, and achieved everything he wanted, he chose to use that gift and became a well-known person in America, it just took time for him to achieve his American dream. America has changed through time before immigrants who came to the U.S. were given some opportunity, and now they can’t because America is different now, the world is treating people unfairly. In Let America be great again, speaker 2, “there’s more never been equality for more nor freedom in this, homeland of the knee (Hughes 38). In Langston Hughes’s article, there are a pair of speakers, 1st speaker is giving hope that the American Dream is possible, but the 2nd speaker states is describing certain people who didn’t end with fortune and wealth. People who work for the country and give pride in their American flag might end with nothing because America doesn’t give equal rights to some people/immigrants, and aren’t given second chances. Certain people who come to the U.S., are given luck and aren’t given a chance to achieve their dream.

People that work hard and give everything, are sometimes tossed/drown around. These people are examples that they weren’t given the opportunity because of the situation they were given at their job. Understanding these peoples’ stories of their American dream; how problems were made, which didn’t end with hope/happiness. In, “Is the American Dream still possible?”, , “The traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hard-working citizens can better their lives… But many average Americans are struggling (David 90).” David is using data, asking about people’s situations/perspectives on their American dream, and putting the results together. For some people, David’s story, some achieved their American dream and some didn’t. The American Dream dumped some people that worked very hard and weren’t given another chance. In the Great Gatsby, Nick says “some beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past… (gatsby 180).” The Great Gatsby gives a perspective of Gatsby’s American Dream. People spend their life to love someone and trying to accomplish this “dream” when something came unexpected for them and died. He spent his whole life giving everything to his past love life, which he needed to move forward and pick another part of his life. People shouldn’t spend their whole lives focusing on one dream but should focus on many. If we are only focusing on one, we might not end up having that American dream but should have a different choice.

Life is treated unfairly to some people, you figure your whole life out. Immigrants aren’t given some opportunities because they weren’t born in America, and aren’t given opportunities. In the story “Let America be America again” the speaker says, “I’m the man who saved those early seas in search of a home”. Speaker 2 is stating that this person gave loyalty to his country, but in return, he didn’t achieve his American Dream, the society didn’t give him a chance. People were shot/dropped down, and when accomplishing their mission of trying to make America a good place, they get nothing in return. However, in the story “Growing up Asian in America”, Kesaya says, “ Our parents are painted as ashamed workers who were socially uncomfortable… (10). The girl’s parents were immigrants and they didn’t know what to do when they to America. Her parents came to America for an opportunity, so started to work to live a good life, from all their hard-working, it got them home. All people do is work hard to accomplish some goals. Immigrants need to work for what they want.

The American Dream is where people need to take action in able to achieve their dream. The American dream is about people in certain social classes, being allowed to achieve their dream. Being a diligent person may give themselves a chance to achieve their American Dream. But the American Dream has become unsafe for the money. Money can buy you everything but it won’t give you happiness.

The American Dream is the belief that anybody, no matter where you’re from, how you look, or the class you were born into can accomplish their own sort of success in a society where status-seeking is possible for everyone. Oprah Winfrey can be seen as a living example of the American Dream. She has overcome many obstacles, received awards, and has done a lot of community service.

First, Oprah overcame many obstacles throughout her life. Growing up in poverty, she had spent five to six years of her life living on her strict grandmother’s farm. She was beaten daily and had recalled a time when her grandmother punished her for putting her fingers in a bucket of water she had retrieved from the well. When her grandmother passed away and she had to move back in with her mother. Oprah was sexually abused by her nineteen-year-old cousin at age nine, which later resulted in her becoming pregnant. The baby died two weeks after it was born and she began to get herself into trouble by stealing. After being neglected and abandoned, Oprah’s claimed her father, “turned her life around.”

Second, Oprah always comes to mind when it comes to benevolence and giving back to others. She has donated millions of dollars to charities and organizations. Not only does Oprah donate to charities and organizations, but she also has her own philanthropic enterprise that she runs and financially contributes to. She founded the Oprah Winfrey Foundation in 2007, to give money towards the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. She pays all the girls’ living expenses. Oprah spends at least a week on campus during visits and makes a point to have a fireside chat with each girl. Oprah teamed up with Kraft Heinz Company and in 2017 they debuted their new O, That’s Good! line which consists of four soups and four sides, designed to fight against hunger.

Third, Oprah Winfrey has acquired many accomplishments and received multiple awards throughout her life. She has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama and has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century. She pushed for change in the government, resulting in the National Child Protection Act. This act was purposed to establish a nationwide database of convictions on child abuse, sex offense charges, violent crimes, arson, and felony drug charges. She has also received many Emmy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and even nominated for an Academy Award nomination. Oprah was inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame and also received an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard University.

