Summary Of Maya Angelou's 'Rural Museums-Southern Romance'

The greatest explanation of the American dream is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech” I Have a Dream.” In 1963, King and other leaders of the civil rights movement organized a huge march for equal rights in Washington, DC. With a massive crowd of over 200,000 followers, the march was protesting racial discrimination in employment, racial separatism in schools, and they demanded minimum wage for all workers. (Biography.yourdictionary) Dr. King’s 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 college, and work. Although America is the land of opportunities, Americans take these opportunities for granted, while other parts of the world make it their lives’ time goal to get here. In certain times of history the American dream has not been available to some races. For example it be the Japanese during World War 1 and the African Americans during the Civil rights era. “The land of opportunity has discriminated people from completing their dreams” (Nobelprize.org.). Our country has gone through great trials of racism. The great Martin Luther King Jr. worked his whole life to change these things. Dr. King made history when he gave his speech “I Have a Dream” at the Nation’s Capital in 1963. “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 (King, Martin L., Jr.). The famous speech is a testimony to the struggle of African American people and the deep desire of Dr. martin Luther King Jr. who lived, fought and died to win equality for the African American community. Another important aspects of Dr. King's struggle was his vision for the memphis sanitation workers strike.

 "There is a deep brooding/ in Arkansas." Arkansas is stuck in the past, its memories of hatred and crime from ante-bellum days hindering the progression towards Civil Rights. Maya Angelou's poem of the struggle to a new wave of equality uses both general symbolism and historical allusion to make its theme clear to the reader. The poem uses general symbolism in nature, in time, and historical allusion to make the theme clear in a concise but vibrant poem.

    Angelou utilizes metaphors to prove to her readers that she is determined and willing to end the conflict of racial segregation in America. She describes the past slavery and the harsh terms that her ancestors used to go through, but now in the current situation of America, she can come, “out of the huts of history’s shame /I rise” (29-30). The audience is reminded of the fact that slavery is now in the past, and Angelou does this in order to rhetorically ask the audience ‘why America overcame slavery. ’ She describes herself emerging from a ‘hut of history’s shame’ as she is referring to the huts that slaves used to be kept in, as well as proving to be the generation that puts an end the shameful segregation in America, ‘I rise.’ The relation of rising from a slave hut into the world reveals the statement being made that Angelou will no longer accept the African American’s current treatment. She goes further on the topic of America’s history of slavery and

Freedom and the American Dream are both something that Americans stand and strive for in the United States. For many it is a major part of our lives, for some more than others. When the American Dream is asked to be explained or defined a common response is that it is an accomplishment of wealth and prosperity through hard work and success, especially those living in the United States. When searched, the American Dream is described as “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American” (American Dream, Dictionary.com). This description plays a major role as these are the goals that were set to come from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many fought for the right to be free especially when it came to racial inequality in our country but many did not receive these benefits or opportunities of equality as there were negative and positive effects that came directly from the Civil Rights Movement.

The American Dream is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguished by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. People consider America the land of opportunities, a new beginning to a new life in which they can strive and succeed. America is known as the land of the free where if you have the perseverance you can achieve what you want from life. However does the American Dream apply to even those of color equally?

In 1940, the United States approached the eightieth-year anniversary of the abolition of slavery; however, the social oppression of African American citizens steadily increased. Despite being free for decades, they were still leagues below the white people who owned their ancestors. African American author Maya Angelou recollects on her experience of graduation from the eighth grade in her 1940 piece “Graduation Day.” The narrative not only highlights the importance of the narrator's graduation, but also the expectations of Angelou’s community due to their persecution and separation. Perseverance through separation and persecution forges dignity in an individual.

As citizens of America, we all work towards acquiring one thing: The American Dream. The American Dream is something that most citizens of America try their hardest to attain at least some point in their life time. This dream may include but is not limited to, wanting to reach a certain social class, having a safe country with strong military forces, and also wanting to “fit in”, or to find his or her’s place in life. Also, this dream may or may not look similar to the American dream you want to inquire. While most of us desire to attain most of the things listed above, some of us always dream of having a nation where the color of your skin and social standards do not define who you are as a person. However, while citizens may want these things, not all of America may agree with each other. A question that has merged into our minds is, “ is the American dream attainable?”

