Rhetorical Analysis Of The Right To Failure

The Pursuit of an American Dream

In many recent discussions the issue of whether or not there is an American Dream to “…the tired, the poor, the huddled masses.” is undecided. The idealistic portrayal of our nation in early American literature is still accurate today. On one hand, some argue that America is still the “Land of Opportunity.” This is where people can be born into poverty and still end up wealthy and successful. On the other hand many people have lost hope in the American Dream, they believe that this kind of an opportunity does not exist anymore. The American Dream is someone reaching his or her full potential, becoming successful, or finding happiness. Although some people may have to work harder than others to achieve this dream, it is still feasible and practical for everyone. For example Barack Obama became President, Curtis Akiens learned how to read and got a good paying job, and Thomas Hoving was successful after being a High School dropout.

In President Barack Obama’s “Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention,” he speaks about how life was for his grandfather and how his

William emphasizes that dropping out of high school or college does not mean you are going to fail at life. For example William talks about a man named Thomas P.E. Hoving who was New Yorks former park commissioner and became the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. William says “Hoving was a dropout’s dropout, entering and leaving schools as if they were motels, often at the request of the management.” (88). This obviously did not stop him form getting to where he is today. Due to his hard work and perseverance Hoving was still able to achieve his American Dream. William says, “Maybe we are learning again to cherish this right of every person to succeed on his own terms and to fail as often as necessary along the