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Compare And Contrast Zitkala And Mary Antin

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America has often been referred to as the land of dreams by many different cultures. The early nineteen hundreds gave the margins of society a different perspective on what the American dream consisted of. The idea of the American dream is central to Zitkala-Sa’s Impressions of an Indian Childhood and Mary Antin’s The Promised Land. America is seen as a land that offers opportunity, equality, liberty and happiness. America is essentially the symbol of a better life. Zitkala-Sa and Mary Antin both approach this nation with the same hope, however, upon arrival, Mary Antin’s experience is positive, while Zitkala-Sa’s is much more painful. Mary Antin and Zitkala-Sa overcome obstacles to achieve the American dream. Through the act of storytelling, …show more content…

This introduces the idea that even education was free. Being apart of the American education system was a transformative process for Antin as it gave room to fulfill an American dream. Education offers Mary the ability to forge a new self and shape her own future; thus it unlocks the door to “The Promised Land.” Antin becomes aware that an education represents more than just learning; it represents Americanization. Americanization to Mary means being able to share the same values and customs as all her American friends. An education was something that couldn’t be denied from her. Antin is led into a classroom that represents pride, joy, and ambition. This room exudes a comfortable excited atmosphere: “I was led into the schoolroom, with it’s sunshine and its singing and the teacher’s cheery smile” (Antin 948). This first day shows that Antin doesn’t have to make a hasty transition from a child to an adult; however, she is allowed to remain youthful and slowly progress into a person that will have an impact on the world. She was able to fulfill a life in America while her father and sister, Frieda, weren’t given that opportunity. Frieda and her father gave up this opportunity in order for Mary and her younger siblings to gain …show more content…

Zitkala-Sa was eager to enter the white man’s world. She expresses a willingness and curiosity to go to a “more beautiful country” than where she already lived (Zitkala-Sa 45). She is told that there is a “great tree” that grew red apples and she would be able to “reach out [her] hands and pick all the red apples [she] could eat” (Zitkala-Sa 46). It was her curiosity about the “red apples” and the “iron horse” that give Zitkala-Sa the desire to go to Eastern America. Her mother tries to warn Zitkala-Sa that while the “palefaces” words are sweet, “their deeds are bitter” (Zitkala-Sa 46). At eight years old, Zitkala-Sa wanted to see the “wonderful Eastern land” and it was then that she set off on her journey (Zitkala-Sa

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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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Mary Rowlandson and her children were taken captive in 1676 during a war between the settlers and the Indians. Throughout her narrative she explains in detail what it was like living with the Indians for eleven weeks and how she adapted to their world. She wanted to document her journey as a Puritan to show what it was like to have the wrath of God upon you. Zitkala-Sa was brought up in a traditional Sioux manner and was expected to stay on the reservation as she grew up. However, compelling white men visited her reservation convincing children to come back to the land of red apples with them.

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1029 Words | 5 Pages

The Grapes of Wrath In this novel written by John Steinbeck, achieving “The American Dream” is the main goal for families of Oklahoma who are struggling. The book introduces you to the Joad family and their perspectives on how difficult it was to survive and remain positive throughout their journey to California. Tom and Ma Joad are the two main characters whose opinions and thoughts differ from one another because of their gender. Men and women tend to view things differently and this is witnessed when men are more arrogant, compared to rational women. Tom Joad is the most troubled character throughout the entire story.

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484 Words | 2 Pages

Within Ellis Island by Joseph Bruchac, On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley, and Europe and America by David Ignatow there are different views of what the American Dream is and what it means to immigrants. Each author writes about their own experience of immigration and life in America, which shapes their view of the American dream. The common theme between the three poems is the variable nature of the American dream and how it has different meanings for each person coinciding with contradictions between leisure and suffering.

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Literary Analysis: Exploring American Identity Introduction This essay compares “In response to executive order 9066” (poem) by Dwight Okita to “Mericans” (short story) by Sandra Cisneros. Specifically, the essay explores the central theme of American identity in the two literary works. The “Mericans” is about a little girl who has a story about the new world and the old world. In this case, the new world is America.

