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Is the American Dream Still Alive and Thriving?

Annalise Bezri
Dr. Paul Houghton
English Composition II
MW 8:00 am 9:30 am
Spring Semester
April 23, 2014
Final Research Paper
Draft



















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A dream has two definitions. A dream can be a figment of your imagination when
youre sleeping. Or a dream can be a goal that you as a person work towards to
accomplish. The topic of discussion here is going to be the American Dream. A dream
that I believe a person can apply both definitions for. The dream supposedly died a long
time ago, but can a dream ever die? James Truslow Adams wrote a great book titled The
Epic of America and in that book he gives a great description of what he feels the
American dream stands for: 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 (pg 214-215). Great American philosophers along with outside research
helped me explore more into what the basis of the American dream was for society and
how each of these individuals I believe influenced what the American dream stands for
today.
Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a powerful driven man but he was a powerful
writer and speaker. One of kings most powerful and most attended speeches was given
on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. the I have a Dream address
(Barnet and Bedau 687). King had many remarkable accomplishments in his life as stated
in the preface of the speech, He then organized the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, which furthered civil rights, first in the south and then nationwide. In 1964
he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (Barnet and Bedau 687).
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One of Kings most powerful tactics he used in this speech was his use of
repetition within the words of the speech. He made so statements that left his over seers
in shock. King had a dream for America and this is where he let it be known to the
nation. This speech is purposeful and had many reasons to be addressed to the public,
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life
of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination. On hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in
the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is
still anguished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own
land. And we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition (King 687). As
King executes his powerful use of repetition he is describing to the American people both
black and white that the Negro community will rise above. In all sense his basis dream
was for all society, This note was the promise that all men yes, black men as well as
white men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness (King 687). His dream was indefinitely a branch to the larger dream The
American Dream.
King had an American dream for all the African Americans and Americans
residing in the United States. We as one nation need to act as one nation, was Kings
basis to the whole African American movement. African Americans were not at one time
accepted in todays society as we know of today. Treating the Africans Americans like
they didnt belong defeated the whole purpose of our so called American dream. King
was the national face and inspirational voice between the nonviolent civil rights
movements from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 to his assassination in 1963
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(Kienzt). The biggest misconception here is that King was not the only man that made
this dream come true for African Americans. There was many others such as Stokley
Carmichael and Malcolm X, These leaders repeatedly challenged each other in their
speeches and writings. They highlighted the stark differences about integration,
interacting with white people, and the use of violence in their ideas in order to sway their
audiences about the rightness of their approach (Kienzt). The bottom line here was that
each of these men had basically the same ending goal for their fellow African American
people. They worked separately but together at the same time showing their people what
the real dream for America looks like to the African American people.
King and his fellow leaders and peoples dream did come true and is still coming
true, They are now more educated, earn higher salaries, work in more prestigious jobs,
and participate more fully in politics (Zoom 1). African Americans are living in a
society that they created all for themselves. Without the African Americans that held true
to their dream of becoming free and accepted, this dream would have never even seen the
light. This is what the dream was about in Kings eyes he knew that change is allowed in
America and thats why they call this land the promising land.
Henry David Thoreau the great creator of the famous book filled with
experiences called Walden. We looked at the insert from chapter 2 titled We do not ride
on the Railroad; It Rides upon Us (editors title) (Barnet and Bedau 778). Thoreau was a
very unique individual, He taught and lectured, but chiefly he observed, thought, and
wrote (Barnet and Bedau 778). This man had many great observations and ideas that
contributed to what a perfect society for the American people should look like.
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Thoreau was such a simple minded man he knew that as a man of human kind he
only needed simplicity to actually stay alive. For example our minds our so stuffed with
the thoughts of wants and not the necessities actually needed to live. Man has lost the
whole simple concept of life. As Thoreau states in his passage, Simplify, simplify.
Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat one; instead of a hundred dishes, five;
and reduce other things in proportion (Thoreau 782). Thoreau in this quote is attacking
the known American life style he is stating by taking away some of these known traits
that man can become closer with ultimate reality and what the true meaning of life is. The
only way this can be done is by simplifying the standard life of living for American
people. Another point Thoreau loves to talk about, Our life is fritted away by detail
(Thoreau 781). This statement looks pretty explanatory but Thoreau is a man of deep
meaning. He is just trying to explain to his people that we as individual work so hard to
get other peoples approval before we gain our own approval of ourselves. How can others
in this giant world gain appreciation of you if you cannot simply appreciate yourself.
