ipl-logo

The American Dream Obstacles Essay

1175 Words5 Pages

The “American dream” is the belief that hard work and determination can lead to success regardless of background or circumstances. With this belief comes assumptions of what one might want to achieve; an assumption of what everyone wants. Of course, it is impossible for everyone to want the exact same thing and unrealistic to believe that everyone can achieve the same thing the same way given the diverse range of circumstances, ranging from financial hardships to discrimination and prejudice. The American dream is not every American's dream nor is achieving it the same experience for everyone. With the “American dream” comes flaws and unexpected setbacks and obstacles that inevitably lead to disillusionment. The “American dream” is simply …show more content…

The difficulty in reaching the American dream varies on the circumstances of the person and it is not the same experience for everyone. Born into slavery and denied any opportunity to learn like the other children, Douglass faced many obstacles. In his journey of education and escape he was the only person ultimately always there for himself. His experiences as a slave and even after escaping, the large gap between the “American dream” and actual reality is hard to miss. “I succeeded in learning to read and write.” (Douglass 85). This quote applies to the American dream because education plays a big role in the stereotypical American dream. Douglass didn’t have the same advantages as other children did and he still found a way to educate himself regardless of the situation he was in. The American dream is about being successful and even though Douglass was at a disadvantage because of the inequality in that time period, he was able to achieve one of the main goals when it comes to the American dream, education. “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing.” (Douglass 35). This quote demonstrates the hardships Douglass faced when it came to education. With the knowledge he gained came a sudden sense of awareness of the inequality and injustice he faced. This however did still feed his desire for freedom and motivate him later on to officially go through with his plan no matter what happened. Frederick Douglass faced many obstacles during his time as a slave including constant dehumanization. “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.” (Douglass 57). The amazing transformation he took from being dehumanized and treated like an animal to being assertive, even to his master, and eventually independent shows how the difficulty in reaching the American dream is always

Show More
Related
772 Words | 4 Pages

50 years later, a man who narrowly escaped his slavery would face the same challenge of establishing his free life in New York. He had endured cruel masters during his slave life, and traveled far to begin his free life without a job nor an education, his name was Frederick Douglass. Both of these men had weathered different slave conditions, Frederick experiencing

Read More
595 Words | 3 Pages

The American Dream is the guarantee of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and self-determination through hard work regardless of social categorization, as seen through McCandless’s pursuit of happiness, while

Read More
881 Words | 4 Pages

The American dream is a dream of land in which life should be better and richer for everyone. It’s a land where people succeed to accomplish their ambition of a better life. Most of the people have a different way of defining this American Dream. Unfortunately, for some, it could mean wealth,status,or power whereas for others it could mean companionship, good morals,love,and amity. According to our Declaration of Independence, it entitles every man and woman the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Read More
1325 Words | 6 Pages

In reading “The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass”, we are going to take an overview of a success of a slave man. A slave who was born into slavery, a slave who struggle for liberty, a slave who suffered the whipping and insults from his masters. Douglass lived a difficult childhood. In his early years, he separated from his mom and he was not able to see her, and the man that he calls him a father was his white master. In addition, Douglass faced many challenges in his life.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass puts into words the story of his escape from slavery and his journey of becoming a well-educated and inspiring freeman. Douglass’ voyage to freedom was highly influenced and aided by his self-education. Douglass offers two juxtaposing opinions of education & literacy in slave culture one being that education is the road to freedom from slavery the other being that education is what causes slavery to be so miserable. These conflicting viewpoints offer an interesting insight into the horrors of slavery. Douglass believes his education is what aided him in breaking free from the chains of slavery.

