LITR 4332 American Minority Literature
Sample Student Midterm Answers 2008

copy of midterm exam

Topic 3 (African American literature):

"The American Dream and the Dream"
complete essays followed by excerpts

Topic 3 African American Literature: "The American Dream and the Dream"

I felt as though I understood the topic of "The American Dream and the Dream" more so then I understood the concept of “The color code and the Black Aesthetic.” To understand the contrast between the American Dream and the Dream one must observe the differences of the American Dream and the American Nightmare, and the resulting Dream.

The American Dream is attainable for immigrants and individuals of the dominant culture. The American Dream derives from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in that it states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”(Jefferson). The United States was built from immigrants who were trying to escape something from their past for a better future. The reason for this derives from immigrants “voluntarily” coming to the United States. Immigrants come to the United States to leave behind their hardships and to start anew. Immigrants forget their past to focus on the future. The center of attention is on individual achievement, not the achievement of a group or culture. Anzia Yezierska, Bread Givers is a an example of an individual, Max, immigrating to America to achieve a better future, “At the end of that [first] day…I felt the riches of all America in my hand…”(Yezierska). Max finds work the first day he comes to America and begins his journey to achieve the American Dream

For minorities there is no American Dream; instead there is the American Nightmare. As discussed in Topic 1, minority groups experience the “American Nightmare” while non-minority groups experience the “American Dream.” The American Dream consists of the individual voluntarily leaving behind their hardships for a better future through labor and ownership, whereas the American Nightmare forces groups to involuntarily participate in labor for a future that is not “better” or is unachievable for minorities, thus preventing them from desiring to leave behind or escaping their hardships because they are living in them. Minority groups are not given a choice, because they are not allowed voice, as to whether or not they would like to join the dominant culture. The minority group African Americans experiences the American Nightmare more so than any other minority group. Fredrick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano, and Harriet Jacobs each describe their experience as slaves in the south. None of them choose to be slaves. They were forced into it. They were not given the opportunity to attempt to achieve the American Dream. They escaped slavery by keeping in mind the Dream.

While the Dream can be traced back before the speech of Martian Luther King (MLK) it encompasses the aspects of the Dream very well when he states, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” (King). MLK makes it clear that the Dream is not the American Dream, yet it is derived from the American Dream. The Dream is that One Day setbacks will be overcome and that minority cultures will rise again with dignity and unity. Where as the American Dream focus on immediate individual success, the Dream includes to inevitability of set backs and the inclusion of groups in the accomplishment of success.

Examples of the Dream can be found through out minority literature. Frederick Douglass demonstrates the Dream in his narrative when he states,

From that time I resolved to run away. I looked forward to a time at which it would be safe for me to escape. I was too young to think of doing so immediately; besides, I wished to learn how to write, as I might have occasion to write my own pass. I consoled myself with the hope that I should one day find a good chance. Meanwhile, I would learn to write.

Also when he states,

I will try to bear up under the yoke. I am not the only slave in the world. Why should I fret? I can bear as much as any of them. Besides, I am but a boy, and all boys are bound to some one. It may be that my misery in slavery will only increase my happiness when I get free. There is a better day coming.

Thus Douglass factors in setbacks, as well as the dignity of his minority group to become better and share. Douglass learns to write and read, and then shares his knowledge with other slaves. He also tries to help other slaves escape. He notes that he is not alone in his adversity and can thus bear it. Overall Douglass provides many examples for the Dream.

Another example of the Dream comes from Harriet Jacobs. However, Jacobs has a contrasting characteristic when she achieves the Dream in that it becomes tainted for her. In her narrative she states,

I was sold at last! A human being sold in the free city of New York!...I well know the value of that bit of paper; but much as I love freedom, I do not like to look upon it. I am deeply grateful to the generous friend who procured it, but I despise the miscreant who demanded payment for what never rightfully belonged to him or his.

While Jacobs achieves the Dream in that she is free her dream is tainted in that she has to be sold into her freedom by someone who didn’t own her freedom. She lived though her setbacks, maintained her dignity, and maintained the dignity of her minority group as best she could. Yet, in the end her Dream is cheapened by the sole fact that she continued to be sold like cattle when no one had a right to state they owned her.

