Schreiber+Reflections

The American Dream: We, as Americans, all have dreams. For, as Langston Hughes so greatly suggested, without dream life lacks important meaning. The manner in which people treat and act toward their dream is a quality that is truly American. Dreams motivate Americans to work hard in order to accomplish all that they hope to attain. Americans follow the green winding light that leads to their dream, as represented by the green text. This path has some more positive experiences and some more negative experiences, but ultimately they hope that it will guide them to their "and one fine morning.." moment, where all that they had worked toward and endured in the process was finally worth it.

Race in America: Racism and racial equality have been long and ever-changing themes and struggles in America. In years past, America has experienced the Harlem Renaisaance, a time of exceptional cultural expression by Black people in America, followed by segregation, prejudices, and more. This has led to the present day of ultimate hope for change with the election of a Black president, Barack Obama. While this gave people the sense that America had surpassed its roots of segregation and racial discrimination, it seems that these aspects of the American character were not entirely changed but rather only hidden or in an altered state, as racism is still very prevalent particularly in the prison populations. As De Touqueville clearly put it, the changes that need to be made are those to "destroy inequality." To do so, people have to be willing to leave their comfort zones and create a majority of people who are not afraid to make change. We, as Americans, have accomplished one of what De Touqueville believed to be a challenge for people of democracies, which is to begin the war of creating change. Now it is time for the American people to complete the second challenge, which is to end the war and seek a complete end to racism in America.

Community in America: America is a large country comprised of many different types of people with many different interests. While the nation fosters the development of these individual interests, their is a notion within the American character that we are one. There is a responsibility that Americans have for one another that if an individual is failing than it is our duty as Americans to help lift them up. While Americans have often failed to follow through with this in the past, at least on a larger scale, this notion has been embedded within the American character. It is only when Americans put their individual interests aside and unite as one that true change is made. As Hellen Keller so correctly put it, "alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Growing in America: The growth of an American is reflected in changes that occur in their lifetime and how that impacts the way that they think and act. When Americans are young they often have fairy tale stories read to them. These stories reflect the perfect lives of an imaginary world in which some things do go wrong but ultimately everyone is satisfied and lives happily ever after. These fairytales allow Americans to think about the imaginary perfect world that lies ahead of them. As Americans grow, they often learn that these fairytales and their imagination did not coincide with their future. While there is some truth that lies within the stories and their imagined world, Americans are hit with a profound acknowledgement of the imperfections of their own realities. Anne Sexton's poetry, such as her poem entitled //Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs//, explore the contrast between the perfect world set up by a fairy tale rewritten into a more real and plausible situation. This is shown in one example as Anne Sexton calls Snow White, who is seen otherwise as a perfect figure, a "dumb bunny." This transition is one that many Americans acknowledge as they grow up. Still, many find that their imagination and their abstract world was greatly significant to them and their growth.