Rurik Jansson's Essay On The American Dream
Christopher Jansson
Mrs. Fondren
Honors English 10
May 20 2013 To every person, the American Dream is different but to me the American Dream is when you are surrounded by the people you love doing the things you love in a country that allows you to be yourself. Citizens born in the United States cannot comprehend the American Dream like those of a different country. This is because American born people grow up with luxuries that citizens of other countries do not such as freedom of speech or religion. I am doing my essay on somebody that inspires me daily to work my hardest and always have a positive outlook on life. My great grandpa, Rurik Jansson, has been dead since 1998 but his story is one of the most inspirational things I have ever …show more content…
heard.
My Grandpa was born in a town called Kristinestad, Finland, on December 30, 1918 under the name Rurik Ragnvald Jansson. His family consisted of his parents, Jacob and Anna Jansson, his older brother Lennart and his younger sister Linea. When he was little, his parents owned a small grocery store and service station across the street from each other. Around 1921, his father heard a scream come from the grocery store where his wife was working and as he was running over to see what was happening, a man exited the building and shot him in the chest. He died on the spot and it was later found out that the man was trying to rob the store. My grandpa was only three years old. Several years later, another family tragedy occurs that leaves my grandfather and his two siblings orphaned. It was 1929 and he was just eleven years old when his mother had gotten hit by a train. I strongly believe that if his parents were never killed, he wouldn’t have moved to America because there wouldn’t have been any reason to therefore meaning I, along with the rest of my family, wouldn’t have been born. All three children were sent to the orphanage and could only take with them what could fit on a small wagon. Although he continued his schooling through his new “home” he, like his sister and brother, was never adopted. At the age of just fifteen years old, he ran away leaving his siblings behind to find a new life through the Merchant Marines. Lying about his age, he was able to receive an informal education and learned up to seven different languages. Throughout the seven years of traveling with his new family, he was able to visit every major sea port in the world. Eventually, this leads him to how he ended up in America. During his first years in America, my grandpa worked a few jobs on the east coast and always worked his way towards Detroit. Once he got to Detroit he started working as a brick layer, where he met my grandma through her brothers and cousins whom he worked with. He didn’t stay in Detroit to long though because he had decided on joining the Navy. From May 1944 to May 1946, he fought in the Pacific against the Japanese in World War II. After his time in the Navy, he decided to move back to Michigan where he later gets married to my grandma, Vera Niemi, on April 4, 1947, in Bessemer Michigan. They had a few apartments but didn’t actually get their first (and only) house until 1952. An old mining house, my family and I still go up and stay there every year for Independence Day. Later on he and my grandma have four children; Cheryl, Ronald, Rosaline, and Pamela. Even by this point I don’t think he had any inkling that he was essentially living the American dream. To him, it was all about what he could do to help other people in need, not living the American dream. The reason that he was able to live such a full and happy life later on, was because of the tragedies and difficult positions that he had to face as a young man.
During his later years, my grandpa had a plethora of jobs; he worked as a brick layer and helped build two colleges, helped build the White Pine Copper Mine, and worked for the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. Some of his greatest accomplishments came from the community service work he did in his own town. An active 4H promoter, he helped pass the bill for the Gogebic County Jr. College, where two of his daughters later graduated from. From church charities, to gardening, to other board projects my grandfather was someone to look up to. Through all the hardships he had to face to get where he did, he always gave to others even when he himself had little to offer. Even after all four of his children left he still continued to be an active member of the community. Settling down was the hardest part for him but he found a way through baking for their local church because it was something that he could do to help his community. When his daughters’ husband died in a construction accident, he went down every week to help with her two and soon to be three children. A similar situation arose when his son got in a bad motorcycle accident. He drove ten hours down state to take care of his five grandchildren. He only got to return to Finland twice and on one of those trips got to see his brother. Shortly after they were reunited Lennart died of a heart attack. On the second trip he finally got to see his sister again. It wasn’t until 1998 that he was diagnosed with brain tumors at McLaren Hospital in Flint. The doctor came out and told the family that there were six rapidly growing tumors and that he might have a month to live, to which he responded, “Well I can tell you right now that isn’t going to work! I still need to go up north this summer!” He did go back up north for two weeks to say goodbye to everyone and came back downstate only to die on Labor Day weekend. We all laugh at this because he was such a strong advocate of hard work and education! Even though he is gone, his story is inspirational on the highest of levels and will continue to inspire me for years to come.
