Impossible Dreams: The American Dream

822 Words4 Pages

Impossible Dreams The meaning of the American Dream can be seen as ”A uniquely American vision of the country consisting of three central ideas. The American dream consists of a belief in America as the new Eden- a land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promise; a feeling of optimism, created by ever expanding opportunity; and a confidence in the triumph of the individual.” Using this definition of the so called “American dream”, it seems to be a great representation of it at first, until you realize it includes everyone as the individual. From the beginning of the Civil war to the end of the War to End All Wars, the American Dream wasn’t possible due to the treatment of the Native Americans, the inequality between women and men, and the false promises given to the immigrants coming to our country in their time of need. The way the old …show more content…

On the inscription, it reads as “I lift my lamp beside the golden door” in the final line. This is supposed to be a metaphorical gateway to a better life but the immigrants and refugees were instead treated to prejudice due to their race, voices and skin tone. Another excerpt from the inscription on Lady Liberty reads “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.” This seems to paint an accepting country as the idea of America when in reality, when the immigrants were done being processed and allowed into America, these already hurt and exhausted people were introduced to an unaccepting country that wished to throw them aside, making it very hard for any of then to find jobs and live like an equal human to the rest of the population. The way that the “free country of America” treated the immigrants is a sharp and stinging contrast to the American Dream that this country seems to promise