Baldwin's My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew
Does the American Dream belong to every one or does it exclude some individuals? The American Dream is a very powerful force that molds America. It has existed for many generations but has it changed over time? The foundation of the Dream tends to stay the same that is the pursuit of happiness, hope, freedom, justice and equality. The concepts within the American Dream should alter to fit the changes of society. The breakthroughs and obstacles that America overcomes should shift the American Dream. Society may see the American Dream as a dangerous power causing them to be scared to challenge the concepts of the traditional American Dream. Will society become dysfunctional if someone challenges the American Dream or will it make our country stronger and more diverse?
According to James Baldwin’s “My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to My Nephew” African Americans cannot obtain their piece of the American Dream. Baldwin wrote a letter to his nephew in hope of guiding him through life. Baldwin had many words of wisdom to share, mostly words provoked by pain and anger. Baldwin wanted to teach his nephew about the cruelty of society. His main point was to teach his nephew not to believe the white man and his words. He wanted to encourage his nephew to succeed in life but not to expect the unassailable. By believing the white man one can not succeed but by knowing where one comes from will lead to success was the foundation of Baldwin’s message (243-246).
When reading “My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew”, it was clear that Baldwin was not just writing a letter to his nephew but to society by interacting personal thoughts with public awareness.
Although Baldwin’s letter was addressed to his nephew, he intended for society as a whole to be affected by it. “This innocent country set you down in a getto in which, in fact, it intended that you should parish”(Baldwin 244). This is an innocent country, innocent only because they know not what they do. They discriminate the African American by expecting them to be worthless, by not giving them a chance to prove their credibility. Today African Americans are considered to be disesteemed in society. They are placed in this class before they are even born just like Royalty obtains their class before they are even conceived. We may think that this is a paradox but when d...
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...ow by forgiving the people who hurt him and Baldwin is trying to redeem Jesus’ example by forgiving the people who hurt him. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the chains that embodies mankind. Forgiveness could be thought of as the potion that unites America and brings equality to the redeemed world.
Although the American Dream is considered to be the link that binds society, there are some individuals that do not posses link to unit. The African Americans have been struggling for many years to obtain the piece of the American Dream, their place in America. Joseph Kennedy has frustration and anger built up while trying to find his place in America, “Goddamn it! I was born in this country! My children were born in this country! What the hell does someone have to do to become an American” (qtd. In Harris 369)? If someone challenges the concepts of the American Dream then maybe our country can unite. Do not fear the American Dream, yes it is a powerful force that molds society but each individual controls the power. If one does not believe in the American Dream then the power of the Dream is weakened. Would America unite and become equal if someone challenges the American Dream?
Baldwin’s father died a broken and ruined man on July 29th, 1943. This only paralleled the chaos occurring around him at the time, such as the race riots of Detroit and Harlem which Baldwin describes to be as “spoils of injustice, anarchy, discontent, and hatred.” (63) His father was born in New Orleans, the first generation of “free men” in a land where “opportunities, real and fancied, are thicker than anywhere else.” (63) Although free from slavery, African-Americans still faced the hardships of racism and were still oppressed from any opportunities, which is a factor that led Baldwin’s father to going mad and eventually being committed. Baldwin would also later learn how “…white people would do anything to keep a Negro down.” (68) For a preacher, there was little trust and faith his father ...
The American Dream is something common to most individuals, however it's one thing that everybody views in several ways. The American Dream is totally different for everybody, however they share a number of a similar aspects of it. The dream relies mainly on the setting of wherever one lives and one‘s social status. for instance, The Declaration of Independence was by Thomas Jefferson, who was an upper class white male. He needed freedom, however freedom for people like himself that were white land owning people. martin luther King, in his I have a Dream speech, also demanded freedom, but mostly for African Americans like him. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in his book the great Gatsby, that he wants to eliminate the rich, which he was a section of. every American Dream is somewhat totally different, however all of them relate to the days that one lives in.
The Grapes of Wrath displays one of America’s greatest stumbles during the establishment of our country. The story follows a family hit with the struggles of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Drought, economic hardship, agricultural changes, and bank foreclosures rip the Joads from the quaint town of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, forcing them to take the dreadful journey across the country. Nevertheless, the Joads drag their feet along the trodden path, dragged on by an unassured perseverance. The Joads were driven by a burning fire of desperation, grounded by the hope promised by orange handbills laden with the deceitful lies of the rapacious. For the hopeless seek hope, an elusive destiny sated by lying promises. Steinbeck’s unique style of writing inculcates an abortive hope in the minds of the readers, instilling a lust for the untouched and unloved land which in turn reveals the impossibility of the “American Dream”; through complex symbols and innovative themes, Steinbeck also educates the ignorant, blinded by the vague history books that blot out the full intensity of the calamities and suffering endured by hopeful Okies on their treacherous journey into the unknown.