The reason I chose my grandfather is because his story was the first thing to come to my mind when I thought of the American Dream.
Even though I don’t fully remember him, he will always be my great grandpa and that makes me more proud than anything. His journey, from childhood to adulthood, is the epitome of the American Dream. A young man in a different country, whose parents are killed, wants a new start and what better way to get one than America? He got here and joined the Navy to help a country that he barely knew and when he got back, he married my grandma and later had four children. He grew old in a house and community he loved surrounded by people who loved him just as equally. Even though he was never wealthy by any standards, he was always happy with where he was and the decisions he made which truly make him an ideal model of the American …show more content…
Dream. I chose to compare my grandpa to Odysseus from The Odyssey. Even though they are years apart and one is a fictional character, they both have a few things in common. Odysseus traveled great distances and learned a vast amount of knowledge from his trips, as did my grandpa. They both also went to war to fight for people in need. The main difference between these two men is the fact that one traveled in search of a better life and helped people along the way out of the goodness of his heart, while the other traveled for the heroic aspect. Odysseus wanted the title and all the fame it came with and only helped when demanded of.
The next person I chose to compare my grandpa to is Harry Potter.
Both my grandpa and Harrys’ parents died leaving them both orphaned. Growing up was hard until they traveled to a faraway place where their lives suddenly got better. Again, even though Harry Potter is fictional it doesn’t defer the likeness of his story to my grandpas, ignoring the fact that Harry is a wizard. It wasn’t until they were middle aged that their lives were finally somewhere that they could enjoy it. Even though we didn’t read this book in school or that it’s even American literature, I felt that Harry had more in common with my grandpa than any other character we have
explored. In conclusion, my idea of the American Dream parallels my grandpa’s life. He always looked at life in such a positive way even though his younger years were plagued with death. He ended up living a community that he loved surrounded by people that loved just as equally. I do not think that he ever realized he was living the American Dream but rather he focused on what he could do to make other peoples’ lives better and in return, his did the same.
Works Cited
Jansson, Ronald. Personal Interview. 27 May 2013.
Mrs. Fondren
Honors English 10
May 20 2013 To every person, the American Dream is different but to me the American Dream is when you are surrounded by the people you love doing the things you love in a country that allows you to be yourself. Citizens born in the United States cannot comprehend the American Dream like those of a different country. This is because American born people grow up with luxuries that citizens of other countries do not such as freedom of speech or religion. I am doing my essay on somebody that inspires me daily to work my hardest and always have a positive outlook on life. My great grandpa, Rurik Jansson, has been dead since 1998 but his story is one of the most inspirational things I have ever …show more content…
heard.
My Grandpa was born in a town called Kristinestad, Finland, on December 30, 1918 under the name Rurik Ragnvald Jansson. His family consisted of his parents, Jacob and Anna Jansson, his older brother Lennart and his younger sister Linea. When he was little, his parents owned a small grocery store and service station across the street from each other. Around 1921, his father heard a scream come from the grocery store where his wife was working and as he was running over to see what was happening, a man exited the building and shot him in the chest. He died on the spot and it was later found out that the man was trying to rob the store. My grandpa was only three years old. Several years later, another family tragedy occurs that leaves my grandfather and his two siblings orphaned. It was 1929 and he was just eleven years old when his mother had gotten hit by a train. I strongly believe that if his parents were never killed, he wouldn’t have moved to America because there wouldn’t have been any reason to therefore meaning I, along with the rest of my family, wouldn’t have been born. All three children were sent to the orphanage and could only take with them what could fit on a small wagon. Although he continued his schooling through his new “home” he, like his sister and brother, was never adopted. At the age of just fifteen years old, he ran away leaving his siblings behind to find a new life through the Merchant Marines. Lying about his age, he was able to receive an informal education and learned up to seven different languages. Throughout the seven years of traveling with his new family, he was able to visit every major sea port in the world. Eventually, this leads him to how he ended up in America. During his first years in America, my grandpa worked a few jobs on the east coast and always worked his way towards Detroit. Once he got to Detroit he started working as a brick layer, where he met my grandma through her brothers and cousins whom he worked with. He didn’t stay in Detroit to long though because he had decided on joining the Navy. From May 1944 to May 1946, he fought in the Pacific against the Japanese in World War II. After his time in the Navy, he decided to move back to Michigan where he later gets married to my grandma, Vera Niemi, on April 4, 1947, in Bessemer Michigan. They had a few apartments but didn’t actually get their first (and only) house until 1952. An old mining house, my family and I still go up and stay there every year for Independence Day. Later on he and my grandma have four children; Cheryl, Ronald, Rosaline, and Pamela. Even by this point I don’t think he had any inkling that he was essentially living the American dream. To him, it was all about what he could do to help other people in need, not living the American dream. The reason that he was able to live such a full and happy life later on, was because of the tragedies and difficult positions that he had to face as a young man.
