The American Dream In Betty Smith's A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

As Tommy Hilfiger once said, “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it's possible to achieve the American dream”. Many immigrants came to America with this motivation in mind to work hard to achieve their ‘American Dream’. Some common dreams that most immigrants had was to have a place they could call it as their home and have a good job. In Betty Smith’s novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, she demonstrates how for some people the ‘American Dream’ was a struggle to achieve, while it is possible for other people who never gave up hope on achieving the ‘American Dream’. However, after immigrants came to America, life turned out to be not exactly what they expected. During the immigration period, the ‘American Dream’ was an important factor that motivated many immigrants to achieve their goals. Throughout the novel, Smith is able to show it is possible to achieve one’s goal if people put some effort in it. Francie is able to reach
her dream of becoming a writer by using education as a way to escape the poverty she faces in her childhood. Even though Francie is not able to go back to high school, she still holds on to the ‘American Dream’, as she continuously to dream of education whether it meant to have a job to help her family with financial needs. For example, Francie says, “So I will not go to high school. But I will go to college someday” (p. 427). She understands how life requires one step at a time to reach her goal, but eventually she will reach what she wants in life. Similarly, Katie’s ‘American Dream’ is for her children to have a better life than the life she currently has; therefore, Mary gives Katie advice before Francie is born so Katie can prepare herself to achieve the ‘American Dream’ she has for her children. For instance, one of the advice Mary tells Katie is that “Every day you must read…to your child…until the child learns to read” (p. 83). She even explains to Katie how education is the key to success to all the opportunities that will lay out in the future. Overall, each generation will get better at a time because America is a great place to find opportunities to make dreams come true.
On the other hand, Smith illustrates how some dreams are just meant to be dreamed because it is impossible to be achieved in reality. Everyone have dreams of their own, but not all of them will come true if one thinks positively. With all honesty, Johnny is just a dreamer who dreams of a better life but lacks the ability to work hard to make the dream come true because of his addiction to alcohol. As a matter of fact, he dreams of unrealistic dreams that he wishes to happen, but his dreams simply end up being fantastical. To demonstrate, Johnny “…had sung many a song about ships and going down to the sea in them with a heave ho and a heave to…[but] he [wonders] why it hadn’t turned out the way it said in songs” (p. 228). To sum up, it is possible for everyone to obtain their ‘American Dream’ if everyone carries on an incentive outlook on life; however, it requires hard work and dedication to go through obstacles that would come about with every dream.
During the 90’s, my dad came to New York from India with hopes and dreams of having a great life. My dad wanted to explore the business world and earn money through a well-paying job so that he can help his family back home financially. I remember my dad telling me at times how hard it was just to find one job in New York and most of the times, there were jobs that he had no interest in working for, but had no choice because he was in need of money. Before my dad came to New York, he only heard about New York being the best place in the world that lays out many opportunities to have a better life. Unfortunately, my dad did not expect what he actually expected New York to be like. He found this world as a very difficult world to live in because there is no one to help him to obtain his ‘American Dream’. Basically, it was either you work to achieve your goals or go back to India and stick with the life you already have. My dad never gave up or felt his dreams are impossible to obtain. He worked five different jobs like Katie from the novel all over New York and barely made eight dollars a day. He had the motivation or the belief that he can do anything and as years progressed, he was able to reach his ultimate goal. With that being said, New York was the best place to make your dreams come true and it only required hard work and motivation to strive the way to your final destination.
In conclusion, I personally experience the struggles and the difficulties that arise in fulfilling my own ‘American Dream’.
My dream for the next four years is to achieve a Physician Assistant degree at St. John’s University. As I transition to college from high school, I understand how there is no one in the world besides myself to help me reach my goal and it will require hard work as well as motivation to reach that point. At times, I feel overwhelmed with the struggles that arise in achieving my degree, but that would not stop me from my main point in coming to this school. I am able to connect my experience to the experience the Nolan’s and my dad went through when it was their time to achieve their dreams. I find it to be very lucky to go to school in New York because I am already one step ahead of my game to fulfill my target since New York is the place where there are many opportunities for everyone. Hence, having a motivated outlook on life, everything that is impossible will be
possible.