...Is the American Dream a Delusion? The idea of the American Dream is rooted deep in every Americans heart. The American dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and the idea that life should be fuller, richer and better for everyone regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. But this view on the American dream is challenged by gender studies and college teacher Courtney E. Martin in her article ”Is the American Dream a Delusion?”, in which she questions the value of the American Dream. Courtney E. Martin is a gender studies professor at Hunter College which is one of the most ethnically diverse schools. This gives her a sense of credibility; that she knows what she is talking about. In this article she is addressing teachers and professional educators like herself, because of the complex and formal language used by E. Martin, for example “I want to give my students an intellectual tool that can serve as an emotional cushion”. This is not only an example of the complexity of the language, but also an example of the many metaphors E. Martin uses in the article. Metaphors are mostly used to emphasise a point or so there is a sense of clarity. Another example of a metaphor could be “I don't want to be the pinprick that lets the air out of the swollen balloon of hope”. By using this metaphor, E. Martin clarifies that she is not trying to beat the immigrants down or take their hope away. Later...
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...How is the theme of Broken Dreams And Hopelessness presented In Of Mice And Men and Death Of A Salesman? By: Sara The themes of broken dreams and hopelessness are explored in the novel Of Mice and Men published in 1934 by Steinbeck, and also in the play Death of The Salesman written in 1949 by Miller. The desire to achieve the American dream which is to own land and be self-sufficient by being one's own boss is made evident in both texts as the protagonists Willy, George and Lennie aim to elevate their status and be successful. However, they face many obstacles and difficulties along the way. Miller and Steinbeck both criticize the American value of commercialism, as the dream to be successful is just a delusion; if you cannot sell or earn money to provide for your family then you are seen as weak and incapable of success. In both texts men are, therefore, marginalized and don't know where they belong. The tragic endings in both texts show the hopelessness of characters not achieving their goals and desires. The essay will explore how the writers portray the theme of hopelessness and the desire to achieve a dream that is ultimately unachievable. One of the ways Steinbeck shows how eagerly the protagonists are trying to achieve their dream is when George and Lennie find it difficult to get a job. This is shown when George tells Lennie to stay away from "bad things" like he did in "Weed". Steinbeck also reveals how Lennie acts as a barrier for George, as he prevents him from...
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...In “The American Way of Death” Jessica Mitford tells us about a funeral ceremony, how a deceased body turns into "Beautiful Memory Picture", and in details explains how it is getting done. Each procedure performed on the body, changes it beyond recognition, creating a false picture. Thus, it can be confirmed that the entire preparation for the funeral ceremony is a hidden lie for most Americans. Common American funeral practises include many steps for the transformation of the deceased body, which are serious lies like “Facade” and “Delusion”. The body is prepared before it can be shown to people. In order to create a deceptive image, different steps are used. One of the important steps is to make a body look like it is not dead but is simply...
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...Reaction Paper – “Death of A Salesman” by Arthur Miller Marcos Leiva ENG/125 April 6, 2015 Mr. Ozichi Alimole Reaction Paper – “Death of A Salesman” by Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman is a tragedy about the struggles of a middle class family living in Brooklyn, New York during the 1940’s. The play is a scathing critique of an American society that places emphasis on hollow materialistic values. Arthur Miller personifies the struggle between what society believes to be the “American Dream” and the middle class family trying to make that dream a reality, through the play’s protagonist Willy Loman, who is a depressed, overworked, and spiritless working man with delusions of grandeur. Originally written as a short story, Arthur Miller’s uncle (who was a salesman) inspired him to turn the story into a play. When the drama hit Broadway in 1949 it was a total hit and transformed Miller’s career, as well as gained him recognition as a gifted playwright, with the production winning the Pulitzer Prize that year and has remained a classic to this day. Chasing the “American Dream” Willy Loman is the play’s tragic hero and as the story line progresses the audience gets to learn how truly depressed Willy Loman is and how he has an unrealistic view on the world. The play starts with Willy coming home early from work because of a business trip to New England he has cut short. He tells his wife that he kept finding himself daydreaming while he was driving...
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...“The american dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability of achievement.” James Truslow Adams For many, this quote perfectly defines the american dream. A dawn of a new era seemingly encourages a life filled with glamour and prosperity as millions began their journey to the promised land. But does this dream live up to its expectations? Perhaps not as it reasons the corruption in today’s society. Despite the amount of hard work and dedication expended in attaining this goal, very few are able to obtain this degree of luxury. A man by the name of Jay Gatsby is a prime example of this. Although he worked to his literal death, Gatsby was unable...