During his later years, my grandpa had a plethora of jobs; he worked as a brick layer and helped build two colleges, helped build the White Pine Copper Mine, and worked for the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. Some of his greatest accomplishments came from the community service work he did in his own town. An active 4H promoter, he helped pass the bill for the Gogebic County Jr. College, where two of his daughters later graduated from. From church charities, to gardening, to other board projects my grandfather was someone to look up to. Through all the hardships he had to face to get where he did, he always gave to others even when he himself had little to offer. Even after all four of his children left he still continued to be an active member of the community. Settling down was the hardest part for him but he found a way through baking for their local church because it was something that he could do to help his community. When his daughters’ husband died in a construction accident, he went down every week to help with her two and soon to be three children. A similar situation arose when his son got in a bad motorcycle accident. He drove ten hours down state to take care of his five grandchildren. He only got to return to Finland twice and on one of those trips got to see his brother. Shortly after they were reunited Lennart died of a heart attack. On the second trip he finally got to see his sister again. It wasn’t until 1998 that he was diagnosed with brain tumors at McLaren Hospital in Flint. The doctor came out and told the family that there were six rapidly growing tumors and that he might have a month to live, to which he responded, “Well I can tell you right now that isn’t going to work! I still need to go up north this summer!” He did go back up north for two weeks to say goodbye to everyone and came back downstate only to die on Labor Day weekend. We all laugh at this because he was such a strong advocate of hard work and education! Even though he is gone, his story is inspirational on the highest of levels and will continue to inspire me for years to come.
The reason I chose my grandfather is because his story was the first thing to come to my mind when I thought of the American Dream.
Even though I don’t fully remember him, he will always be my great grandpa and that makes me more proud than anything. His journey, from childhood to adulthood, is the epitome of the American Dream. A young man in a different country, whose parents are killed, wants a new start and what better way to get one than America? He got here and joined the Navy to help a country that he barely knew and when he got back, he married my grandma and later had four children. He grew old in a house and community he loved surrounded by people who loved him just as equally. Even though he was never wealthy by any standards, he was always happy with where he was and the decisions he made which truly make him an ideal model of the American …show more content…
Dream. I chose to compare my grandpa to Odysseus from The Odyssey. Even though they are years apart and one is a fictional character, they both have a few things in common. Odysseus traveled great distances and learned a vast amount of knowledge from his trips, as did my grandpa. They both also went to war to fight for people in need. The main difference between these two men is the fact that one traveled in search of a better life and helped people along the way out of the goodness of his heart, while the other traveled for the heroic aspect. Odysseus wanted the title and all the fame it came with and only helped when demanded of.
The next person I chose to compare my grandpa to is Harry Potter.
Both my grandpa and Harrys’ parents died leaving them both orphaned. Growing up was hard until they traveled to a faraway place where their lives suddenly got better. Again, even though Harry Potter is fictional it doesn’t defer the likeness of his story to my grandpas, ignoring the fact that Harry is a wizard. It wasn’t until they were middle aged that their lives were finally somewhere that they could enjoy it. Even though we didn’t read this book in school or that it’s even American literature, I felt that Harry had more in common with my grandpa than any other character we have
explored. In conclusion, my idea of the American Dream parallels my grandpa’s life. He always looked at life in such a positive way even though his younger years were plagued with death. He ended up living a community that he loved surrounded by people that loved just as equally. I do not think that he ever realized he was living the American Dream but rather he focused on what he could do to make other peoples’ lives better and in return, his did the same.
Works Cited
Jansson, Ronald. Personal Interview. 27 May 2013.