Authors The American Dream example essay topic

American Dream More than half a century ago people from countries all over the world came to America. America at this time was the greatest place to be. You could restart your life, or as it was described as the land of opportunity. This was a place where you were judged by not who your father was, but what you make of your self. Most came for a better life, while some came for political reasons.

The older immigrants came from Europe and the newer ones came from Asia. Half of the immigrants settled in cities across the country. Many authors wrote about the American dream describing the struggles that many people suffered during this experience, authors also wrote about the differences of the American Dream. As one author Carl Sandburg describes how a city acts in this country, and how the immigrants working conditions were in his poem "Chicago".

He describes the city as "Hog Butcher of the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat", which explains the power of the city. "Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs", He describes how the city goes through terrible situations it will always prevail as the power of the world. Giving many jobs, supplying the country with goods, and trading goods throughout the world. Carl Sandburg believes that the American Dream is to work hard to be the best no matter what. How Chicago can be as powerful as any other in the world a leader so to speak. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a novel called the "Great Gatsby", in this novel he wrote about a man in the nineteen twenties who was one of the wealthiest men in the counter wanted to change the present to the past. He was in love with a woman and then was shipped off to war.

She couldn't marry him because he wasn't rich, so five years later he sees her again but he is rich. He tries to change everything, she is now married to another man, but Gatsby tries to change that as a result he is killed throughout a long story. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about a man who's American Dream was to become rich, and change the present into the past. He could not do this, but this novel shows that anybody can become what he or she wants, but not always change the situation at the time being. Another author from the time period wrote about how people felt towards each other.

During this time of migration people of all different nationalities were working together in this country. Children tried to sound more American than their own nationality so they would fit in better. Author Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "We Wear The Mask" describes how people hide certain things from each other to fit in better. "We wear the mask that grins and lies, it hides our cheeks and shades our eyes", He here explains how people wear a mask to disguise their differences. "With torn and bleeding hearts we smile", is another quote that explains his thought. Through the works of these authors the American Dream is described in different ways.

These works also describe the feelings and thoughts of those who migrated to this country for a better life. All had a dream of being successful without the fears they possessed before they came here; some achieved them easier than others.