American Dream - Brainstorming

American Dream Graphic Organizer

I am trying to brainstorm for my American Dream essay. There are some random bits in this graphic organizer that were in my head... I felt that I should write them down...

Introduction

• What is the value of dreams? 

The value of dreams is priceless. Without dreams, the world would not be anywhere near the way it is today. Dreams started it all. From the beginning of Adam and Eve, when Eve and Adam were tempted by the fruit of the forbidden tree by the devil, they dreamed and believed that they would become like God if they ate the fruit. The idea of dreaming and trying to fulfill those dreams and accomplish those goals has been continued from there. From the building of the pyramids to the Orville Brothers to Steve Jobs, the amounts of dreams are endless.

• What does society advocate or our media suggest about what your dream should be? 

Our dream, that society suggests, is that we live an “ideal” life, like in Pleasantville. We should have a successful job and also have leisure time. We should get married and have a couple kids, and we should have those kids in school and numerous other activities where they must succeed. It seems as though people don’t have hobbies anymore. Everything that everyone is doing must be done almost perfectly, and we must be the best at everything that we can be.

• Is it achievable? 

I do not think that it is achievable because nobody can be perfect or even close to that. We do not live in an “ideal” world. Everyone is going to make mistakes that may lead them in a different direction than the dream that society wants us to fulfill.

Your Dream Defined

• Your dream defined: future family and career goals

My dream, to me, seems mostly unattainable. The part of my dream that I will fulfill is getting married and having a family. I want our family to do well and not have to scrap off the bottom of every pan to survive. Our family will be avid church-goers and be content. I would hope that my children be successful with their activities and my husband to be extremely caring. The other part of my dream with my career goals are a little “out there,” but I plan on making it work out well in the end. My career goals include becoming a professional musician with piano, flute, and voice, and to become a notable author. I would also love to continue with my art, whether it be a hobby or be profitable. That dream seems hard to attain, but I hope that I will push through the rough times and make it happen. Though it is not for me, I have many dreams for my brothers and my father that I have to include. They are a very large part of me, and if they are not successful and happy, then my life would feel like its crumbling as well. My dream for my father is that, after us kids are out of the house, that he be able to do his real career, acting. My dream for Ethan, the eldest brother, is that he would become either a zoologist or a flourishing singer because he has a beautiful voice. My dreams for my other two brothers, Caleb and Grant, are a little fuzzy at the moment since they have a while until they have to decide which path to take, but I dream that they thrive in everything they do and are happy. The most important dream that I have for all of them, which I am extremely confident that they will fulfill, is that they continue with our Lutheran faith and stay strong in going to church. I have faith that the Lord will guide us in the right direction to fulfill the dreams that we are meant to complete.

 

Analysis

• How your dream is similar to the current dream or the traditional dream?

My dream is similar to the traditional dream because I want to have the same opportunities to become a musician and author than the kid around the block. Just because someone may have more money than I do or come from a more privileged family, I want to still be able to fulfill my dream. It is similar to the current dream because when people are looking for goals that they want to complete, they don’t look halfway and find an easy, simple one to fulfill. People nowadays want to challenge themselves and be extremely successful in everything that they decide to put their mind to.  I am exactly like that. If I start something, I must complete it almost perfectly.

• How is your dream different?

My dream is different because the traditional dream, when it started to be known as the great ‘American Dream,’ seemed as though the immigrants were trying to just get a good job in the “Land of Opportunity.” The traditional American Dream was also based on trying to have equal rights and opportunities no matter your race, social class, or ethnicity. I already have those rights. My dream is also different to the current dream because it seems as though, in the case of my father, that people are deciding to save money now and have a steady job and dream later. I am hoping to fulfill my dream and make that my steady job.

• How do you help and/or hinder your dreams? 

I help my dreams by being successful in everything that I put my mind to from school to music to art to writing to church to volunteering. I hinder my dreams by letting my illnesses take over me until I start to shut down. I also hinder my dreams by deciding to watch a movie instead of practicing piano. (That happened last night… But it was “Barbie Movie Night” at our house. LOL. My brothers and I like to watch Barbie movies together on Mondays. I think it is because there is always a happy ending. …I wonder if my youngest brother also is confused on how the romance between a man and a woman works…  Our mother died when he was two so that may be the case…) That was random…

• What role do you play in helping your dream become a reality?

I must put my all into being successful and forcing myself to practice my instruments. I must also acknowledge that I should take any spare time in my life and put that into my writing. I play the largest role into making my dream a reality. It is up to me to help create my fate.

• Do people in your life play any role in helping your dream become a reality?

Numerous people in my life play a role in helping my dream become a reality. My father pays for my music lessons, and him loving to write, is a huge mentor for my love of writing as well. My music teachers strongly want me to continue with music for the rest of my life and make it my career. My brothers, especially the middle one, Caleb, help push me to continue to practice my instruments and complete my many other activities and chores in my life. I have this never-leaving feeling that I have to be the best role model for them and never let them down. After the many years of being sick and being absent from school too often, I feel that I have let them down, and I need to pick back up the pieces from before I became sick and make sure that I don’t fall apart again. My grandparents, especially my father’s mother, are a huge element in my quest for fulfilling my dream. My grandmother plays piano, and her mother was a top-notch, concert pianist. My grandma regrets that she stopped playing obediently when she was younger, and now that I have the talent that she saw in her mother, she isn’t going to let me waste it. The people at my church also want the best for me, and knowing that I am a great musician and writer, they push me to play in church and continue practicing.

Interpretation

• Is the American dream alive or dead?  Why do you think that is?  Does the American Dream’s evolving quality help keep it alive over generations?   How?

I think the American Dream is alive, it is just evolving. I think that it is alive and changing because the way we are living is changing. The American Dream will probably be alive for many, many more years. There is always that desire in a human being to become successful and do what we think will bring pleasure to us. 

  

Conclusion

• Do generations share similar dreams?  What are the common threads of dreams among all generations of Americans?  Which threads do you share and which unique ideas do you bring to the American Dream?    

 Generations can have similar dreams. My father wants to be an actor. My brothers and I are also in the Fine Arts and want to find a career in that. A common thread of dreams among all generations is to be able to find a good job and find a family even though we do not all come from the same background. I also want to have a successful job. A unique thing about my dream is that the two things that I want to be, musician and writer, seem like they have a sea of differences between each other. My dream may not happen at the same time, but I intend to complete it.