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Mobility is a New Perspective of the World Richard N. Coe writes in When the Grass Was Taller that “mobility is of the very essence of the Childhood” (17) which is proven by the 3 essays “Impressions of an Indian Childhood,” “The School Days of an Indian Girl,” “An Indian Teacher among Indians,” and “Why I Am a Pagan.” by Zitkala-Sa, the book Black Boy by Richard Wright, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou which all exemplify that mobility is what makes this genre, childhood narrative so captivating and vivid. Coe says those who live their life in the same place can’t separate their adulthood from childhood. They only experience a comfortable familiar mode whereas in these 3 texts they have not only experienced the regularities of a childhood but encountered abnormalities Zitkala-Sa begins her essay as a girl on the reservation.

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793 Words | 4 Pages

The American Dream is a delusion that still lingers till this day. Usually the dream depicts wealth along with things such as power, and, love, while climbing to the top. There are many variations of the idea throughout time but the most common one is based on ideas of self-reliance, freedom, and to strive for something greater. Many people dreamed of starting small and growing big living a prosperous life. This however had gradually altered into a materialistic lifestyle of glamorous cars, enormous houses, and overall carefree.

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The “American Dream” is defined as the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. However, to one impoverished woman, it seemed like exactly that: a dream. That woman, Anzia Yezierska, addressed this in her book Hungry Hearts when she wrote “Like all people who have nothing, I lived on dreams.” (114) Anzia Yezierska addressed this in her book Hungry Hearts when she wrote “Like all people who have nothing, I lived on dreams.” (114) Yezierska was a Jewish-American novelist born in Plotsk, a Russian-Polish village, between 1880 and 1885, who emigrated with her family to New York in 1898.

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The American Dreamer The American Dream means so much to so many, but in very different ways. If you surveyed individuals to get a definition of the American Dream, I’m certain that the answers would be very diverse. This I attribute to the Dream being an individual thing and not one that can be defined by all individuals in the same manner.

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When America was built, its character and identity was established by The Declaration of Independence, providing its citizens equality, liberty, and equal opportunity. The premise of the composition of USA became known as the American Dream, with the aspiration that one’s achievement is not constrained by his/her social class or fortune but is determined by endeavor. This delusion of harmony was greatly contradicted by two novels: The Crucible and The Grapes of Wrath. In The Crucible, under constant hallucination of evil and corruptness, people for their own greediness began making false accusations on each other.

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Zitkala-Sa a Native American activist who fought against white American. In her fiction story Zitkala-Sa uses her personal perspective; to display the struggles between Native American and whites. In ‘’ impressions of an Indian childhood’’, she portrays the changes of their language whose the white man forced Native American to speak, being taken away from her mother which depicts families torn apart in this struggle and being isolated from her cultural roots, which many Native American experienced in order to assimilate white American culture. Zitkala-Sa doesn’t agree or like the changes that her people are facing. she isn’t ready to follow the rules and the structure that has been set in place by the American.

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1060 Words | 5 Pages

No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important

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James Truslow Adams defines the American Dream as the “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (The American Dream). An idea sought after by millions of people is the American Dream; they believe there is a reward for hard work and that that reward is happiness and prosperity. The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, and The Crucible are all works, which portray the pursuit and destruction of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby’s American dream was to marry the woman he loved. This is evident throughout the novel; Gatsby is determined to transform his life from dirt to diamonds all to be a suitable man for Daisy.

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1817 Words | 8 Pages

There is a place that most can only dream of, where anyone may come to escape their troubles to start again. Coming to America was such a place for many immigrants that were coming from all over the world. Escaping persecution of religion or social status America came off to be a safe haven. This was the reason for American literature work like The promise land by Mary Antin. She portrayed America as a place that is as magical as Disney World.

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The American Dream is based on the “Declaration of Independence”: We believe that all men are born with this inalienable right-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Thomas Jefferson). This American Dream consists of a belief that in America, all men can achieve anything if they work hard enough, it means all things are possible to all American men regardless of birth or wealth. On the other hand, Miller believes that people have been misguided and his play, Death of a Salesman, is an example of this.

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