Before the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many people accepted school segregation and, in most of the southern states, required segregation. Schools during this time were supposed to uphold the “separate but equal” standard set during the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson; however, most, if not all, of the “black” schools were not comparable to the “white” schools. The resources the “white” schools had available definitely exceed the resources given to “black” schools not only in quantity, but also in quality. Brown v. Board of Education was not the first case that assaulted the public school segregation in the south. The title of the case was shortened from Oliver Brown ET. Al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The official titled included reference to the other twelve cases that were started in the early 1950’s that came from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The case carried Oliver Brown’s name because he was the only male parent fighting for integration. The case of Brown v. Board o...
Baldwin begins his essay with a recount of his childhood, growing up black in a nation which considered itself white. Baldwin explains the uphill battle fought by every American Negro, how many “were clearly headed for the Avenue” (Baldwin 296) of whores, pimps, and racketeers. Baldwin argues that the American Negro was doomed to remain in the same state in which he or she was brought into the world, just as “girls were destined to gain as much weight as their mothers, the boys … would rise no higher than their fathers” (Baldwin 298). Even an education would not rescue one from “the man’s” oppression. The man, of course, is the white man who “would never, by the operation of any generous human feel...
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1951-1954), which was originally named after Oliver Brown, was a United States Supreme Court case that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson decision and ended tolerance of racial segregation. The Plessy v. Fergusion decision upheld the constitutionality of segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine. *****
Baldwin poses that Blackness determines your circumstances from birth. “This innocent country set you down in a ghetto in which, in fact, it intended that you should perish…. You were born
From slavery being legal, to its abolishment and the Civil Rights Movement, to where we are now in today’s integrated society, it would seem only obvious that this country has made big steps in the adoption of African Americans into American society. However, writers W.E.B. Du Bois and James Baldwin who have lived and documented in between this timeline of events bringing different perspectives to the surface. Du Bois first introduced an idea that Baldwin would later expand, but both authors’ works provide insight to the underlying problem: even though the law has made African Americans equal, the people still have not.
The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been accepted as possible by the majority of citizens in this country. This “dream” cannot be true, as there are multiple discriminations in this country, which make it impossible for everyone to have the same chance to succeed. Biases against racial minorities, women, and citizens from lower social classes are examples of just a few reasons that everyone does not have the same chance to succeed in our current economic and social system in America, resulting in unequal chances to achieve “the American Dream.”
The Grapes of Wrath may offer greater detail and a never-ending amount of "immersive" interchapters, however, Mumford and Sons jumps straight to the point, stating the facts through the lyrics and tone of the music (Mumford and Sons, Steinbeck). While we do lose the detailed oriented interchapters that describes small conflicts and interactions, we are presented with a more appetizing and digestible offering of a great
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
They are the Total Health Show and the Whole Life Expo. Total Health Show currently hosts 200 exhibits specifically catering to the natural healthy lifestyle, 60 international speakers and attracts around 20,000 people. This event will earn the highest profit ($4585) with a cost of $1400 and $5985 in sales. This event also requires a deposit of 20% at the time of booking. The show that offers the next highest return is the Whole Life Expo. They are currently the largest showcase of natural health and green living products and services. They also attract 200 exhibitors and 90 speakers in a three-day event held at at the end of November. This event will earn the second highest profit ($3438) out of the four available options, earning sales of $4788 and costs of $1350. Another reason why we feel Whole Life Expo to be the best, besides Total Health Show, is because they are the cheapest for the brand to attend. With the remaining three shows all offering the same return on investment, choosing the one, which costs the least, makes the most financial
The American dream is an ambiguous notion, each person with their own unique opinion based on their current circumstance and past experiences. In my opinion, the American dream is about achieving happiness and contentment through pursuing one's personal fulfillment and validating one's self-worth, where one can achieve their fullest according to their capabilities and be recognized for their accomplishments, disregarding their race, ethnicity, or social status. The American Dream, although not easily acquired, is achievable through hard work and dedication. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, “I Have a Dream”, and John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, exemplify their personal views on this ambiguous subject.
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” (MLK) These are the words of Martin Luther King himself. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. said that he too had a dream, and I would consider it a great view of the American Dream. But, what if his dream was something totally different than someone else’s dream? Is the American Dream different than it use to be, or is it changing? These are questions that we must all ask ourselves as we live here in America. I believe that education, business, and technology are major aspects that drive the American Dream, and that the American Dream is changing for the worst for middle and lower class Americans.
The American Dream is known to give people opportunity and a chance for a fuller life, filled with equality. The American Dream is what thousands of people have come to America for. But what if the American Dream isn’t all it is cracked up to be? In the United States, we are told if you work hard you will see the benefits and get the rewards you deserve. In some cases that is true, but for people who aren’t white males, that statement falls short.