Do you think the American dream is still a concept today? If so, is it still possible to achieve this American dream? The American dream can be described as the success of life, and the goals achieved. Sometimes, these dreams can not be achieved due to obstacles. In this case, obstacles such as inequality. Many may view America has the land of opportunity and the greatest nation ever due to our vast diversity and freedom, but is this thought to be true in America itself? There has been many cases of people facing inequality in history. Examples of inequality were unequal rights against African Americans, against women, and one that is more common today is the income inequality. Inequality makes it so the people who are made to be inferior have many obstacles to face, such as racism or being degraded as humans. African Americans were slaves and women did not get equal opportunity compared to men. Although inequality may seem like a thing in the past, many still face it today. Inequality limits a person from succeeding in his or her life, and puts a great struggle upon them.

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

The concept of the American Dream has been with us as long as we have been a nation. In Brandon Kings “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, Or On Hold?” he presents us with his version of the American dream. According to Kings, the American dream is defined as “The potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future” (611). The American dream may differ between every individual and how they perceive it. To some, the American dream is to have a decent job and to be financially prosperous. However, to others, having a job is defined as just living paycheck to paycheck every passing month. The American dream to African Americans in 2015 basically designates opportunity, that is the opportunity to make an impact in life through tough work and dedication. . To me, the American dream means the ability to be financially stable and the liberation for the nightmares of racial strife to culminate. As Langston Hughes, an American poet, asserts in his poem “What happens to a dream deferred”, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun or fester like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar cover- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode” Hughes describes what a dream is when it’s delayed. It’s like the American dream becomes a nightmare when there is no hope, to dream, or for example, if there is no way to gain financial stability. Then people will commence to defer their dreams and there would be an

Race played a critical role in the pursuit of The American Dream. In spite of the fact that Americans were immigrants by nature, African Americans in particular were treated as if they didn't belong. Furthermore, they were considered to be less valuable than those of European descent. Put another way, opportunities made available for a white man were simply non-existent for a black man with the same qualifications. Racism was so prevalent in these times that it remains a problem in modern day; the magnitude of which is still tragically

In the U.S. South, selective remembrance often produces a romanticized and glorified image of plantation sites that consequently silence and ostracize enslaved community members’ stories, memories, and experiences. Within broader U.S. political and ideological contexts and worldviews, White elites dominate the perceptions and valuations of heritage circulating on plantation museum sites, especially with regard to African American identities and histories. Docents and interpreters at plantation museums tell narratives that in particular typically abridge the negativity of slavery with “noble tales describing the lives of the plantation owners and the architectural intricacies of their homes” (Buzinde & Santos, 2009, p. 439). The absence and

The American Dream is the result of possibilities and success. The term “American Dream” was been invented by James Truslow Adams in 1931: “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Another reference to the American Dream appears in the Declaration of Independence (1776). The author wrote that people are “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The question of the debate was: “Is the American Dream Still Alive and Well?”

While the meaning of the American Dream has evolved multiple times between 1865 and 1980, almost every person agreed on as to what the American Dream meant in their respective time periods. The definition of the American Dream in some form has always consisted of freedom, and the ability to advance economically. Also, in more recent times things such as owning a suburban home, moving into the middle-class, being able to spend on consumer goods, and having a perfect family became a part of the American Dream. However, throughout American history there has always been groups who have not had equal access to the American Dream. External factors such as legislation, racism, sexism, and the political environment, resulted in former slaves, blacks, poor Americans, women, and immigrants not having fair access to aspects of the American Dream such as complete freedom, equal opportunity, the ability to advance economically, and the ability to enjoy the luxuries of an affluent society. Between 1865 and 1900 former slaves did not have equal access to aspects of freedom such as, “Self-ownership, family stability, religious liberty, political participation, and economic autonomy.” Later on, between 1900 and 1939 lower-class Americans, women, and immigrants did not have equal opportunity to advance economically. Later on, the American economy shifted after the second World War, and Americans were moving into the middle-class, however blacks, and immigrants did not have equal access to the

These profound words written in the Declaration of Independence embody what makes up what is known as the “American Dream.” America is perceived as the land of opportunity and prides itself on the fundamental beliefs of freedom and equality. In the United States, if one works hard, there is nothing one can not accomplish. These values and beliefs make up the American Dream, yet, for centuries, have faced an uphill battle fighting in order to achieve their dreams (Eliassen 1). For African Americans, the perception of the American Dream can be vastly different than it is to any other segments of the population. The concepts of equality and identity have played a significant role in African American’s ability to achieve the American dream. For centuries, the unique experience of being denied equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream had great significance in African American Literature. From the end of the Civil War to present day America, African American authors, Booker T. Washington, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, and Natasha Trethewey, use the written word to expose the injustices and the challenges that black Americans faced in achieving their version of the American Dream. Over the years, the concept of the American Dream is