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Summaries of Stories in Junot Diaz's 'Drown'

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The Many Themes and Binaries of Drown by Junot Diaz: My Take In Drown by Junot Diaz are many themes and many binaries that Diaz uses to convey a certain message. The message being the harsh reality immigrants go through and the lives of Latinos in U.S. specifically in the East Coast. Particularly in the two short stories that I am choosing are “Edison, New Jersey” and “Negocios”. These two have very similar themes, but for both of them what really stood out was the theme of money. Both of these main characters of the stories are driven by their hunger for money. They would do anything to have the taste of the good life. Papi, specifically, in “Negocios” does not care who he hurts all he really cares about at then end of the day is himself. …show more content…

Which ties into the whole money theme like to Papi the American Dream is to have a lot of money and to be successful for none other than himself. Symbolically Nilda, Papi 's other wife, represents the American Dream. She lets Papi stay at her home rent free and in a lot of ways lets Papi live as comfortably as possible. Nilda’s home is paradise, “A week later he was back at her house, grating coconuts and talking in English” (185) this quote demonstrates the fact that Papi can just come back to Nilda and everything will be okay. When someone thinks of America they think of freedom and that is what Nilda gives Papi, freedom to do what he wants. Additionally, an instance that happened in “Edison, New Jersey” also reminded me the way people look at the US. “I open my eyes and see that Wayne is still waiting. Edison, I say, pressing my thumb down. Edison, New Jersey” (140). This quote is showing the character literally opening his eyes which when you open your eyes you typically see the light. Thomas Edison was known for his invention of the lightbulb which is literally light. As I mentioned before, the city represents a new hope and the US is seen that way for many

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The American dream, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful. The passage sees Richard Rodriguez describing a past Christmas experience. Rodriguez uses language and details about his siblings, parents, and himself to suggest the American dream of material success. Rodriguez comments on the American dream of material success using language and details about his siblings. Rodriguez immediately begins by letting the reader know that his two sisters “are business executives.”

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The American dream is a theme of the book from the very first few pages. Kennedy’s family on both his father’s and his mother’s sides trace their roots to Irish immigrants who came to America for a better life. Most of the time when people talk about the “American dream,” they don’t know that they’re talking about. Both sides of the aisle use it at irrelevant times, when it’s buzzword nothing crap. But it’s simpler than you’d think.

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The view of the American Dream is different for everyone. The Epic Journey, by James Truslow Adams, views the American Dream as a dream of attaining one’s fullest stature regardless of one’s social status. Similarly, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s American Dream relates to Adam’s dream but limited to materialistic wealth- a dream that seeks for motor cars, higher wages, and to impress the people of high status. Both Adams and Gatsby believe that everyone has an equal chance of achieving their dream. Adams says “The dream is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”.

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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 symbol to the American ideology.

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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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Mr. Junot Díaz’s paper titled “The Money” is a paper about the struggles of growing up as a Dominican, or less specifically an immigrant, in America. The paper offers a brief gimps into Mr. Díaz’s life as a young man, it shows his family structure and his neighborhood structure. It shows the type of people he had to deal with growing up and how he handled the way these people acted. The point of the text is to show how Mr. Díaz lived as a young man though one specific life experience.

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The American dream is an illusion that is deeply implanted in the minds of the people, it sets a bar for life achievement and offers hope to work hard to achieve their dreams. As for Americans, they are raised in a society to where they are expected to make lots money and to have a healthy family. After all in our society success is largely based off positions of power and financial stability. For example, in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there were multiple interpretations of the ideal American dream in the 1920s. In the 1920s, due to the growth of materialism, people advertised and fancied the power of money to fulfilling their dreams.

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