ESSAY TOPIC 2: Compare and contrast The Dream in African American Literature and the American Dream.  

Assignment

ESSAY TOPIC 2: Compare and contrast The Dream in African American Literature and the American Dream.

This topic may overlap with Essay Topic 1.

You may refer back to the ID on Yezierska and Equiano.

Refer to objective 3, 3a

Objective 3

To compare and contrast the dominant “American Dream” narrative—which involves voluntary participation, forgetting the past, and individuals or nuclear families—with alternative narratives of American minorities, which involve involuntary participation, connecting to the past, and traditional, extended, or alternative families.

3a. African American alternative narrative: “The Dream”

("The Dream" resembles but is not identical to "The American Dream." Whereas the American Dream emphasizes immediate individual success, "the Dream" factors in setbacks, the need to rise again, and a quest for group dignity.)

Textual requirements:

Your essay must make extensive reference to at least three texts from our required course readings:

Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream” (speech at March on Washington, 1963)

Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano . . . An African

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Black Girl Lost

After first reference, you may refer to texts in abbreviated form, e. g. Caged, Lost, Douglass, etc. You are welcome to refer briefly to texts from beyond this course, but keep refocusing on our main texts.