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...Willie Loman died a Hero? Willie Loman has failed to live up to the standards of being a tragic hero because he neither accepts nor admits to his faults. Willy loses his dignity and one of his biggest faults is his failure to be a good father. Willy’s problems come from his own delusions, the American Dream and his misunderstandings of his job and family. All of this tells the story of everyday people in American Society. His environment is changing faster than his beliefs which are why he is in the dilemma that he is in. Willy Loman delusions are a result of his father to succeed in life. At age 63, He still believes he is a popular, respected and good looking, which is not the case. Willy s delusion was that there would be many people from across the country at his funeral. Nobody liked him that much and very few people attended his funeral. In the moments where he would realize the truth, his wife would support his delusions in attempt to make him feel better about himself. A tragic hero is someone who dies for personal dignity. Willy dies for his sons dignity . In act two, Willy reveals his desires to win back Biff’s respect by committing suicide. During one of his illusions, Willy says “Ben that funeral will be massive...that boy will be thunderstruck, because he never realized I am known”. In trying to persuade Biff that their father is a great man, Willy will not accept any challenge to his dignity. He refused to realize that the ideas he set for himself and Biff...
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...hopes and dreams? Both F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Arthur Miller’s ‘A Death of a Salesman’ focus their main ideas on the importance of hopes and dreams. Death of a Salesman, produced in 1949, has become a classic of modern American theatre. It is a story of an average salesman with a dream of being rich and well-liked. Willy believes whole heartedly in what he considers the promise of the American Dream. In the 1940’s The American Dream was as simple as it gets, to have a perfect, successful life with a common nuclear family, a house in the suburbs, a nice car and a life without conflict or family strife. ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a highly symbolic reflection on 1920’s America as a whole, in particular the disappearance of the American Dream in an era of material excess. On the surface, ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a story of the eternal love between a man and a woman. However, in reality the main theme of the novel involves a much larger, less romantic outlook. The 1920’s was an era of decayed social and moral values, which means that the idea of The American Dream was different to what it is now. When World War 1 ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who fought the war became intensely disillusioned. The rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden increase in the national wealth and a new found materialism, leading the younger generation to pursue a life of extravagance. The pursuit of the two illustrations of The American Dream, not only...
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...Requiem for an American Dream: Benjamin Loman’s Role in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman (1951) is a subversive parable that subtly makes use of its characters to castigate the collective societal delusion of the American Dream. While protagonist Willy Loman’s character arc is traditionally read as a direct allegory of the decay of the American Dream, the role of Benjamin Loman is tragically undervalued in this respect. In order to illustrate a twisted ambition rooted deeply in materialism and blind aspiration, the vaguely successful Benjamin serves a necessary but controversial beacon. The very status of Uncle Ben as a unique character is wholly complex at its core. He is at once Willy’s brother, a romanticized memory, and an extended facet of Willy’s own personality, all while never truly existing within the scope of the play. Benjamin’s real and imagined affirmations falsely guide Willy on the path to downfall. The increasing ambiguity of...
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...Americans strive to be the best, but our nation is one of the highest to discriminate both racially and economically. One issue within the American Dream is the wealth gap that exists based on race. According to “Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality in America” families of color will soon “make up a majority of the population, but most continue to fall behind whites in building wealth,” recent statistics prove that “the average wealth of white families was over $500,000 higher than the average wealth of African American families” compared to the past where the wealth gap between races were lower and the “average wealth of while families was $117,000 higher than the average wealth of nonwhite families”. This racial and economic discrimination...
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...Willy’s mentors place on them causes them to exaggerate their goals to unrealistic levels. As a result, Willy’s lucidity spirals into a deep depression that leaves him in a delusional mentality that refuses to let him face the reality of his present situation while Bud’s sanity becomes overcome by his hunger for power that is fed by his ego and arrogance. Ben Loman is the foil to Willy Loman’s character. He is wealthy, bold, and a ruthless business man. He is the epitome of a success story and living the American Dream. Ben is one of the fortunate few who found incredible success without much work, something which Willy recognizes and wants. Willy Loman believes that like his brother, he too can rise from humble beginnings to importance. His specific angle on this outlook is that a man succeeds by selling his charm; that to be well liked is the most important aspect a man can have. After working as a salesman for thirty long years, Willy finds he can no longer make the sale and his dream is left unfulfilled. He discovers that charisma is no longer a business hook, proven through his interactions with his younger boss Howard. Business has become something mechanic, impersonal, and...
