The American Dream
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The American Dream
The America Dream is defined in general as a dream of a land that is better richer for everyone based on accomplishment and opportunity. This dream is usually sought after by people who have been deprived of their social and human values. People who have not been able to achieve this dream based on restrictions of their situations that plague their lives. These situations can be different for everyone, race, sex, handicap, etc. My question is this goal obtainable? To me there is one thing that powers this dream a desire to be of higher class, socially and financially. The one thing that drives this monster concept of the American dream has always been around since the beginning of time. In "The Lost Beautifulness" by Anzia Yezierska and "The Gilded Six-Bits" by Zora Neale Hurston this power is the source of main conflict in these stories. Money it all comes down to money, no matter what you think the American dream is the true definition is money. Money plays the biggest role in society no matter where you are, you either have it or you don't. People come to America because it is the richest country in the world. In my comparison of these stories you will see what money does to cause conflict with Hanneh Hayyeh and Joe. The American dream can be categorized into many definitions, but behind them all one thing stands MONEY.
There are similarities when comparing these two stories, similarities that go back to the main problem with the American dream "money". Both Hanneh and Joe wanted a piece of the pie. They both wanted to feel like the upper class weather it was a painted white kitchen or gold teeth. Hanneh's urge to be like the upper class is shown through this quote: "it had been Hanneh Hayyeh's ambition to have a white-painted kitchen exactly like that in the old Stuyvesant Square mansion" (Yezierska 1253). This urge to be like Mrs. Preston was pushed by money; she wanted to have a white kitchen like the one in the mansion. Hanneh had the American dream on her...
- Submitted by: ponick50
- Date Submitted: 05/27/2005 03:19 PM
- Category: Book Reports
- Words: 1568
- Pages: 7
- Views: 900
- Rank: 77145