The American Dream

MYTHS AND HEROES

DEFINITION : The word myth can make us think of an ancient story about Gods, heroes and magic, an unfounded notion theme or character embodying an idea. However, in our analysis we are dealing more with a popular belief embodying the ideals and institutions of a society. Through two documents, a song and a cartoon, we will be studying the American dream and everything that it involves. Concerning the meaning of the word hero, we will be dealing more with the notion of a person admired for his or her achievements, noble qualities and great courage. We will come across the leader of the pilgrims, John Winthrop. Nevertheless, hero can also mean a mythological or legendary figure often endowed with great strength or even refer to the main character in a literary work.

THEME MYTHS AND HEROES
N°1 PROBLEMATIQUE: TO WHAT EXTENT DO PAST AND PRESENT IMMIGRANTS TO THE US BELIEVE IN A MYTH?

PLAN:
I- A NEW WORLD, A NEW LIFE. a/ EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN AMERICA. b/ WHY DO THEY WANT TO IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA?
II- AN UNREALISTIC MYTH. a/ THE PILGRIM’S FAILED AMERICAN DREAM. b/ A BARBED WIRE FENCE.

I- A NEW WORLD, A NEW LIFE. a/ EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN AMERICA -The USA represented and represents still today a true cultural, political, and economical model to the entire world. It is known to all to be a nation of immigrants. It is known that the pilgrims fathers were greatly welcomed and helpt by the indians. They were successful in their settlement. That is why people call it the promised land(lines 10,11,12,13,16,17,18,19). -In Springsteen’s song he calls America “A land of opportunity” because it is an open society. For example, the author talks about expensive clothes that can be bought by all women. He explains that people are wealthy enough to buy luxury goods . They are on an equal footing, which means there are no social classes. - Throughout the song America’s opulence is illustrated and repeated. For instance in the chorus (lines16 to 21)” there is diamonds in the sidewalk”(lines 16,26,38), “I hear that beer flows through the faucets”(lines 18,27,39), and “There’s treasure for the taking” (lines 20,28,40). b/WHY DO THEY WANT TO IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA? -In Springsteen song, he explains that in America people can become well-off (riche) quickly. Even if they start with nothing, they can climb the social ladder (échelle social) and become a self made men. -America offers people to be free in their religious beliefs, customs and culture. -In Jeff Parker’s cartoon, the people we can see in the boat are called pilgrims. They came from England and desired to settle in America because they were persecuted for their religious beliefs. The idea of living in America was to live freely and have a better life.

II- AN UNREALISTIC MYTH a/ THE FAKE AMERICAN DREAM - Bruce Springteen’s songs often have the same theme which pays tribute to the working class. In this song he declares the cities were built by the workers. His song helps us to understand that the American dream is not exactly what we think it is. Indeed, it does not come true for everyone, that, is a myth. Even if people work very hard in factories, or sacrifice their lives, they might not succeed and live the American dream. Success is hard to earn. b/ A BARBED WIRED FENCE( barrière de barbelé ) -The whole message of this cartoon is the ironic comparison between the arrival of the pilgrims and today’s issue of immigration in the United States. In 1620 when the pilgrims arrived, the Indians accepted their presence and even helped them. However, today we can find a barbed wire fence; and millions of dollars are spent each year to try to keep people out of the country. - Immigrants who come to America today want to settle there for similar reasons than the pilgrims (freedom, peace and better life). Contrary to the Indians who let the pilgrims grow, and live peacefully their lives, America today is spending its time trying to stop immigrants to come in. -The symbol of today’s immigrants wanting to settle in America like the pilgrims once did, is today represented by a barbed wire fence.

CONCLUSION: In a nutshell, we could say that before the immigrants settle in America, they believe fully in the myth of the American dream. However, once they have settled in and are up against daily issues, slowly the myth falls apart. Therefore, the immigrants do no longer believe in the incredible myth of the American way of life. Also, the sub primes crisis have strongly damaged the American dream.