My last example of the Dream in minority literature is in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. In The Bluest Eye, there is an emphasis on the ownership of property, “Knowing that there was such a thing as outdoors bred in us a hunger for property, for ownership” (18). For the minority cultures in The Bluest Eye ownership is everything. If a family did not have the money to own property a family rented and, “In the meantime, they saved, and scratched, and oiled away what they could in the rented hovels, looking forward to the day of property” (18). The Dream is present for the minority families in this novel in that they factor in setbacks, continue to rise, and attempt to maintain the dignity of their family or group as best they can. [VO]

Why the American Dream Overshadows the Dream

In defining the American Dream the first thing that comes to mind is the dominant culture. For them, the American Dream has always been one of choice and voluntary participation. In their quest for the American Dream they have received encouragement to succeed in their endeavors and they have been given opportunity in which to obtain the American Dream. However, the same does not ring true for the minority culture who strives to have the Dream. Their welcome mat has never been rolled out, so, the encouragement, opportunity and the choices that the dominant culture have received was held back, (and in many instances is still today), from the minority. Rather the Dream for the minority has been overshadowed by the American Dream, which is detailed in the texts pertaining to course.

In reviewing the text we find that the stories depicted in The Classic Slave Narratives provide a strong portrayal of the injustice of involuntary participation (OBJ.1a) experienced by the minority. As we read the story of Olaudah Equiano and his sister being taken captive by the slave traders we are provided with the extreme differences that have existed between the Dominant culture and the Minority Culture. Whereas the dominant culture wanted to come to America in search of the American Dream, the minority was forced against its will to come to America.

 In the story of Fredrick Douglass a man born into slavery, here again, we are given firsthand accounts of the involuntary participation surrounding the minority culture. In addition to the involuntary participation of being a slave his conception was also involuntary as the story indicates, “my father was a white man” (340). Here we surmise that because his mother was a slave, the slave master took advantage of his mother and subsequently she gave birth to Frederick. This is another depiction of the outright involuntary participation that the minority has had to endure throughout history. Whereas the dominant culture had the “choice” of a nuclear family, the same opportunity was not given to the minority who had no say in their family conceptions, thus, rendering them “choiceless and voiceless”(obj.1b).

In Harriet Jacobs’s story we find that she too was “voiceless and choiceless” (OBJ.1b) in her situation. Her slave master forbade her the option of choosing her own husband, “If you must have a husband, you make take up with one of my slaves” (483). Unlike the dominant culture that has had the freedom to pursue happiness per The Declaration of Independence, and marry whomever they chose, the minority culture, was not permitted to experience the freedom of choices as indicated by Dr.  Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In Dr. King’s speech he makes reference to the fact that the same freedoms the dominant culture has been endowed with are not the same freedoms the African American has been endowed with, and because of these differences the African American now finds himself, “in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land” (IHAD Speech.)

It is these historical accounts that have caused the problems that exist with so called “Dream.” Because of the horrific mistreatment of the slaves a mindset has ensued over the generations causing the minority culture to distrust the dominant culture and what it represents, “its laws, its institutions,  its teacher”(OBJ.4), therefore, causing the Minority to shun away from wanting any part of assimilation into the dominant culture.

Understand it is not that minority culture does not want the same things out of life that the dominant culture wants. The problem lies in the fact that the American Dream has overshadowed the Dream. It doesn’t respect the minority or its contributions it doesn’t even consider them human as was seen in the story of The Bluest Eyes, when Pecola goes into the store to purchase some candy “He does not see her, because for him there is nothing to see. How can a fifty-two year old white immigrant store-keeper with the taste of potatoes and beer in his mouth, his mind honed on the doe-eyed Virgin Mary, his sensibilities blunted by a premature awareness of loss, see a little black girl? Nothing in his life even suggested that the feat was possible, not to say desirable or necessary” (48).  

How is the minority supposed to have a Dream when the same opportunities afforded those living the American Dream are not available to them? Throughout the texts of this course we have been provided with a variety of stories that give a solid foundation why the American Dream overshadows the Dream. Ill- treatment, lack of opportunity, seen as not human, choiceless, and voiceless are all reasons why the minority has fought against assimilation into the dominant culture. Until these things change, neither will the situation! [CH]

 The Dreams Today and Yesterday

When the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, Pilgrims stepped off the boat in search of The American Dream. They left England to escape religious persecution, but they brought with them the determination to carve a new and better future for themselves and their children out of their New World. Within a few generations, descendants of these “first Americans” recorded the sentiments at the heart of this American Dream into The Declaration of Independence: all men are granted the inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Then, as Max Goldstein says in Bread Givers, “the rest of the story flowed like magic.” The people who came on the Mayflower in search of a better life built from nothing a nation that provides the opportunity they sought on the Mayflower for any man that comes to its shores. Max Goldstein’s narrative is the story of America. He came to this country, struggled to make something from nothing, then displayed the fruits of his labor for all to see, while the face of the American changes with the passage of time the concrete evidence that says “I am one of us,” The American Dream.