Thoreaus whole goal was to get into mans head and make us as human beings really
think about how we go about everyday life.
This was Thoreaus American dream for the people, he wanted the people of this
nation to actually sit down and enjoy the life god has blessed them with. Instead we are
too caught up in materialistic items and feelings that we are losing ourselves not only
individually but as a whole society. In the book that discusses all of Thoreaus ideas and
lectures Life Without Principal, It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once.
It is nothing but work, work, and work (Dean 6). The people of this nation have worked
too hard to constantly still be working. Thoreau doesnt just mean physically working
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either me means mentally working giving your brain leisure and relaxation is a necessity
in life. With all that being said Thoreaus American dream can be categorized as simple
all he wants for his fellow Americans is to enjoy and appreciate what they have right in
front of them. The people of this nation are searching for a dream that they already have
if they would just open their eyes and minds they would be able to experience the
American dream to its fullest.
Poetry was his passion Wystan Hugh Auden better known as W. H. Auden wrote
the poem titled The Unknown Citizen in 1940. Auden used his poetry as hit outlet to
express his personal views and opinions, In the 1930s his witty left-wing poetry earned
him wide acclaim as the leading poet of his generation (Barnet and Bedau 691). This
mans poetry was characterized as a combination of colloquial diction and technical
dexterity (Barnet and Bedau 691). Audens underlying theme to this poem is
characterizing the typical unknown citizen.
Auden is writing this poem in honor of the unknown citizen who lives among the
rest of the unknown citizens. Why do we as citizens of this country have to do some
remarkable achievements to be honored? Auden in his poem is just simply honoring this
average citizen. (To JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State)
(Auden 691), this was the name that Auden had given to this unknown citizen. This was
no significant name just a line of some letters and numbers as one can see. Auden is
showing how this unknown citizen, JS/07/M/378, had conformed to what we call the
norm in society. This man lost his unique personality and identity; who really was
JS/07/M/378? The people in this society have lost their individuality because they are
scared to stand out and be different, but isnt that what this society was built on? This is
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supposed to be the land of the free, the land of create your own destiny, and the land of
speak your mind. Our ancestors moved to America in search of this and Auden is
explaining in this poem the misconception of being free. Was he free? Was he happy?
The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should have certainly have heard.
(Auden 692). We as citizens as well and even those government officials will never know
if the unknown citizen truly felt free or if he was even truly happy. The unknown citizen
was afraid to speak up and speak his mind and Auden is using the poem as a symbol to
what this nation is and has become.
The young in this society are working on changing that perception of the average
just being unknown. Average people do remarkable deeds daily and they arent
acknowledged. Therefore just obeying and living life through the morality of your society
is ok and should be recognized like W. H. Auden is doing in his poem. Russell J. Dalton
explores this topic in his book titled The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation is
Reshaping American Politics. One thing Dalton likes to touch base on is the fact that
these young people in this nation are making a difference, they are speaking up, and
offering up new and innovative ideas. Many young people in America and in other
Western democracies as well are concerned about their society and others in the world.
And they are willing to contribute their time and effort to make a difference. They see a
role for themselves and their government in improving the world in which we all live. At
the same time, they relate to government and society in different ways then their elders
(Dalton). Dalton feels that the young are keeping the dream alive through their giant
aspirations and goals they set for themselves (Dalton). Our society can only grow and
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continue to get better we are learning from our mistakes and we are learning how to make
a perfect place to live.
The ideal society seems to be a synonym for the American dream, a man by the
name of Sir Thomas More wrote a book titled From Utopia. The books name, however,
is Greek for no place with a pun on good place (Barnet and Bedau 655). Utopia
being the perfect ideal society, in this book More discusses what it takes as a society to
create the perfect society. Mores work is playful but is to be taken serious, writing From
Utopia was an outcry letting King Henry VIII and all of parliament know that he refused
to subscribe to the Act of Succession and Supremacy (Barnet and Bedau 655). More
spoke up and expressed his ideas through this brilliant work of explaining what
guidelines need to be followed to be the perfect ideal society.
