Name Name

Paper #2

Interpreting American Dreams

      What is the American Dream? A question often asked by one of my high school English teachers. I believe the question was often asked to spark a motivation within ourselves before we were off to college. My teacher wanted to make sure our conceptions were proper before exiting out those double doors. A persons conception of the American Dream varies from person to person. Different people have different goals and different thoughts of achievement. To most Americans the American Dream means self-satisfaction. Be fulfilled in a variety of categories that are executed throughout your life. Living comfortably can lure that dream closer to you. Likewise, to me the American Dream means not worrying day to day about survival. The American Dream can touch a variety of topics from my own family, to a single person like Martin Luther King Jr., to literary characters. 
      I believe that the American Dream is achievement and success without those elements being handed to you. Members of my family believe in the same conceptual view that I have. When visiting my parents house, my cousins made the comment how picture perfect my family is with their white picket fence and living in middle class America. An example of the American Dream in my family could also be my grandfather. He graduated from high school not knowing what he wanted to do with his future. He experimented in sales of different items from vacuums to real estate. He then gradually worked his way up to owning Texaco stations around our area and becoming a major handler in the region. I consider that the American Dream because it is making something of yourself from nothing. This person did not need things handed to him or assistance of that nature. Hard work carried the key to this reward. 
      
      Tom Brokaw had his vision of “The Greatest Generation”. According to him our country is losing more and more of  “The Greatest Generation” everyday. They were the war heroes who risked their lives to provide our country with freedoms that live on today. They resemble the American Dream because they made something of themselves and provided a decent life for their families. That generation sought out opportunity and seized their moment to make a difference in many peoples lives. 
      Martin Luther King Jr. embodies the American Dream because of his rugged individualism. The way that he positively affected society was that he did not result to violence to resolve the suppression being placed upon his race. Everything was separated for the blacks and whites and the white saw no problem with that. He walked ahead not to turn back to the unjust rules and regulations being put into effect. He knew that this segregation was not the best solution for our country. Our country of one being divided everywhere it possibly could. He envisioned one day that our nation would be able to one day work together. 
      Referring back to the beginning of my paper when I spoke about my high school English teacher, he also mentioned to us how literary characters can represent American Dreams. I believe that Jay Gatsby symbolized this envisionment. He was a man with large amounts of wealth and fortune. He too made something of himself from a very undesirable beginning. T.S. Eliot also made mention of characters that fit this mold. He wrote in this way because vicariously he was living out his life and dreams through his characters. 			
      
      In conclusion, what makes the American Dream the American Dream is that it is attainable to everyone. It is not divided to only a certain type of person. Every  person that lives in our country has the right to provide a better life for their family. They are able to make improvements and make things better with hard work and determination. That is what makes it possible for the American Dream to touch a variety of topics.