“…for his children he tried to offer more-an assortment of clothes for his daughter, lots of toys for his sons. He denied his wife nothing, but she was a woman who asked for little”, page 304. I grew up with parents who believed in Juan’s morality and have raised me to believe in the same as well. There came a time in his life that Romero wanted more than what he had, which made sense considering the fact that most people are often out to attain better things in life than the ones they already have. Juan began to realize he didn’t need anything better to live a better life.
Rudy’s father believes following dreams only causes heartache. “Chasing a stupid dream causes you and everyone around you heartache.” Rudy’s desire to not be like everyone in his family drives him to leave his home for South Bend, Indiana. Rudy’s says to his father, “I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE FRANK OR JOHN!” Rudy’s father believes that just working a good job at the mill and raising a family should be enough. Frank is miserable working at the mill and does not understand Rudy’s obsession with attending Notre Dame and playing football. His constant negativity towards Rudy only seems to make Rudy stronger in his convictions.
Landon Howard The American Dream I have known of the American dream for most of my life but never really understood it. However through reading books, and reading articles and watching shows, and discussing with my classmates, I have come to know more and more about the American dream. Being an American citizen I see the American dream being achieved but also it not being achieved all the time. So many people are living happily, when also so many others who couldn’t achieve their dream live unhappily and not believing in the American dream. People around the world see the American Dream in all different ways, but all thoughts of it include the person achieving happiness.
All Americans Do Is Work Everyone wants to live the American Dream. According to Dictionary.com the American Dream is, “a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.” Everyone seeks to achieve a life of happiness and material comfort but it seems Americans are taking the hard road there. Most Americans work longer, get less vacation, and don’t really get to enjoy their lunch. With longer workweeks and slivers of vacation most Americans are not living the American Dream, but dreaming about the American Dream. No one wants to live in a country where he or she would have to work more than needed.
Personal Identity is Permanent Most people identify themselves, or are identified, in one way for all of their lives. It is only when one comes from a troubled past that they may try to change who they are, especially when they were born poor. It is a sad circumstance to think of someone trying to escape the grasps of their social class to move up in the world because it is simply impossible. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby embellishes this idea entirely as well as Joseph Butler’s essay Of Personal Identity. Through the duration of their lives, Myrtle and Gatsby try to escape their true identity using money, which Fitzgerald demonstrates using symbolism and setting.
Gatsby is closely related to the American Dream, which is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. Gatsby comes from a poor background and due to social inequality, he was unable to marry the love of his life, Daisy. This drives Gatsby do anything to move up the social ladder and partake in illegal activities to do so. Although in the end, “The Great Gatsby’s meditation on The American Dream is the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach”, regarding Gatsby’s introduction, with him reaching out towards the green light. – (Wulick, 2016)3 In the book, Jay Gatsby, the character, is so unfathomable, so much a conjecture of the novel's narrator, and yet Leonardo DiCaprio makes him understandable and genuine.
He is thoughtful one moment and conniving the next; he's willing to sacrifice for his family, but he's also willing sacrifice someone else's family for the benefit of his own, and he is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions. “All my sons” is about living the American Dream. Joe has the house in the suburbs after WWII, has the perfect child, lives in the perfect neighborhood, and shares his life with the perfect neighbours. What Joe perceives as perfection was bought on lies and deceit. His feeling of family loyalty is based on disloyalty to others.
Family Matters No two families are alike. Each family member has their own characteristics, problems and identity’s, but regardless of each individuals differences families should be there to support one another, learn from each other’s mistakes, and mold each individual to become a better person in life. This idea of family came from my own personal experiences with mine. They are truly everything to me and without them I would not be the person I am today. It is unfortunate that many people will never know what it truly feels like to be part of loving family.
history has taught us any lesson from our past, we have always been dishonest to one and another for our personal satisfaction. It is our dishonesty that occasionally gets us in a respectful position in our society that we normally would not be able to achieve. Over the years, I have developed profound dislike towards people that are dishonest. Our society has evolve so much for the past few decades, that perfection is only way that we can strive to be the best in what we do. Our generation is under heavy pressure than our parents or our grand-parents to achieve more in live.
I want my children to have all the things I could not have when I was a young child. I want this degree, because I strive and pray every day to have the American Dream, because my parents and grandparents never had the chance to ever reach for the American Dream. Motivation is important for student success, because motivation gives you the power to get what you want and achieve your goals. It was one time in life I lost my motivation, and I saw myself as a very lazy un-motivated person. I cannot speak for everyone, and I apologize if I offend anyone, but I feel a person without motivation is a somewhat lazy person.