More clears up to his readers first thing on how he pictures his ideal perfect
society, In Utopia they have a six-hour work day three hours in the morning, the
lunch then a two-hour break then three more hours in the afternoon, followed by
supper. They go to bed at 8 p.m., and sleep for eight hours. All the rest of the twenty-four
theyre free to do what they like not to waste their time in idleness or self-indulgence,
but to make good use of it in some congenial activity (More 656-657). More does not
want his people to be consumed in idleness, staying active keeps the brain healthy and
functioning properly. How can the people ever have a perfect society if idleness of their
egos are holding them back? Self-indulgence is also a bad trait for the people of the ideal
society to carry with them. Accomplishing goals for yourself is important; but only to a
certain extent, a perfect society is created by the people accomplishing all of these goals
together. Working together as one will make the outcome of society perfect. Self-
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indulgence is considered to be greedy, one should not possess more happiness than ones
neighbor. More goes more in-depth about this subtopic [THE HOUSEHOLD], Theres
more than enough of everything to go around, so theres no risk of his asking for more
than he needs for why should anyone want to start hoarding, when he knows hell never
have to go short of anything? No living creature is naturally greedy, except from fear of
want or in the case of human beings, from vanity, the notion that youre better than
people if you can display more superfluous property than they can (More 658). The
current society has raised and trained its people to be greedy and always want more
knowing we dont need it. Once the people that make up this society realize there is
indeed enough to go around but we first have to live like there is enough to go around.
The famous African American writer, Langston Hughes constructed a beautiful
poem titled Let America Be America Again. Hughes believed that America once was
that perfect and ideal society to live in. America was so called the land of the possibility
and the people had hope and desire for their society to thrive. America once stood for
possibility and not the impossibility that surrounds our children and even adults today.
Hughes expresses this in his first stanza of the poem, Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain. Seeking a home where
he himself is free (Hughes 693). All Hughes wanted for America again was that be
fresh, new, and free again just like it used too.
After all of that, is the American dream still alive and thriving or dead and gone? I
personally believe the American dream is still alive and thriving. Reading all of the
philosophers take on this society they provided substantial evidence to support my
conclusion. American can once again be that place where everyone wants to be it just all
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depends on individual attitude. We just need to once again raise up to a self-made society
and motivate our fellow peers around us. The famous Andrew Carnegie would agree to
this as some people say his favorite expression to say to people was, People Who are
unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how
impressive their other talents (Jenson). To conclude, I believe the American dream is
deep rooted into everyone all it takes is the right attitude and mindset. With that being
said the famous question as to whether the American dream is still alive and thriving has
be answered.















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Works Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, and Hugo Bedau, eds. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide
to Critical Thinking and Argument with Readings. 10
th
ed. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2014. Print.
King, Martin L. I have a Dream. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to
Critical Thinking and Argument with Readings. 10
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ed. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2014. Print.
Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and, 1931.
Print.
Kienzt Anderson, Lauren. "Inextricably Linked rather than Mutually Exclusive: The Civil
Rights and Black Power Movements." The American Mosaic: The African
American Experience. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Zoom, Billy. "African American History Month." Zoom In on America Feb. 2004: 1-4.
Google Scholar. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Thoreau, Henry D. Selections from Walden [We Do Not Ride On The Railroad; It Rides
Upon Us]. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking
and Argument with Readings. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. 10
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Boston: Bedford /St. Martins, 2014. 781-782. Print.
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Dean, Bradley P. The Sound of a Flail: Reconstructions of Thoreau's Early "life without
Principle" Lectures. N.p.: n.p., 1984. Print.
Auden, W.H. The Unknown Citizen. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide
to Critical Thinking and Argument with Readings. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo
Bedau. 10
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More, Thomas. From Utopia. Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to
Critical Thinking and Argument with Readings. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo
Bedau. 10
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Dalton, Russell J. The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation Is Reshaping American
Politics. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2008. Google Scholar. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Hughes, Langston. Let America Be America Again. Current Issues and Enduring
Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Arguments with Readings. Ed.
Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. 10
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695. Print.
Jenson, Neal. The American Dream Is It Still Alive? The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 June 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.