Although she had an unstable home life growing up, that didn’t stop Oprah from striving to make a change in this world and set an example to others. Oprah truly sets as an example for young women all over the world. She has endured many hardships to get to where she is today. Even though Oprah had to go through hard times, she wouldn’t be where she is today or as strong as she is because of those times.

Works Cited:

1.Estreet. “Overcoming Obstacles: What Oprah Winfrey Learned From Her Childhood of Abuse.” Learning Liftoff, 16 Feb. 2018, www.learningliftoff.com/overcoming-obstacles-what-oprah-winfrey-learned-from-her-abusive-childhood/.

2.“Oprah Winfrey’s Greatest Accomplishments.” Longevity, vocal.media/longevity/oprah-winfreys-greatest-accomplishments.

3.Woods, Laura. “Here Are All the Ways Oprah Winfrey Gives Back.” GOBankingRates, Toggle Navigation Back, 9 Sept. 2019, www.gobankingrates.com/net-worth/business-people/how-oprah-winfrey-gives-back/#5.

“The American Dream never really existed. It was a marketing scam.” as once said by James Altucher. The American Dream is a dream of success and ownership which is hard to achieve, especially for the lower-class, the minimum wage, the people who work with honesty. Many times the American Dream causes for people to fall into the trap of greed and carry out immoral actions. Sometimes it is too late for them to realise what their actions have done and who they have affected. This was seen in both the book Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue and the movie 99 Homes, this was portrayed in the character, imagery and conflict that took place. The American Dream, as presented in the novel and the film shows that a meaningful life is not about acquiring things but rather is about knowing oneself better.

Firstly, the two characters that proved that the American Dream was not about acquiring materialistic things but was about one conscience and true happiness were Jende Jonga from Behold the Dreamers and Dennis Nash from 99 Homes. The book ended with Jende and his family moving back to Limbe, Cameroon the very country that they tried to run from. This was Jende’s decision, he believed that his four years of living in the United States of America had gone in vain, that although he could work as hard as possible he still wouldn’t end up having enough money or items to make him as happy as he would be back in Limbe with his family. In chapter 49 Jende states that “Everyone is losing jobs everywhere and looking for new jobs, anything to pay bills. So you tell me – if he, an American, a white man with papers, cannot get a new chauffeur job then what about me? They say the country will get better, but you know what? I don’t know if I can stay here until that happens. I don’t know if I can continue suffering like this just because I want to live in America.” He talks about how at the moment America has nothing to offer for him, that he has no point to suffer if it has nothing to offer him. That he could continue to suffer and attempt to achieve the “American Dream” but at the end, all it is, is suffering. That he could live in the biggest house and have all the money in the world but living in Limbe with his family is what would make him truly happy rather than follow in others footsteps just to live in America. Secondly this is prevalent in the movie 99 Homes, Dennis Nash had worked for Rick Carver, the man who kicked him out of his house, Dennis had made enough money to buy back his house but he believed that he wanted to go the extra step and sell that home to buy a bigger, better, newer house but in reality this isn’t what him or his family wanted. When he bought the house and showed it to his mother, she had said, “LYNN, I’m gonna call Jimmy. We’re moving to Tampa. Come on Connor.” this caused for Dennis to “Dennis turns on the swimming pool light while drinking a beer. He’s drunk. Turns on all the lights in the backyard.” This proves that although he had all the materialistic things that he could have ever asked for none of it was worth it without his family that, that was the truest form of happiness. Both Jende and Dennis tried to find happiness in different places but it was not where they were meant to be, that they could not just leave behind their lives in order to acquire better and bigger things.

