The American Dream, a belief that everyone has equal opportunity, is the basis of the American Dream. Both racial inequality and economic inequalities have plagued the United States. Importantly, the problem of race can increase the chance that an individual will be able to experience social mobility. This is despite the fact that The American Dream was meant to illustrate how administrative and social systems can facilitate equality. This raises questions about the value of the American Dream, which is still popular but cannot perform its original function. Although the American Dream is not attainable, it’s used to trick Americans. Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Once Again Be America” attempts to highlight this topic. This poem portrays a depressing situation, and the poet seems to indicate that it would be better if Americans had imagined an idealized America. Both the poetry and continuing differences in American society undermines the American Dream. This seems to be a rhetorical device used to dispel racial animosity.
While the American Dream sounds like a utopian ideal, its realization is impossible due to the underlying systems. Langston Hughes wrote the poem “America has lived in a dream since its beginning.” In Line 7, he says, “Let America be the dream that dreamers imagined.” Langston states in the line that America has had a longing for change. Particularly, it seems that this is true for the American Dream. It is beautiful on paper but cannot be put into practice in the real world. Individuals believe everyone has the same opportunities when they read about America’s Dream. But, “O Pioneers” shows that this is not true. Willa Cather. Alexandra Bergson was given property by her father. Land seemed to be the best way of attaining economic independence. Many immigrants doubted that they would be able to make a living from their property’s income. Cather shows in the narrative how, even though immigrants had land, it was difficult for them prosper. Even though they had land, immigrants did not have equal opportunities to succeed. If immigrants from Hannover view land as irrelevant, it could make the American Dream less possible.
It is not a national rallying song because the American Dream only benefits a select group of US citizens. The success of Americans seems to follow a certain pattern. Hughes, for example, writes in the poem “Where no monarchs or tyrants ever plot… That anyone man be crushed (Lines 9 & 10). Hughes describes two groups of socioeconomic status in the poem, the leaders and those who are wealthy. Hughes says that the leaders in America must not restrain the social mobility for the poor. Hughes also states that the wealthiest will follow their lead.