It was October of 1981 and I was a fifteen-year-old boy living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with our mother, "Alice", and my two brothers Robert and Ralph. We were typical working blue-collar family. There were no frills and no extras, only the necessary items in the house to survive. The clothing we wore was second hand and it would take the holidays and holes in the bottom of our shoes to get a new pair. We lived in a medium size apartment with three bedrooms, it was old but warm in the winter. I had to share almost everything with my younger brother, from the bed in our room to the clothes on my back. .
I was an average kid going to parochial school and participating in after school sports. The only reason we even got to parochial school was that our grandparents helped to subsidize our mother's income. Yes, when it came to finances; we were definitely in the lower bracket. .
When it came to academics, I was sub-par to say the least but when it came to track and field, I was superior. I had been running organized track for the past three years and I was coming off one of my best performances. Of course, the family would never attend any of the track meets I raced in, but they were always interested in the stories I had to tell and how well I did. When I"d come home from a track meet and showed them the 1st place blue ribbon I had just won, my mother would gave me a great big hug; the kind that would squish my head and make my face turn red due to lack of blood circulation. Then she would place the blue ribbon on the mantle above the television. My two brothers would crack jokes about my accomplishment and shrug it off as if it was no big deal. .
Us boys had little guidance while growing up. We did not receive the family style talks and advice middle class families have with their children. Most of what we learned came from either the streets or the television. We, like any other high school kid, would do the things that kids do.
American Dream The idea of the American Dream has dominated American literature since the founding of America. ... Many people have their own idea of what the American Dream is. ... It's patriotic in the sense that "her shattered hulk should sink beneath the wave...And there should be her grave." ... The American Dream could be called a controversial issue. ... To me, the American Dream is whatever you make it. ...
Dreams can be both realistic and unrealistic but you need to work hard if you want them to come true. ... A person must strive to overcome obstacles to ensure their dreams come to fruition. George and Lennie's dream to own a ranch together proved to be unattainable for several reasons. ... George then is the only responsible character between them, which caused their dream to be unrealistic. ... His dreams were shattered when Curly's wife said "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. ...
Flashing lights, screeching tires, and the shattering of glass. The horror of the events that happened that night is beyond belief. It was the most terrifying night of my entire life and can still be remembered like it was yesterday. My best friend Kelly is a supermodel. She has been in the model...
"I don't dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living."" ... How many of us can't dream? ... Jay Gatsby is the epitome of the American Dream pursuer, yet the ideal American Dream doesn't work in his case because his ambition is too great, thus overworking the Dream. ... (p. 133) After the confrontation with Tom that Gatsby has waited five years to have, he realizes his dreams shatters because Daisy couldn't live up to what he has in mind. ... The letter "coming to pieces like snow- foreshadows Gatsby's soon-to-be-shattered Dream that also comes...
The American dream is a constantly fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era. ... The American dream is interwoven and deeply embedded in every fabric of American life. The American dream has become the major focal point of many works of American literature. ... Gatsby after losing Daisy dreams deteriorate and waits to hear from Daisy again. ... Set during the Great Depression era the characters have dreams typically American of this era: dreams for untarnished happiness and for the freedom or opportunity to follow their own desires. ...
Willy not only destroys the life of Biff and Happy, but also shatters the respect his sons had for him. ... It is true that a salesman's got to dream, but Willy's dream is tarred by a lifetime of false values and illusions that ultimately destroy him. ... Did Singleman actually achieve the "American Dream?" ... Although Happy has ambition to avenge his father's dream, he does not have the courage to admit that Willy "had all the wrong dreams." ... Willy may have a distorted view on the American dream, but the same materialistic flaw is apparent in both Willy's idea of t...
The Great Gatsby is a perfect illustration of the destructive power of dreams. ... He both subtly and blatantly shatters this dream for his readers, imposing on them the realistic attitude that the American Dream can never be fully realized. ... Jay Gatsby also had a dream. ... Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald shows the collapse of dreams, whether they are dreams of money, status, or simply of happiness. The biggest collapse, however, is of the American Dream. ...
The Great Gatsby is a perfect illustration of the destructive power of dreams. ... He both subtly and blatantly shatters this dream for his readers, imposing on them the realistic attitude that the American Dream can never be fully realized. ... Jay Gatsby also had a dream. ... Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald shows the collapse of dreams, whether they are dreams of money, status, or simply of happiness. The biggest collapse, however, is of the American Dream. ...
Lying in Shatters This is one moment that sticks in my memory, one that stands out more than others. ... I suddenly noticed a plate lying in shatters on the ground. ... As soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep, dreaming of monsters in the form of my father, princess" that needed saving from these beasts". I dreamed that one-day, I would be the hero. ...
