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Theme Of Between The World And Me

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Beyond the Dream: Acknowledging Systemic Oppression's Reality The recurring theme of “Dreams” and the “Dreamers” have been a topic often discussed within American history for centuries, primarily revolving around the experiences of people of color and immigrants. Whether positive or demeaning, these experiences served as the foundation for American principles to act upon. Along with these experiences, negative themes such as oppression and mistreatment follow, which has altered the way newer generations perceive the world around them, which can create a toxic future for all members of a society. Themes such as these are present within “Between the World and Me”, a novel written by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Ta-Nehisi Coates's nonfiction book Between …show more content…

The “Dreamers” of an American society believe in success, so long as there is sufficient work put in to grant them their place in an ideal American civilization. The “Dreamers”, as hinted at by Coates, are a group of people unaware of the blatant systematic racism that plagues society, and ignores themes of oppression that have been branded into American ways of current-day life, which serves as a barrier to a more racially equal society. These people often consider their actions, and take steps to keep negative underlying themes relevant through means of their actions and ideals. As the American “Dream” has been since debunked by Coates as being a false promise to those facing systematic oppression, Coates claims that the “Dreamers” are all those participating in this oppressive system, through means of failing to see it’s inequities or becoming compliant with the operation itself. Coates speaks his mind to the audience, by providing the reader with the following quote that reflects his state of mind. “The Dream is treehouses and the Cub Scouts. And for so long I have wanted to escape into the Dream, to fold my country over my head like a blanket. But this has never been an option because the Dream rests on our backs, the bedding made from our bodies."(Coates 10). Coates is a strict believer of change, and having the American people take it upon themselves to adopt the mindset of the American Dream solidifies his disappointment in present-day America. Coates' writing describes how the “Dreamers” of American society are content on sustaining the fantasy of the American Dream, regardless of how many of the oppressed and mistreated are sacrificed. As the systematic and blatant racism continues to brew within American society, Coates wants the people to address the

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