LITR 4332 American Minority Literature 2013 Student Midterm Samples midterm assignment #3. Web Highlights

William Owen

Response to Midterms: The Dream deferred for Many

            Slavery has been around for thousands of years. From east to west millions of people have at been under the cruel bondage. Forced to work for other men, the slave has to say good bye to all of his hopes and dreams in life in order to help fulfill the dream of other people’s acquiring success. Fortunately America made the practice illegal in 1865 but it would take over 100 years for the descendants of the victims of slavery here in America to begin to be treated half way decently. In deciding to write about the difference between the American Dream and the Dream Martin Luther King had in mind, I chose to review three student essays to see what I could learn from them. While I agree with these essays for the most part, I also believe that Karl Marx might have a point about the elite suppressing the have nots which make the Dream spread to many different people groups.

We have all heard of the American Dream in fact it is embedded into most Americans as we go out into the workforce to search for a better life. As stated in one of the essays it is based on success of an individual within one’s lifetime. While the American dream is quite different than The Dream, the American Dream is somewhat a deferred dream for many as well. While true, many have obtained it many more people are still searching for it themselves. However, while The Dream was oppressed by Anglo-Americans, the American Dream is as Marx would suggest suppressed by the bourgeoisie. Never the less one must admit that fulfilling the American Dream is much easier than achieving The Dream which as the author of the Midterm Essay topic 2 2004 states “takes into account the absence of inclusion in the Declaration of Independence.” That Martin Luther King had in mind that the African American should be included in.

             The same essay opened my eyes to what the American dream really is. Before reading it I thought the American Dream was only about striking it rich and having a house with white picket fences, however, one only has to be able to be able to pursue the big house in order to be living the American Dream. I got this view from prior knowledge of the subject and the story Bread Givers where the author states “But before waiting for an answer, I snatched up a shovel from a stack and dug into the snow. At the end of the day, when I was paid a dollar, I felt the riches of all America in my hand.” (p.2) However, the dream Martin Luther king was talking about is much more deep and much oppressed than the American Dream and could be considered, if you asked one of the rape victims during slavery as the American nightmare. In fact one could make a claim that the American Dream of the majority caused this nightmare. By the fact that the majority searched for a better life they took advantage of the minority in order to achieve their own American Dream. And while many people claim that the slaveholders used Christianity as an excuse Essay topic 3 2004 states that Linda made the remark that there was a difference between Christianity and the “religion of the south.” (p.2) I think this is important for the ill informed of the bible that think God was for slavery and against the American Dream.

One claim in the essays I read was the statement that “the dream is the American Dream with a catch because the American Dream does not include minorities”. (p.6) Maybe this was the case in the past but now this could not be further from the truth, there are millions of minorities living out the American Dream even as we speak and while the nation does have its share of racism, I do not think that the color code is the reason people have to keep dreaming the Dream. This is because I do not think that the Anglo-American race is the ones that are holding back The Dream from being fulfilled anymore. I come to this conclusion because I, as much as I do not like to admit it, think Marx is right and that now the elite are keeping the power to themselves and are careful who they distribute it to, and that now not only are African Americans still waiting for their dream to come true, but now many other races are being pulled into and forced to dream The Dream as well. I thank if Martin Luther King was alive today and saw part of his dream fulfilled he would have no choice but to see that even whites these day have a dream deferred.