What is the American Dream

It would be hard to believe that such ideas would be a part of the ideals that America was founded on. It is clear that when America was founded, it was inconspicuously founded with the intention to still be run by rich white men. It's pretty hard to imagine that African Americans would have the ability to believe in the American Dream. The term "American Dream" was invented by James Truslow Adams in 1931 who was a writer and a historian. In 1931, devised "American Dream" term in his book "The Epic of American". The American Dream was simply a dream for the Blacks in New York who were striving to get jobs during the time of Renaissance. The "American Dream" was a living which most people thought they would never get the opportunity to see or have the pleasure to enjoy.

They never thought that having a good job, having an own nice house, being able to buy nice things and being treated fairly would ever come to reality. One would possibly think of The American Dream as a thought for the blacks who lacked hope or faith to make the dream come to reality simply because the blacks were so much belittled. The Blacks were seen as worthless, ugly and inferior to the colorful Americans. And the grandmother that raised him after his parent divorced instilled in him a strong sense of racial pride. She did this through tradition and sharing with him her own experiences. Harlem Hughes living with a guardian who was formerly a slave made him strong-minded and helped him become a pro-African American who was determined.

Hughes loved all Blacks not only the light ones or the more sophisticated ones but generally all Blacks. Yet, living in a Harlem neighborhood around people he referred to as "low down folk" he gained most of his creativity and muse. Nanny, her friend and guardian longs for her to get married. After searching for months to get a candidate to marry her, Janny finds Logan Killicks, so she and Logan get married. There is a pressure from the society exerted on Janie when they realize she is in love with Logan. In that book, Hurston says, "Yes, she would love Logan after they were married. According to them, Husbands and wives were bound to love one another, as that was the meaning of marriage.

Janie almost realizing this American Dream when she finds a husband and gets married, but the death of Nannie makes her reconsider her dreams. Without the support of Nanny, Janie gets back to her normal life to contemplate her duty in life and stands outside to listen for sources of direction. As she is out there, the narrator says, "She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman. " (Hattenhauer, Darryl,1994) In conclusion, Janie is used as an example by the author of the novel to show that even if Americans think they know how their life will turn out and have one life dream, their plan and path can always change.