The American Dream
The American Dream Achieved
The American dream is the belief that anyone can achieve success in a society through sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work. The American dream cannot be attained by chance, each individual must be determined and driven to get to their goal and achieve happiness. Benjamin Franklin was raised as a poor child, and worked his way up to wealth. He had many setbacks but with his drive built his career up to finally running his own publication company, being an influential member of society, and becoming very wealthy. Olaudah Equiano is argued to have come from a wealthy family before being captured, and sold as a slave. Equiano then worked hard, and bought his way out of slavery to gain freedom. Both these men experienced a drastically different life, and faced different obstacles but both found their own version of the American Dream. Benjamin Franklin seems to have cared more about his image in society, and wealth, he wanted people to honor him above all else while Olaudah Equiano didn’t work hard for popularity, but for freedom and a better life. After researching both these men’s lives, the proper fit into this American dream would be Olaudah Equiano. He went through many great struggles, suffered, and still maintained a drive to achieve his dream which was freedom. Both men came from different origins, had much different achievements, and different struggles, which helps to decide who better represents the American dream. In Franklin’s autobiography we learn he was born in 1709 in Boston, New England. He came from a poor family and was one of seventeen children to his father Josiah. Franklin was the youngest son, and was sent to get an education in hopes to service the church from ages eight to ten. He was raised and religiously educated as a Presbyterian. At ten he was taken home to assist his father due to financial struggles with paying to keep him in school. He was then sent to his brother to work for his publishing company
The American dream is the belief that anyone can achieve success in a society through sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work. The American dream cannot be attained by chance, each individual must be determined and driven to get to their goal and achieve happiness. Benjamin Franklin was raised as a poor child, and worked his way up to wealth. He had many setbacks but with his drive built his career up to finally running his own publication company, being an influential member of society, and becoming very wealthy. Olaudah Equiano is argued to have come from a wealthy family before being captured, and sold as a slave. Equiano then worked hard, and bought his way out of slavery to gain freedom. Both these men experienced a drastically different life, and faced different obstacles but both found their own version of the American Dream. Benjamin Franklin seems to have cared more about his image in society, and wealth, he wanted people to honor him above all else while Olaudah Equiano didn’t work hard for popularity, but for freedom and a better life. After researching both these men’s lives, the proper fit into this American dream would be Olaudah Equiano. He went through many great struggles, suffered, and still maintained a drive to achieve his dream which was freedom. Both men came from different origins, had much different achievements, and different struggles, which helps to decide who better represents the American dream. In Franklin’s autobiography we learn he was born in 1709 in Boston, New England. He came from a poor family and was one of seventeen children to his father Josiah. Franklin was the youngest son, and was sent to get an education in hopes to service the church from ages eight to ten. He was raised and religiously educated as a Presbyterian. At ten he was taken home to assist his father due to financial struggles with paying to keep him in school. He was then sent to his brother to work for his publishing company