Read More
744 Words | 3 Pages

Ultimately, Frederick Douglass’s upbringing as a slave and his pursuit of education transformed him into an indomitable force against slavery. His early experiences as a child, his acquisition of literacy, and his subsequent dedication to educating others were pivotal in shaping his identity and fueling his passionate advocacy for equality through his eloquent speeches and writings, Douglass exposed the inherent cruelty of slavery and inspired countless individuals to join the fight for freedom and justice. His journey from bondage to empowerment remains a testament to the transformative power of education and the unwavering resilience of the human

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

In order to make progress from the oppression upon the black community, Douglass advocates for people to take a stand on the struggle for freedom. Douglass implies that the people will have to fight for freedom by voicing their opinions. Douglass incorporates examples from slaves in other places that have overcome their oppressors in hopes of making it more evident that, indeed, there is a way out of oppression. The idea is that it must be done so by action and not merely by letting others take it upon them . It will not be an easy task, but it has to start off by recognizing that there is a problem.

Read More
793 Words | 4 Pages

Education gives hope for Douglass’s life since he began to truly understand what goes on in slavery. As he figured out more about the topic, his self motivation poured out hope in his life. As Frederick saw an opportunity to become

Read More
392 Words | 2 Pages

Douglass managed to overcome the maltreatment of his wretched slave owners through the eventual attainment of freedom. The injustice imposed upon the African-American slaves by their owners was the crux of Douglass’s motivation to escape this inhumane life. Adolescents in today’s society could use Frederick’s determination as an example of moving forward to better oneself or one’s situation regardless of

Read More
1691 Words | 7 Pages

Douglass' story is a detailed and personal account of the horrors of slavery, while also highlighting the perseverance and determination of those who fought for freedom. The themes 6explored in this story are still relevant today, as individuals and communities struggle for equality and justice. Douglass's message that education is the key to freedom and empowerment is as relevant today as it has ever been, emphasizing the transformative power of knowledge on individuals and societies. Douglass's narrative serves as a reminder that the struggle for freedom and equality is ongoing and that education and knowledge are powerful tools in the fight against

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, Education opened Douglass’s eyes to the reality of his injustice as a slave; thus, compelling him to action as he recalls, “In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity. ”(Douglass, 2014, p.133) Education caused Douglass heartache. While attaining his education benefited Douglass, he could not relate to his fellow slaves. The fellow slaves had the ability to remain content with their current state of being since it was all they had ever known. Douglass knew otherwise and longed for the forbidden life as a free man, as it changed from an unattainable idea into an achievable

Read More
908 Words | 4 Pages

The American dream at one point was what drew people to American; the right to life, liberty, and the happiness. The American dream is the hope to acquire currency, large homes, raise a middle-class family, and pursue what brings people joy in life. But in the year 2016, the American dream becomes hard to believe in. The American dream may still exist, but it is not equally accessible to all Americans. This is true because the American dream is not affordable for everyone, it is not available to everyone from different degrees of education, and race and ethnicity creates large social barriers.

Read More
1673 Words | 7 Pages

Douglass is always curious and he never gives up even when he finds several obstacles in his way, because he perfectly knows what his goal is: he needs an education to get his freedom. He is determined to get it even though it requires a lot of hard work. Douglass is sure of the potential of education. As a matter of fact he knows well that knowlegde can change his life while leading him to freedom. Douglass has both the motivation and the determination because he is aware that owing to education he can get to great places in his life, and that education makes the world a better place

Read More
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

Read More
1032 Words | 5 Pages

The American Dream, a term coined by James Adams in his 1931 book The Epic of America, refers to the principle that in the bastion of freedom that America offers, almost all can succeed in spite of race, gender, or country of origin. Recently, however, many have argued that the American Dream is dead - that any hopes of success through hard work are doomed to fail - and that in America, you will remain where you are born economically. Nevertheless, the American Dream still exists, and although some maintain that it is principally engendered to suppress women and geared to discriminate against non-whites, in today’s day and age, it is, in fact, accessible to almost all who live in America and have the desire to succeed. Success in America is almost indeterminate of race. That is not to say that racism in America doesn’t exist - it obviously does - but to suggest that there is no ultimate power in America dictating that non-whites will be subjected to discrimination and consequently never succeed in America.

Read More

More about The American Dream Obstacles Essay

Related Topics

Open Document