Secondly, both the movie and book showed imagery, specifically related to conspicuous consumption over and over again. In the book they constantly talked about clothes and purses, specifically brand names such as Prada and Burberry. For example, Cindy Edwards the wife of Clark Edwards who worked for Lehman Brothers, could afford tons of designer items along with the fact that she was not affected by giving these items away for free to Neni Jonga-the wife of Jende Jonga-who acted as her child’s nanny and her maid. Although she could afford whatever she wanted, these items weren’t enough to keep her happy. Her slowly deteriorating marriage, her upsetting relationship with her son and her traumatized past were what caused her to overdose on vicodin and wine one unfortunate night and die due to asphyxiation. “Cindy Eliza Edwards died on a cold afternoon on March 2009, alone in her marital bed… Her husband was in London… Her firstborn son was in INdia… Her younger son was at the dalton school… Her father, whose identity neither she nor her mother even knew had been dead for two deades. Her mother who she believed loved her too little, had been gone for four years, Her half sister completely out of her life” Chapter 45. She had problems that she tried to cover with drugs and alcohol, that if she had tried to know herself better she would not have died. In the movie Rick Carver had proved that although he had a lot of items, none of them changed him in any way. Even though he was rich and was able to achieve the “American Dream”, this is because he had started off as a Realtor and then he began representing banks he was still unhappy, rude and thick skinned. Rick Carver was rude as can be seen as he constantly used profanity and continued to partake in illegal activity, he made, or convinced Dennis to do illegal things in his thirst for greed. Along with that even though he had a huge house and a great car, he tried to find happiness in other places such as prostitutes rather than his own family which is where he had messed up. If he paid more attention to his family rather than ruining other people’s lives he would be much more of a happier person and a liked character rather than one that people feared. He could have continued to work as a realtor but greed had consumed him. “You used to dream about 1 home, now its 100” Although Rick Carvers ending is unknown, both him and Cindy shared some similar qualities when it came to material possessions.

Finally, the setting in both media works are fairly similar, although they take place in different States they still take place in America during the same time period. Behold the Dreamers takes place in Manhattan, New York while 99 Homes takes place in Florida. Both take place during the recession where people, such as Dennis and Jende are the ones who suffer the most. In New York, “They are sleeping on the street, going to bed hungry, losing their jobs and houses every day in this…this economic crisis.” while in Florida, people were also losing their jobs and houses. For example, Dennis had lost his job along with his house “CREW LEADER It means we’ve been working for free. All this from roof to cement is for nothing. Hey, no more dinero! Stop! Let’s go home.” while in New York Jende had also lost his job “He then runs his fingers through his hair, exhales, and rubs his eyes before saying that he has to let Jende go.” This proves that no matter where you are living in the States during the recession, people are losing their jobs and houses non stop. That no one is safe, no matter where you live unless you have enough money, or are rich. Both families go through the same thing and they both believe that happiness is only existent when you’re making money but that does not seem to be the case as they find joy and belonging with their families.

Overall it may be said that The American Dream, as presented in the novel and the film, shows that a meaningful life is not about acquiring things but rather is about knowing oneself better. This was seen in the characters, imagery and setting throughout both the book, Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue and the movie 99 Homes. Both families were willing to give up everything just to achieve the American Dream even if it meant that they would lose their true happiness, their family.

Many people come to the United States thinking they will be their best self’s but face the ugly reality of the American dream. In this case, many people are afraid of coming to the united states, because many stories are told in which people work day and night to survive in the united states even though the American dream is seen in such a good light. The opposite of what the American dream specifies; prosperity for all and the ability to achieve one’s goals and aspirations. The book by T.C Boyle, The Tortilla Curtain underscores the idea that the American dream is unattainable for immigrants that come to the United States because of the Americans that oppress them.

The car accident at the beginning of the story alludes to how United States citizens feel about illegal immigrants. This is the only time in which Delaney, who has achieved the American dream, and Candido, who wants the American dream, will encounter each other. This marks the beginning in which the reader will be able to see their distinctive lives. Boyle exemplifies this with “for a long moment they stood there, examining each other unwitting perpetrator and unwitting victim”. This could underscore the idea that united states citizens are accountable for how the poor live and how they are treated. Also, how Delayne reacts to the accident is crucial to this idea because his first concern was if his car was damaged and not how well the person, he had just run over was. Delayne describes Candido as “ an insect pinned to a mounting board”. This shows how people in Arroyo Blanco look at immigrants as if they were animals and could be further extended to the views of United States citizens on immigrants in the United States. The people living in Arroyo Blanco describing illegal immigrants in such a bad way dehumanizes them and contributes to the discrimination they often face when crossing the border.

The walls seen throughout the novel imply the way in which illegal immigrants are kept out. The wall built around Arroyo Blanco resembles the Mexico-U.S border in which there are many illegal immigrants who come across the wall. “Jack wants to put a wall around the whole place, all of Arroyo Blanco. Seven feet tall”. This could resemble the idea of building a wall in the Mexico-U.S border to keep out illegal immigrants. The idea of a wall being built around Arroyo Blanco suggests today’s idea of President Trump building a wall around the United States to keep out illegal immigrants because they are dangerous. The canyon wall in the novel is also important because it keeps Candido and his wife America away from safety and prosperity even though that’s the reason they came to the United States. This implies the oppression the border gives to those who come across the border illegally This resembles how united states citizens often do things to keep immigrants from moving forward. There is also a figurative wall between Delaney, the American, and Candido, the illegal immigrant, in which each chapter goes from person to person, and when they do interact its usually bad. This comes to show the hatred that Americans give to illegals when they encounter them. The events dealing with walls underscore the idea that Americans often oppress immigrants to a section of the community and often try to keep them out of the United States. The concepts of walls in the novel refers to the idea of Americans and illegals being separated into their own sections.

