American Dream

In the chapter entitled, “American Dreams”, in creating America, Joyce Moser and Ann Watters write: “Perhaps the closest we can come is to say that the American dream represents both what Americans believe themselves capable of. In other word, it is the promise inherent in the idea of America itself.” Basically, this argument to me means that American dream is something that Americans already have and what they are actually capable of getting if they work harder in life. This argument is a very good definition for American dream and one can understand what American dream means after reading Mossers’ and Watter’s argument. Mosser’s and Watter’s argument is explaining what Americans are already entitled to, in other words it is something one already owns and which is concrete. Then what Americans are capable means what more could an individual achieve by being capable of it and by working harder. The way one defines American dream is different, for some it is money, or it is to pursue their interests or their goal in life, and for some for example the African American slaves in the 1700s and 1800s who were not treated equally, or even the African Americans from Do The Right Thing, their American Dream would be to achieve equal rights, and freedom because they want to be treated equally just like everyone else. The secondary texts have different meaning for the American Dream and most of them have to do with what people in the texts are going to achieve or what they will be capable of achieving in America which does not completely relate with the primary text, in which it states that American Dream is also what one is entitled to.

Secondly, the movie American Beauty, relates very well with Mosser’s and Watters’ argument. Mossers’ and Watters’ argument states that American dream is something one is entitled to and what one is capable of. When one is entitled to something, they already own it and appreciate it, an example of this is clearly shown in the...