Still Summer 2015
The summer is still looming, and I hope that everyone is relaxed and getting ready. I have received questions concerning the assignments. They are due on the Friday we return and not doing it will negatively impact your grade at the start of the year. In the post right after this one, your close-reading exemplar should give you some direction on how to write the responses. This post deals with the American Dream, which is a central idea to our class. Just to reiterate the task, here it is:
Task #2: This class will focus on the meaning of the American Dream – what is it, how it starts, why it is important to people, and how it evolves through generations. You need to address what the American Dream means, create your own definition, and explain how it develops in the two texts. Incorporating the book, write a typed one-page response that explains and analyzes the significance of the characters’ hopes, dreams, and desires in America.
Questions to Consider: Why do they have their dream? How does their dream develop and what happens to it by the end of the text? What causes them to change as result of their dream?
What does it all mean? I need you to create a definition of the American Dream on your own and connect it to the book that you read. Think about what is thing/idea/motivation/desire that drives the main character (protagonist) of the story. Additionally, analyze how their dream develops from the beginning of the story to its ending. How does it change? How does the character accomplish his/her dream if they do? What gets in their way of achieving the dream? What does the dream reveal about the character? Why is the dream so important to him/her? Consider how the American Dream is connected to the character’s motivation and write about that.
Below are a few opinions, a lot of resources, and some ideas. Good luck! See you on Wednesday – September 9th. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
American Dream:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/americandream/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/americandream/
http://news.nd.edu/news/10918-exploring-the-american-dream-past-and-future/
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/04/american-dream200904
mrfrade11thgradeenglish 
The book i read was The Things They carried. I enjoyed this book because it shows how they felt as soliders. For example, in one part the narrator, Tim, explains that he really didnt understand why he was killing and what they had done. In addition, the book goes over how they deal with war for example, ted lavender carried tranquilizers to keep calm, or how kiowa kept a bible and, henry kept panties tied to his neck for comfort. One thing i didnt really like was how it seemed as though they were free lancing. To explain, the way the story is told is as if they were dropped off and told to clear the area of rebels. However i suppose this is done to capitalize on how they felt as soldiers, sort of just killing without any briefing. One thing that stood out was how Tim explains that stories keep people alive. I found this interesting becsuse i met so many people and lost a few and its the memories and stories of these people that make them feel as though they’re right next to you.
in my opinion the american dream is a way of people to look at america. my meaning of american dream is to sell your self to the nation. it is portrayed as a way to success no matter what level in society you are, you are able to be successful. it is important because it is what is making the united states a nation that is very well mind controlled because sense we all have to survive we work our butts off to try to do it the best way we can and we barely make it for example collage debts it is supposed to help us but it actually hurts us if we are not wealthy because some people are not able to pay them till they actually are very old but it is always there telling you every day that if you do not pay this it will just keep getting bigger and bigger but in some other countries like brazil collages are free from what i know and they are very prestiges.
The American Dream, a dream that has driven countless people from world the world to come to America for all kinds for hopes, is a motivation that people are willing to struggle, to suffer, and to work their hardest and best in order to make their hopes become reality. America is nation full of hard working people, and they are all working towards the same goal, that is to make their desires tangible and continue to improve this country. I personally believe in this promise that the hard work pays off. It is hard and difficult for all people, but at the end when they see the light at the end of the tunnel of work and struggle they understand that they would live their dreams in reality, the dreams they all wanted so bad. Sometimes people want to give up, for it may be too challenging for them; however, those who rise up again and never give up will enjoy all the opportunities and possibilities this country has to offer for everyone.
Everyone has dreams, but most of them do not want to work toward those, we like to think that they will happen no matter what. That is a fallacy, nothing is given, everything is earned by hard work. For example, Nikolai Tesla, the famous physicist for Croatia became who we admire today is because of his hard work and determination in revolutionizing the electrical current system, was just another immigrant who was ambitious enough to go above and beyond way ahead of his time to make his boyhood dream of harnessing electricity come true. He did fall many times, but he rose up again tried one more time, and did that until he successfully achieved his goal (Despite fact that not many people of his time accepted him). He believed that he could change the world, which he did, but he kept going foward thinking he can.
The American Dream is a possibility for many to live that life they want to, and this possibility drives people to dare to sacrafise all they have, to hit the reset button, and begin a life that would potentially change the course of their family’s future for the better.
The American Dream is like something like you see the in the movie ,white picket fence house .You’ve been working to get where you are now.It all has came to you because of all the hard work you’ve put in.But what they don’t show you is that ,that only depends if you’re born in to the right family.This is important because many people are still blind to the fact that the only way your ever gonna achieve this “dream” is by what race you are,what gender you are and if your were born into a high class family.
The American Dream can be reffered to as how you do in life, durinf school and adult life. It all matters how successful you are in the things you do. If you get a good job and if you’re finacially stable, you will do good in life and live a stable life.
I think the american dream is an idea that foreign people have about what Americans live like. for example often when i travel to a different country people think that im rich, only because i come from America. I think that the american dream is being financially stable, and actually owning property such as a house or cars. Everyone is capable of achieving my idea of the American Dream.