Like the Pilgrims, over and over new groups of immigrants came to settle in the US with that same determination to carve out a new and better future for themselves and their children. Just like the character of Max Goldstein in Bread Winners, each person who comes to our shores believes that dream is waiting for them. All they need do is come and take it. These groups mixed together over time to become the white, homogenized, American dominant culture we have today. These white immigrants and descendents of immigrants’ inherited the American Dream from those who came before them and have shaped it over time to reflect the values and appearance of today’s world.   However, this dominant culture does not allow the same opportunities for those peoples that did not actually come to this country, but were dragged across the Atlantic as slaves, conquered for the benefit of the fledgling white nation, or overrun by western expansion. They are not here of their own volition.

African Americans were considered less than human when they were dragged in chains into slavery. A comparison of Breadwinners Max Goldstein’s, arrival on American soil to that of Olaudah Equiano crystallizes the difference between the Immigrant entries into the US with that of a slave. Equiano in the US in shackles on of a ship filled with all the horrors of the middle passage. The Africans who survived the crossing were parceled out for testing and then sent to shore.  He spent his first night in a cage with people who did not speak his language. They were ordered through the way with blows and pantomime, never knowing what lay at the end of those commands. Like all of those with him, he was stripped of his voice, choice, and dignity as he waited to be sold to the highest bidder. He was to receive no wages for his labor for the new white overlord, only a flogging if he refused. He saw nothing in his future in this new America but the horrors of slavery. This was not the American Dream but the American Nightmare. And this was the America facing all Africans who stepped on our shores.

On the other hand, Goldstein arrived on America’s shore with nothing but a small parcel of personal possessions. Notice: Max carried a parcel while Equiano was a parcel. Penniless, he proceeded to bulldoze his way into work that first day. As he looked ahead he knew all things were possible. He spent his first night in a room paid for with that days wages, not in a cage. He did not suffer from his language barrier as he was able to get a job hawking clothing for a vender. As AH brought up in his essay from 2005, he accomplished this because he was part of the dominant culture and not constrained by the same rules imposed on Equiano. Furthermore, because he blended in with the dominant race, that other non-English speaking immigrant assumed that he spoke the language. He was not stripped of his voice. He shouted at the top of lungs whatever nonsensical words he chose. At the end of this perfect American Dream story that first job on that first day grew into a chain of clothing stores.

With the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the government of the United States promised to right this wrong and free the men and women who arrived on our shores in shackles. From that date forward, the experience of a black man’s first day in America was to be the same as that of a white man. But no matter the words on the paper, this did not happen. While African-Americans were freed in law, they were not to be freed in the view of the dominant culture. New immigrant cultures continued to come to the US and those people continued to become a part of the dominant culture, taking a place in line if front of African-Americans.  Meanwhile, members of this minority community tried to become “ordinary” Americans, they too aspired to have those things that said “I am one of us.” Tonni Morrison shows the effects of this exclusion in the first few pages of The Bluest Eye. She begins with simple and complete sentences, easily understood as the American Dream-world of a first grade reader. The story looses clarity when she removes the punctuation and then becomes unrecognizable when spaces between the words disappear. It becomes less than words on a piece of paper, unintelligible, meaningless… like the words in the Emancipation Proclamation. This is the fate of the American Dream in the African-American community.

In his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King offered a new Dream to replace this unattainable ideal the white dominant culture denied to Black population. With the articulation of a great orator, he stirred the hearts of those who were hungry for something of their own to reach for. Dr. King offered this new Dream to the people that day, that dream permeated the rich but unappreciated body of African American literature. While both Douglas and Jacobs include allusions to a far away dream in their prose, it seems more readily recognizable in verse. The belief in some great reward at the end of suffering was tied up with the rewards of God. Olaudah Equiano includes what he calls a melody in his heart in his autobiography. He discribes the tortures of slavery and went on to reveal how his faith in god rescued him (200-04). Jupiter Hammond writes of the same kind of faith in his poem, “Salvation by Christ, With Penitential Cries.” He speaks of the comforts of a great reward he could find through God. He describes a reward for his sacrifices and repentance. He asks repeatedly for release to the comfort of God. These two examples show the spiritual nature of The Dream how it includes a promise some future reward. The Dream focuses on hope as opposed to the concrete here and now appearance of success in The American Dream. 