The coyotes seen throughout the novel represent illegal immigrants in the United States. When the coyote first appears in the novel, the readers see that “a coyote had somehow managed to get into the enclosure and seize one of the dogs… up and over the fence”. This could resemble how many Americans often believe that when illegal immigrants come through the border that they are taking their jobs and opportunities. In fact, “one coyote, who makes his living on the fringes of my community has learned to simply hew his way through the plastic irrigation pipes whenever he wants a drink”. This event resembles the similarities between coyotes and illegal immigrants. Like the coyote, many incoming immigrants don’t have anything when they arrive in the United States so they scour the bottoms for hopes of finding new and better opportunities. Moreover, a coyote in Spanish means someone who brings people over or through the border illegally. Delaney also says that he wants to call the county animal control department to trap coyotes. This also resembles people calling la migra or immigration officers to catch or trap illegals living in the United States. This is another layer of how Boyle underscores the idea that there are many ways in which Americans try to keep illegal immigrants out and under control without them being able to do many prosperous things.

U.S citizens provide a sense of authority over immigrants not allowing them to move up economically, and hence them never reaching their American dream. They oppress them into a small section and don’t allow them to grow to where it could benefit the United States economy. Most immigrants come to the U.S with the idea of the American dream in their head, but the American dream as some say is a nightmare creation. In such case where people aren’t afraid of their enemies as much of those friends who hug them exemplifies the ideas that immigrants come to the united states thinking that their lives will be full of opportunities but in reality, they work from paycheck to paycheck, living one day at a time, without the opportunity to move up.

For years, the United States has been dubbed the land of the free and the home of the brave. The belief that the U.S. can give a person the chance to have a better life is recognized around the world. This belief, however, can be changed depending on the region and the person, eliciting their own version of the American Dream, where many believe you can come to be nothing but the best.

In order to prove that the vision of the American Dream differs from person to person, I conducted an interview with an immigrant from Mexico. Her name is Veronica, she is forty-five years old, and she has been living in the U.S. for over eighteen years. She migrated from Mexico along with her brother and sister, first coming to California and later moving to Chicago. The move from her home to Chicago was frightening to her, she said that entering the States was no easy task and the rumors about coming here did nothing to help her.

Many of the rumors were centered around being sent back home. She says: “At first, they scared you by saying you couldn’t go outside because the immigration officers would get you. But they also said you could get many dollars, and in the U.S. it might be a little, but in Mexico, those dollars would let you live a better life”. A major force that gave her the courage to leave home was the want to support her family, although, that is also what held her back: “The hardest part was leaving those close to me, mainly my parents. While being here my father died and I couldn’t go see him. Well, you miss things like food, neighbors, and familiarity. You just miss everything you grew up with”. Her main source of ambition was ultimately her family, she believed that by coming here she would be able to make enough money to support herself for a few years and send the rest back home.

Once she had sent back enough money to stabilize her family, she thought she would return. The years spent in the street of an urban city suddenly made her want to stay, she grew familiar with the buildings, the factories, and the people. All of a sudden, she felt rooted to the ground, her dream was changing, and although she stubbornly wanted to return home, she knew she had to stay. Living in the States allowed her the freedom to do almost anything, the most life-changing of all was falling in love and starting a family. She states: “Coming here the dream grew, well it didn’t really change, we come here with just working in mind, not just staying here. We just want to help back home. But it becomes so nice to live here, you get used to it and as time passes, you fall in love, you have kids, you watch them grow up here and it gets harder for you to go back. You suddenly want more, you want your kids to learn here, to become someone”.

As the years went by her dream evolved into something bigger, she desired to belong. She wanted her efforts to pay off, to give her the title of an American citizen that she was worthy of possessing.

In conclusion, I believe that the vision of the American dream varies from person to person, and the interview I conducted confirms my vision. Although most immigrants come to the United States in the first place for greater opportunities, living here transforms their original purpose, imbuing it with a personal meaning that sustains a person’s desire to remain on this earth.