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Archives for March 2005

The American Dream Essay

↘︎ Mar 28, 2005 … 4′ … download⇠ | skip ⇢

The American dream is something common to all people, but it is something that everyone views in different ways. The American dream is different for everyone, but they share some of the same aspects of it. The dream is dependent mainly on the setting of where one lives and one‘s social status. For example, The Declaration of Independence was by Thomas Jefferson, who was an upper class white male. He wanted freedom, but freedom for people like himself that were white landowning males. Martin Luther King, in his I Have a Dream speech, also called for freedom, but mostly for African Americans like himself. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in his book The Great Gatsby, that he would have liked to eliminate the idle rich, which he was a part of. Every American dream is somewhat different, but they all relate to the times that one lives in.

In The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson asked for equality for white landowning males. His American dream was to be free from Britain and to be treated equally. This dream only included people like himself, that were white men who owned land. The people that signed the document were all part of that class. They were the people leading the revolution, so Jefferson thought they should be the ones reaping the benefits. In the text, it talks about “the merciless Indian Savages.” Obviously they were not included as being equal. Jefferson also wrote “We…the Representatives of the united States of America…” He was referring to himself and everyone who signed The Declaration of Independence, none of whom were women or black. Jefferson also wrote “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men…” He specifically used the word “men,” when he could have said “all people” instead. This also shows how his dream was for all men to be treated equally. Jefferson’s dream is different from Martin Luther King’s dream in the specifics, but in the whole they are the same dream. Both want equality for their people, the people that are in the same class and race they are in. Jefferson’s dream is fairly different than F. Scott Fitzgerald’s dream in principal, but the dreams are similar in that they both want change for the better. Their dreams also focused on the social class they belonged to.

Martin Luther King’s American dream is to have equality for everyone, but namely African Americans. In his I Have a Dream speech, he said, “…we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.” He was saying that even though America is supposed to be a free country, African Americans were really not free and treated equally. King said, “…the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” African Americans were not given good job opportunities. They were isolated and it was hard for them to live comfortably when all the families with white males could have high paying jobs and affords the comforts of life. He also said, “This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.” King was referring to The Declaration of Independence, which had been aimed to gain equality for white males. Colored citizens were not included in it, and this was wrong. King was saying how the document was supposed to promise freedom for all people, but that this was not true at all. African Americans were not free, and they had to live a hard life full of segregation and discrimination. He did not really ask for equality of all people though, like Asian or Hispanic people, but mainly black people like himself. This makes King’s American dream very similar to Jefferson’s American dream because they both wanted equality for their people. The dream is different from Fitzgerald’s dream, but they are similar because they both demanded positive change and they focused on their specific social classes.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s American dream was to eliminate the idle rich. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald showed his distaste for them. One character, Tom, had an affair with another women. Tom brushed it off as nothing when talking about it. He lied to his wife Daisy quite often, so he could get away from her for a weekend. Fitzgerald showed how this was wrong, and that it should be stopped. Gatsby, another character, would throw parties all of the time. Anyone would come, even if they didn’t know Gatsby. The partiers made a lot of noise at late hours of the night and left big messes for the maids to clean up in the morning. Fitzgerald was showing how the rich are careless. They have no respect for anyone and only think of themselves. Also, when Gatsby died, no one attended his funeral. This showed how all his rich “friends” didn’t even care enough to come to his funeral. Fitzgerald was a part of the idle rich. He had a good amount of money, drank a lot, partied often, and had affairs. His American dream related to the class that he was a part of, just like Jefferson and King. All of their dreams dealt with the part of society they belonged to. Fitzgerald wanted change like the others too, but he wanted to change who he was. Jefferson and King wanted to change other people’s perspective of them.

Jefferson, King, and Fitzgerald’s American dreams shared similarities. All of their dreams had to deal with the social class they belonged to. Jefferson’s dream dealt with white landowning males, King’s dream dealt with African Americans, and Fitzgerald’s dream dealt with the idle rich. All of their dreams also dealt with change for the better. My American dream is to go to college, have an enjoyable job, get married, have kids, and have a nice house. My dream is probably what most upper-middle class people aspire for. This makes my dream similar in that it deals with my social class. It is also a change for the better. I don’t want to live in my parents’ house all my life. The American dream is universal in that everyone hopes for positive change and that the change deals with their place in society. The American dream something that everyone aspires for, even if it is hard to accomplish. It is the thing that keeps people going.

Me

circa 2009 (21 y/o)

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  • 05 Mar 28: The American Dream Essay #11th Grade – English – American Literature #Great Valley High School #Mrs. Michelle Leininger
  • 05 Mar 17: Stock Market Crash Photo Essay #11th Grade – History – 20th Century American Experience #Great Valley High School #Ms. Meg Sargent

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11th Grade – English – American Literature (Class) / Great Valley High School (School) / Mrs. Michelle Leininger (Teacher) / schoolwork (Post Type)

Stock Market Crash Photo Essay

↘︎ Mar 17, 2005 … 2′ … download⇠ | skip ⇢

When the stock market crashed in 1929, all people were affected. People who had invested their life savings in the stock market were crippled. Even those who did not invest money in the stock market were hurt because all the money they put into the bank was lost. Farmers were also hurt badly because the value of their crops decreased. Many fathers were ashamed that they could not support their families and ran away during the Great Depression.

In this picture, there are two women with three small children. The father is not in sight. They were probably a farming family that lived in the mid-west ruined by the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. They are very dirty and ragged. It doesn’t look like they have bathed in a while. They seem to be on the move, probably going to California to find jobs. Their life before was probably pretty good. They lived off their land and probably had decent lives. The Depression made the price of their crops go down because they had produced too many from before with all the new technology. The overproduction led to inflation, which led to the prices dropping drastically during the Depression. Once the Dust Bowl hit, they could not grow many crops. The father of the family probably ran away ashamed he could not provide for his family. These Okies are currently on the move with everything they have to find work in California. Even if they make it there, jobs will be hard to come by, especially because they are women. Their crudely constructed housing is shabby and looks uncomfortable. Life is even more difficult for them without a husband to help.

The Great Depression occurred in 1929. It was when the stock market crashed. The economy totally plummeted. Investors lost millions of dollars. The poor people became even poorer. People who had money in banks lost their money, too. All the banks became dry. Another part of the Depression was overproduction. For example, farmers grew too many crops and not enough people bought them, so the prices of the crops went down and farmers lost money. The Dust Bowl was another cause of the Great Depression because it also hurt farmers. These people in the photo were affected because they were farmers. They are in search of jobs to make money, and that’s how they ended up the way they look in the photo.

The New Deal was started by new president Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help the country get out of the economic depression. The New Deal really helped the farmers. The AAA (Agriculture Adjustment Administration) helped by paying farmers not to grow crops. This led to an increase in the price of crops. The TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) also helped farmers. They helped to control floods that were the result of the Dust Bowl. They also provided farmers with cheap hydroelectric power. These two programs saved farmers during the depression.

The Great Depression was a very tough time in America. Many people could not bear their troubles and ran away from their families. People had a very hard time surviving, finding food and shelter. The New Deal saved America. The government programs provided opportunities for people to get back on track, and the people took advantage. Without the New Deal, life may have never returned to normal.

Me

circa 2017 (29 y/o)

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ADAM CAP is an elastic waistband enthusiast, hammock admirer, and rare dingus collector hailing from Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

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