N°2 PROBLEMATIQUE: TO WHAT EXTENT IS AMERICA A SYMBOL OF THE PROMISED LAND?

PLAN:
I- A PROMISED LAND. a/ A NEW WORLD: HOPE FOR CHANGE. b/ RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.
II- AMERICA’S LAND. a/ THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...AN UNREACHABLE DREAM. b/ THE 20th AND 21st CENTURY, A TURNING POINT FOR AMERICA.

I- A PROMISED LAND. a/ A NEW WORLD: HOPE FOR CHANGE. -Because the USA was wild before the Europeans colonised it, it was a land where everything was possible, they were free to build and create a new society without persecutions. One of the best quality of the new world was that people could follow their own customs and culture and believe in their own God freely. -America was a vast land just waiting to be explored and exploited. It offered large amounts of parcels of land where people could build their homes and farm. Most of the land was fertile and good for cultivation. People could become self made men, that was a success of its own.
- In Springsteen ‘s song, he sings about «A land of opportunity” because he believes that America was an open society. For example, expansive clothes can be bought by all women , people are wealthy enough to buy luxury goods . They are on equal footing which means there are no social classes. In America people can become wealthy rapidly. Even if they start with nothing they can climb the social ladder (échelle social) and become self made men.
- Throughout the song America’s opulence is illustrated and repeated. For instance in the chorus (lines16 to 21)” there is diamonds in the sidewalk”(lines 16,26,38), “I hear that beer flows through the faucets”(lines 18,27,39), and “There’s treasure for the taking” (lines 20,28,40).

b/ RELIGION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. - In the USA, religion has an essential role in people’s life; God is symbol in their work life. Moreover, religion is a fundamental part of the country’s constitution. Nowadays success equally means working hard. The USA is given a religious connation it is represented as the Promised Land. -Across Springsteen’s song, we can find one of the USA’s key values, which is the work ethic: according to the puritans if you worked hard you would succeed which meant that you were chosen by God.

II- AMERICA’S LAND. a/ THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS...AN UNREACHABLE DREAM. -America was built by the blue collars (the working class) in the 17th century. Today, Springsteen and his songs have an idealistic view of the American way of life. He still believes that in America everything is possible. - Bruce Springsteen’s songs often have the same theme which pays tribute to the working class. In this song he declares the cities were built by the workers (line 24). - Through the lyrics of this song, Springsteen surprisingly uses repetitively the word “died”(lines 35,36,37). Lines 34 to 37, breaks the notion of the American dream. People died working for the country and living their American dream. We understand the American dream is not exactly what Springsteen thinks it is. It does not come true for everyone, that, is a myth, some people even die for it. Success is hard to earn.

b/ THE 20th AND 21st CENTURY A TURNING POINT FOR AMERICA. -The American dream is still alive. However, the 20th and 21st century has been and still is a turning point for America: The wars which were declared by America (the gulf war, Vietnamese War, the war in Iraq and the Afghanistan war) faded (ternir) the idea of the American dream. A country at war does not represent a peaceful place to live and a safe society, for example: the riots during the Vietnamese war. The Wall Street crash in 1929, the first and the second oil shock in the 70’s and 90’s, the sub primes crisis in 2007-2008 showed the failure of the economical, social and political American models. America’s domination on the world after the Second World War, triggered other countries in a globalized crisis. Nevertheless, Barak Obama’s election as President of the United States of America allowed the USA a new chance of hope for the American dream. Electing the first black American president means everything is possible for everyone anywhere in the world. Through Obama a new perspective of the USA has been created.

CONCLUSION: In a nutshell, America being a symbol of the promised land was a true belief when it was wild and unknown, and when Indians where the only inhabitants. However, through the country’s history the notion of promised land has changed and slowly become more of a past myth than a new world where everything is possible. The question we can ask ourselves today is: Will president Obama’s figure be strong enough to rebuild and give hope to the famous American dream?