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...How does Miller convey Linda’s complicity in the tragedy and in the patterns of self-delusion? In ‘Death of a Salesman’ Miller writes Linda’s situation as being one of an exceptionally difficult and intractable nature; we see that she is aware of Willy’s suicidal tendencies as well as his financial issues and yet keeps them to herself. Stuck in an invariably volatile relationship, Linda is shown to be doing her best for her husband and sons, yet struggles with the burden of responsibility. She seeks solace in what she deems to be the only way possible; almost by ignoring the problem rather than confront them. Whilst some may denounce Linda as a form of tragic villain, it seems more fitting to view her as a victim of circumstance, her failings in aiding Willy derived only from her well-intentioned yet misguided attempts to be there for him. ‘You’re my foundation and my support,” Willy tells Linda, only highlighting Linda’s profound devotion to him despite everything. Willy needs Linda to stay sane- she provides stability to his otherwise uncertain state. It would be expected then that Willy would pay Linda the utmost respect and reciprocal love, but we find this not to be the case; instead Willy treats her rather cruelly and even cheats on her. Why then does Linda stay with him? The answer is clear: she loves Willy unconditionally. Linda believes and supports Willy’s dreams to a great extent, even talking him out of the opportunity his brother Ben offered him in Alaska, choosing...
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...In the article, “Delusions of Grandeur” by Henry Louis Gates Jr., the author discusses his biased opinion on the pressure needed to be applied to young kids-especially African American-from an academic standpoint. The odds of finding success in an athletic profession, such as football or basketball is such a miniscule amount that it makes you wonder why there is so much emphasis put on such sports. I realize the payout is big, but the chances are comparable to the lottery. Many athletes now brush off the importance of their education to try to catch a ball and run fast. Gates also blames current professional athletes for not acknowledging the importance of education and slim chance of success. It does no good to have thousands of NFL rejects...
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...In “Death of a Salesman: by Arthur Miller. The play produced and published in 1949. The story portrays a family in late 1940’s who is trying to keep up with times. America was becoming a consumer culture. People wanted bigger cars and bigger TV’s. The main character Willy Loman wants a piece of that American dream. Willy is an unsuccessful traveling salesman. He is married to Linda and they have two sons Biff, and Happy. Willy slowly starts to lose his mind. There multiple reasons for him to become depressed and suicidal. The first reason is Willy is older man, and knows that change in him becoming rich is slim. Second, reason is the disappointments from his sons Biff and Happy. Willy is trying to keep up with the times. The industry of car...
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...November 2015 What Is The American Dreams? Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a book written by Hunter S. Thompson published in the year 1971. The book is a reflection of American politics during Thompson’s time. It is written with the author (Thompson) as the main character, but he uses a fictional name to avoid repercussions and allow for more artistic license. The book takes place in the early 1970s and the main character, Raoul Duke, is sent to Las Vegas to write an article on the 4th annual “Mint Race 400” buggy race. Under the advice of his lawyer (Dr. Gonzo) both drive out to Las Vegas on a nonstop LSD and mescaline trip. Unfortunately, Duke and Gonzo engage themselves in an adventure of the lifetime. Somehow things go berserk and both of them end up abandoning work and engaging in an experience that involves disparaging everyone around them. The obvious theme of the book is The American Dream. Thompson wrote a lot about the American Dream and just like most people, he believed in the American Dream. Hunter S. Thompson portrays the American Dream as illusionary, as there are some places where he says that the American Dream is about money. The American Dream is a phrase which is heard, at some point, by most people today and the meaning has been understood since the founding of America. The definition of the American Dream appears to be different for most people, depending on their views. Probably the most accepted explanation of the American Dream is that it “is an idea...
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...century, America was looked upon by the world as the superpower and dream continent where people’s visions came true. America became the melting pot of world and all the cultures of the world met here. There was a thirst for fame, power and money. This opened a door of commercialisation of the society. Many people became greedy and inhuman in their pursuit of fame and money. A famous essayist, Bacon is of the view, “Certainly fame is like a river that beareth up things light and swoln, and drowns things weighty and solid.” (Of Praise 133) Instead of a healthy competition and right path towards success, many were blinded by the materialistic aspect of life. American society also saw mushrooming of commercilisation and competition among the section of people, who were ready to sacrifice anything and everything for power and fame. This destroyed their family life and career. One of the most dominant beliefs of American society goes by the name of “the great American dream”. This concept is based on the doctrine of self-help, which assumes that a person having self-confidence and self-initiation can rise from a lower to a higher position. This doctrine is mostly highlighted by referring to famous personalities like Benjamin Franklin and John Garfield, who became role models for the posterity. Though many benefited by aiming high goals in their lives, a section of people attached false notion to the American dream. They became fervent believers of the romantic concept that anyone...
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