Maya Angelou shows the continuing hope for The Dream as Dr. King envisioned it. She seems to express a greater power and control of The Dream from those earlier incarnations. In “Still I Rise,” she shows an indomitable spirit that continues to stand up regardless of the challenges she faces. She expresses more defiance than Equiano or Hammond. While Dr. King’s speech conveys a determination and a hope for a future on the horizon for his people, Angelou’s verse shows an individual battle of will. It has a spiritual component, but she seems more in control of her own destiny. No doubt, this singular rise above adversity can be seen as a metaphor for the African-American people. It can also transcend race and apply to anyone’s fight to overcome adversity. Actually, that shows some progress towards a goal of trans-racial unity. Angelou’s ability to address people in the dominant culture with the same words those in the African-American minority shows some sort of common ground in discourse. If one believes that words are the key to understanding (which I do), this is a big step. [CaL]

Topic 3: A Reworking of the American Dream

            The American Dream is an idea instilled in (middle class) American children before most can even speak. Many young adults can trace their ancestry back to Ellis Island and are very aware of how hard their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents have had to work in order to move up in American society. An alternative to immigrant ancestry is having predecessors who were present at the birth of our nation. The mentality of the founding fathers was even more deeply rooted in The American Dream. These men believed that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This excerpt from The Declaration of Independence summarizes The American Dream. All men start at same point in life no matter where or to whom they are born and it is up to them to pursue happiness should they desire it. It could not be more eloquently put than “[t]his dream hinges on the notion of individual merit” (Sample Midterm 2004 TNK). No one can stand in a person’s way if they want it bad enough, but also your happiness is only up to you; if you fail it is only your fault.

            There is one hitch to The American Dream described in The Declaration of Independence: this dream is selective. These “unalienable Rights” are only reserved for men, and white men at that. So, where does this leave the minority groups, the groups that were forced into this country and stripped of all their rights? These groups are forced to take a hard look at The American Dream and rework it into something attainable. For African Americans, the result of this revision is The Dream. The Dream emphasizes the setbacks that the African American people face but the persistent need to rise again. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is the most widely known expression of this philosophy. In King’s speech he exclaims that he has “a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.” He continually speaks of the need to rise again. In his speech Dr. King is in no way demeaning The American Dream. He does not attempt to negate the relevance of it or wish it away. He is simply creating an alternative for his people and all of the people of our nation. He even states that many white men “have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.” Though many refused to believe it, The American Dream was not working. It was once originated as a highly positive concept in our history, but after time began to be advantageous to a select few. Though some would violently counteract this argument it is true that The American Dream itself morphed into something foreign when it ceased to reach out to all citizens of this nation. So, the dream of the man from Bread Givers by “the end of the week…was in business for himself” and The American Dream of many other immigrants becomes null and void almost immediately after its creation. The Dream is originated for African Americans, but if all destinies are tied together, it could possibly be a successful alternative for the nation as a whole. . . . [EN]

As represented in this course and by Dr. Martin Luther King, “[the] dream…deeply rooted in the American Dream, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed”, are seemingly intertwined, yet obviously contradictory. It is contradictory due to the remainder of the previously mentioned quote, “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Dr. King’s dream of equality stems from a similar desire for freedom. He even points out the obvious paradox in the Declaration of Independence with the phrase “created equal”. The establishment of freedom for new Americans was often ownership of land and property, which included slaves. The American Dream entails the progression from being a European minority, yet the very idea of being American often involved subjecting other men and women to similar, yet far worse, oppression. It would seem the desire of early Americans the pursue the American Dream consequently led to The Dream. . . . [BMcD]

The American Dream vs. The Dream

            What is the “American Dream”?  Who can give a perfect definition of it?  These are questions that linger in the minds of many African-Americans.  Most people define the “American Dream” as the beautiful, two-car garage home, surrounded by a white-picket fence, two kids (a boy and a girl), a pet and a happy pair of parents.  However, what if you have to create your own dream?  Is it still the “American Dream”, or just that; a dream?

            In the excerpt of the Breadgivers, the author gives off the effect that all a person has to do is have the drive and determination to work hard, and they will reap the rewards of the “American Dream”.  In the excerpt, the author states that the young man, jumps off the boat that brought him to America and began working, without knowing the pay.  A day later he began working with an older man, feeling that he was accomplishing his dreams, slowly but surely. The young man eventually owns his own his own chain of clothes stores.

             However this dream becomes tainted in the eyes of many minorities.  Such was the case for Frederick Douglass, who began working after becoming a free man, yet was harassed, tormented, and assaulted due to his desire to work and the color of his skin.  Just as the author of the Sample Midterm of 2007 stated in “The American Dream vs. The Dream”, the Dream is the American Dream with a catch.  A minority must remain determined and diligent in reaping the rewards for their hard work, because of the hardships that come their way due to their race. . . [CL]

. . . In the slave narrative Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl, all the narrator wanted was her freedom, her American dream consisted of being able to live free with her family. Unfortunately her dream was overshadowed by her owner’s American dream. . . . [AT]