Personal Narrative: I Have A Dream

“American Dream.” Those two words are what drove my parents to escape the challenges of living in poverty stricken Colombia. Being a first generation, young, female, Latina immigrant my upbringing has made me fortunate enough to embrace all of the opportunities available for me.

Do you know what the American dream really means? Dr.Martin Luther King Jr understood what that dream meant. King was a man who was all about equality, he believed that all men and woman no matter what race, religion or beliefs they had should all be equal. The American dream reminds us that every man is heir to the legacy of worthiness, that the dream had challenges as they faced it. Dr.King had a dream that one day America would become a better place he believed that America is essentially a dream, it was a dream that was yet unfulfilled. Yet it took us so long to discover the substance of this American dream though it was shown in the Declaration of Independence. This document had specific words that showed people what the American dream really meant, these words were “We holds these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, Creator, with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Dr.Martin Luther King Jr used Aristotle’s rhetorical devices ethos, logos and pathos to explain the American dream.

It’s time to get rid of the idea of the “American Dream” we once cherished. The "American Dream" has strayed so far from the true, original meaning and has instead become a convoluted, argumentative point for politicians to use in their speeches. No one can openly oppose it because it captures our faith in advancement as a nation. Opposing it would be unpatriotic no matter how unrealistic it truly is. That is the exact reason this phrase has survived all odds, it provides hope for those without. It is what drives us all, whether we know it or not, even though its nothing but an unreachable dream.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream (1963)” speech, he addresses the idea that in order to fulfill the premise that “all men were created equal,” the people of the nation must work together to move past the injustices inflicted on African Americans in order to ultimately grant them their civil rights. King’s claim is supported by first repeatedly alluding to historically renowned milestones in the fight against oppression and illustrating numerous metaphors to create an emotional connection with his audience. King’s “dream” that he frequently mentions is the nationwide unification to work toward a common goal in order to bring integration of all races and coexist without oppression. By establishing his goal, he creates an earnest

In Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream…” his focus is for everyone in the community to have equal rights and freedom and being able to attain jobs. King had a dream of faith, to where we will all be treated the same and have equal opportunities. According to King “with this faith, we will all be able to work together, pray together, struggle together, go to jail together, stand up for freedom together,

Since then, more leaders have arisen, from Mahatma Gandhi to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and shaped this society into what we know it as today. The ultimate American dream is to reach the highest peak of success humanly possible. Yet, this cannot be done without

Rodrigo Perez Mr. Desnoyer Composition – Block 3 22 August, 2011 Dialectical Journal Quotation

Critical Essay 2 “I Have a Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King There has been many influential figures in American History that have provided the American people with promising messages of hope and equality for all people. One of the most influential figures of the twenty century was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This time period was marked by the Civil Rights Movement, which was a movement that prompted a group of individuals to fight for the equality of African Americans. This is because “African Americans were granted better economic

Thanks. The so-called American Dream is one of the most time-honored and cliché phrases used to describe the conception of the United States. It is commonly used to refer to the notion that anyone can come to this country and, through hard work and sheer will, change his or her fortune and lot in life in a way that other countries simply do not allow people to do. However, it is interesting to see that this popular idea of the American Dream does not necessarily correlate to the perceptions of two authors who wrote about this subject both directly and indirectly, Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have A Dream Speech" and J.B. Priestley in "Wrong Isms". In fact, both of these authors view the American Dream through respective lenses in which they do not believe that the promise of the American Dream is coming to fruition. Still, they both utilize similar rhetorical devices to attempt to change their view of what the American Dream has become, which they believe is negative, to what they hope the American Dream will come to be, which is positive, by using an abundance of metaphors, anaphora, and

The following is an excerpt from Dr. King's speech: I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.” I have

The way the story begins is probably the same as others. Obviously you are born and raised somewhere. Well my story began in Worcester Massachusetts. I was born on January 15th, 1995, to wonderful parents who people might think is not your usual mix. My mother is from the Dominican Republic and my father is from Ecuador. Yes, I know, the weirdest mix ever but it brought me into this world, so I'm proud.

I am a Mexican American student that comes from two loving Mexican parents. My mother was born in Tijuana, Mexico and my father was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. My parents worked very hard to come to the United States, looking for the American dream. They are dedicated to their family and

The Dream Itself Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.

Throughout history America has been the arriving place of immigrants searching for a better life. America is perceived as the land were endless opportunities are available. The greatest explanation of the American dream is Martin Luther King, Jr. speech; I Have a Dream. Dr. King speech is more like a testimony of truth, rather than a speech. At the time of his speech African Americans were not free, while the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Dr. King’s movement established the way for the idea that there is an American dream. The idea that somebody can be anything they would like to be. This idea is still relevant now in America. Americans pursue their dream everyday by having the opportunity to attend

What is the American dream? There are many different definitions of the American Dream, some think of the American Dream as a house of their own with a white picket fence around it or the character Tony Montana in the movie Scarface who made it from a refugee to become a very wealthy man, at a cost of course. But when I think about the American Dream I think of Dr. Martin Luther King, who's I Have A Dream speech touched on what he wanted the future of America to look like. During his speech he stated “I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.” Some people will say we have reached that point and come a long way since August 28, 1963 when King spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but have we really?