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Born To Run Poem Analysis

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The American Dream is defined as the ideal that every U.S citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity. To others the American dream may be significantly different which is seen in “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, that is significantly evident in the Gravediggaz - “Diary of a Madman” or explained by Etheridge Knight in “Hard Rock”. In this essay, we’ll compare what song and poetry tell us about the American Dream by examining works by songwriter Bruce Springsteen, the hip hop group Gravediggaz, and writer Etheridge Knight. In “Born to Run”, by Bruce Springsteen, the American dream is almost described as a death trap or a never ending obstacle that is impossible to reach. In Springsteen's song “Born to Run”, the importance of the American dream is evident in lines 1 and 2 when …show more content…

The views on society is significant when it is described as being able to change someone's personality until they act the way society wants them to. In lines 1 and 2 Knight gives us the general perception of Hard Rock when stating “Hard Rock / was / “Known not to take no shit / From nobody,” and he had the scars to prove it.” Meaning that Hard Rock was a tough individual who knew how to stand up for himself when he needed to. In lines 8-10 the confirmation of Hard Rock begins when Etheridge states “... The doctors had bored a hole in his head / cut out part of his brain, and shot electricity / Through the rest….” Therefore meaning the doctors that should helping Hard Rock are actually conforming him to a certain standard that is accepted. One Hard Rock returned “The testing came, to see if Hard Rock was really tame. / A hillbilly called him a black son of a bitch / And didn't lose his teeth,....” After Hard Rock returned he was to to test to see if he had really changed to the way that the doctors or society wanted him to

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Etheridge Knight “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from the Hospital for the Criminal Insane” is about a man who stands against the workers of the jail. Hard Rock also represents how people struggle with police authority. The prisoner felt like Hard Rock saved them from a lot while in prison. The line “He had been our Destroyer, the doer of things” (504) talks about how Hard Rock destroyed the people for the prisoners. Hard Rock does things that the other prisoners would not imagine doing because of his reputation o f being violent.

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1610 Words | 7 Pages

The concept of the American Dream has borne change since its conception in 1776, with the Declaration of Independence referencing men’s unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its definition to the American people and its attainability is conditional upon the period it is prevalent in. In general, the American Dream refers to the idea that every American has the equality, freedom, and opportunity to strive. Many classic pieces of American Literature highlight this concept in a way that is most pertinent to the period they were written in. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, specifically highlights a more modern time period, from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.

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Advertised as the land of the free and a beacon of hope and opportunity, America is a nation where a single ideal has drawn masses of immigrants who conquer difficulties. When one ideal has shaped the history of an entire nation, one must ponder the meaning of the American Dream. The American Dream manifests itself in Christopher McCandless’s journey to the West as chronicled by Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild. It weaves itself into the fabric of every American story, such as that of Maya Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Moreover, it finds itself voiced by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”.

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He highlights how dreaming something into reality is difficult and the American Dream isn’t isn’t very achievable now. The last line shows how the American Dream is almost an imagination because of how unachievable and hard it is. He uses the words “dreams we’ve dreamed” to leave a lasting impression and thought on the reader. Competition is hard to beat and finding something unique to make a living isn’t the easiest thing to do. Everyone tries to achieve their ultimate American Dream, usually coming out unsuccessful.

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808 Words | 4 Pages

Explication of ' "Hard Rock Returns to Prison” In the society, people focus much on heroes to see whether they will fall or remain as heroes. The poem ‘Hard Rock Returns to Prison...’ is a narrative tale of life in prison. ‘Hard Rock’ is a hero in the prisons. Every member of the prison are out to see how he has lost his lobotomy.

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785 Words | 4 Pages

In “I hear America singing” by Langston Hughes we see the American dream depicted as the American Dream for Blacks in a time of segregation and

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855 Words | 4 Pages

The Failure of the American Dream in the Context of The Great Gatsby Sun Seo Jeon 전순서 20140880 The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, which is a belief that anyone, regardless of their social class and the situation they are born into, is given opportunities to achieve their own version of success. It is emphasized that American dream is achieved through sacrifice and hard work, not just by chance. This meant to motivate Americans to attain prosperity and happiness. However, there is an ironic interplay between idealism and materialism in this statement of American Dream; the dream suggests hope, opportunity and equality, but in reality, it is to become rich and of higher social status, which is only

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The name Tough Little Boys, a country song by Gary Allan, sends a message to those who are going to listen to it, that this is about how boys or any males should act. The automatic assumption just seeing the title of this song is that it is going to tell boys they must be tough. Although once actually listening to the song one realizes that it is, in fact, talking about how males should act, but it isn’t strictly talking about how a man should be tough. It is actually highlighting a very emotional part of a man’s life and it is celebrating it. The overall message that Gary Allan is trying to send his listeners is that that men should still be tough and strong, but they must also have a soft spot for their children.

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The picture perfect life that the American Dream promotes is unrealistic and superficial because money is unable to fill the void of happiness or love. Contrary to earlier days, we now life in a time when even a strong work-ethic does not guarantee money, success or opportunities. While many are so ensorcelled by the illusions of the American Dream, we often fail to realize its falsity and constraints. Whether financially or socially, the society coaxes in the unsuspecting American dreamer, only to then spit them out in a wave of despair, failure and hopelessness. As demonstrated by numerous non-conformist individuals, the Dream lies not in the realm of materialism but rather in that of the intangible; often requiring an extreme leap of faith

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This song tells about how misfortunate the life of an orphan can be, so I feel that this song fits perfectly with the lives of the Baudelaire children. The lyrics mainly talk about the life of an orphan, so I feel like this is the song for them since they had lost their parents and became orphans. The repeating line of “It’s the hard knock life for us” relates to the children’s terrible, unlucky life and

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In The Epic of America in 1931, Adams argues that the American Dream is “the dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable” (Adams 404). While Adams admits that material success is a part that defines the dream, he stresses that the most

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1138 Words | 5 Pages

The American Dream is often known to be a great thing, giving new lives and jobs to immigrants, but are their lives really better in The United States? Chimamanda Adichie reveals how The American Dream is not what it seems to be in “The Thing Around Your Neck.” Her short story follows the life of Akunna as she deals with all of the hardships like stereotypes, racism, and the struggles of finding a comfortable life that come from moving to the United States. From all of these hardships, the reader thinks about whether The American Dream is still relevant, and about if The American Dream still takes place today. Through the characterization of Akunna’s boyfriend as an inconsiderate person on the inside and the symbolism of the fortune cookies, Adichie implies that The American Dream is an illusion and lie towards people coming in from other countries.

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A Song Without Lyrics * The American Dream is like “a song without lyrics.” * Every American Dream is different. In both John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and in S.E Hinton’s

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1826 Words | 8 Pages

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