The American dream: history, definitions, and cultural impact

American Dream

Throughout U.S. history, the American dream has been an ideal cornerstone for an individual to start out with nothing. And become even more successful than they ever imagined. This is because America was founded based on a culture of immigrants who arrived and built a life for themselves. Over the course of time, this allowed many families to accumulate tremendous amounts of wealth (by having the perseverance to overcome various challenges).

Evidence of this can be seen with observations from Cullen (2003) who said, "The American dream has long moved beyond the relatively musty domain of print culture into the incandescent glow of the mass media (where it is enshrined as our national motto). Jubilant athletes declaim it following championship games. Aspiring politicians invoke it as the basis of their candidacies. Otherwise sober businessmen cite it achieving it as the ultimate goal of their enterprises. The term seems like the most lofty as well as the immediate component of an American identity (a birthright far more meaningful and compelling than terms like democracy, constitution and the United States." (Cullen, 2003, pg. 5) This is illustrating how the American dream is more than just a series of ideas. Instead, it is a way of life that is focused on overcoming the odds (no matter how big) to live more empowering lives for everyone. Once this takes place, is when the individual can be able to make positive contributions to society. To fully understand the American dream requires comparing different literary works with each other. This will be accomplished through: contrasting a Raisin in the Sun, the American Dream and the Grapes of Wrath. Together, these elements will provide the greatest insights as impact of the American dream on society.

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun portrays the Youngers. They are an African-American family that lives in a Chicago apartment between: the end of World War II and the early 1950s. The play starts out with the family expecting a $10,000 life insurance payout that will be received. Each of the different family members has ideas about what they would like to do with the money. Ma (the mother of the family), wants to use the funds to purchase a house for everyone. This has always been a lifelong dream of hers. At the same time, she will use some of the funds to help pay for her daughter Brenda's medical school tuition. However, the eldest son (Walter Lee) wants to use the money for an investment in a liquor store with some friends. Walter's wife Ruth agrees with Ma, but also thinks that a profitable investment could take care of the entire family. This will allow Walter to spend more time with his son and wife. (Hansberry, 2011)

After a series of clashes, is when a percentage of the funds are used to purchase the house that Ma wanted. While at the same time, Walter used $6,500.00 to open the liquor store. However, his friends took the money and left town. Moreover, Brenda is unable to go to medical school. Her Nigerian boyfriend (who is another medial student), is encouraging her to finish and come with him to Africa. Then, the homeowners association offers the Younger's money to not move into the community. They refuse, and leave the cramped apartment for a more spacious house in the suburbs. The combination of these factors is showing the challenges that everyone will face in pursuit of the American dream. As life will throw up numerous difficulties and there are setbacks. Those who are able to overcome these issues will live the kind of life they envisioned. This is regardless of the person's economic background or race. In many ways, the play is a reflection of the pursuit of the American dream during specific points in time. As a result, this is illustrating the problems the Youngers will have to address in reaching their ultimate goals. (Hansberry, 2011)

American Dream

In the American Dream speech, Martin Luther King Jr. is discussing this concept and if it is real. According to King, it is there for everyone to help themselves in reaching their goals. However, to ensure that the American dream is able to prosper in the future requires eliminating all form of discrimination in the workplace and society. Once this happens, is when minorities will have higher levels of economic mobility. This is the point that they will see an improvement in their standard of living.

A good example of this can be seen with King saying, "I would like to start on the world scale, so to speak, by saying if the American Dream is to be a reality we must develop a world perspective. It goes without saying that the world in which we live is geographically one, and now more than ever before we are challenged to make it one in terms of brotherhood. Now it is true that the geographical oneness of this age has come into being to a large extent through man's scientific ingenuity. Man through his scientific genius has been able to dwarf distance and place time in chains. And our jet planes have compressed into minutes distances that once took weeks and even months. Secondly, we must get rid of the notion once and for all that there are superior and inferior races. This idea still lingers around in some situations and in some circles. Certainly the intellectual disciplines, the anthropological sciences, have made it very clear that there is no truth in this. Great anthropologists like Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, the late Melvin Herskovitz and others have made it clear that as a result of their long years of study in these various areas, there is no truth in the idea of superior and inferior races. There may be superior and inferior individuals academically within all races. But there are no superior and inferior races. But in spite of this, the notion still lingers around." (King, 1964) This is illustrating how the American dream is alive and well. However, in order for it to survive it must be continually changing.

When this is applied to the concepts of a Raisin in the Sun, it is clear that King's speech is focused on pointing out the greatness of the American dream in comparison with contemporary social issues. The play is doing the same thing, they only difference is through taking these events and personalizing them with the characters.

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is focused on the impact of economic events on the American dream. That way that this occurs is through watching Tom Joad. He is paroled from prison for murder and is returning to his boyhood town of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. When arrives, he finds that his family farm has been foreclosed on and his relatives are about to leave town. This is because of the drought and dust caused them to lose everything they had invested in their crops. Once this occurred, is when the banks began foreclosing on various farms throughout the area. (Steinbeck, 1939)

Set in the Great Depression, the family is trying to survive the best way they can. To do this, there is a pamphlet that is received about the good jobs that can be obtained by working in the fields of California. The family is going there to be able to start over. Tom decides to break his parole and go with them to California. On the way, there are tremendous hardships (with similar individuals making the same kind of trip out of desperation). (Steinbeck, 1939)

Once they arrive is California, is when they find out that the farm jobs are scare (thanks in part to the high unemployment rate). To be able to survive, the family lives in Weedpatch Camp. This is place where homeless families could stay (which was a part of the New Deal). In this location, there are issues that are dealt with in relations to the local peach industry. (Steinbeck, 1939)

At the heart of the disputes, is the need to organize in order to receive a higher salary. The Joads begin working as strike breakers. These are workers that are no union employees (which are designed to break the strike). During this period, is when Tom commits a murder and is forced to leave the orchard / camp. As the play is ending is when, Tom vows to be a tireless advocate for the poor and downtrodden. It is at this point that everyone appears to be proudly continuing to deal with the various challenges they are facing from the tough economic conditions. (Steinbeck, 1939)

These elements are showing the American dream is based the promise of something better. Yet, these ideas are false hopes that often will have an impact on everyone around them. What makes this such a unique story is that the family will continue to persevere at all costs. This is because they have no other choice than to have faith in each other and continue to believe that things will change. (Steinbeck, 1939)

When the Grapes of Wrath is compared with the other works that are discussed earlier, it is clear that this is showing the negative side of the American dream. In this situation, things did not work as planned for the Joads. Instead, they were forced to deal with these challenges and believe that things will turn around. This determination is showing how the American dream is more than just about succeeding or failing. On the contrary, it is illustrating how the personal relationships with one another and the lessons that are learned will help to make everyone successful. The key for achieving this goal is to never lose faith in each other, no matter the consequences or the outcomes. (Steinbeck, 1939)