Two Versions of the American Dream

"The American Dream" consists of the oldocean of material prosperity." These passages of
rags-to-riches story as pictured in the booksKing's are evidenced in the two texts, Baby of
written by Horatio Alger. The American dominantthe Family and Black Girl Lost. Although Lena's
culture has tried to convince themselves andfamily is not poor, they are forced by a
others that America is the "land of opportunity";segregated society to live in a poverty-stricken
that if a person works hard and has "luck andarea (the Black part of town). Sandra lives in an
pluck" that person can achieve his or her dreamseven worse area, the African American ghetto
of riches and success. The American Dream isand she is desperately poor. Sandra must steal in
not aobut equality, because it is assumed that allorder to keep from starving and to go to school
are equal (among the WASPs). In contrast, thewithout being ashamed. While the American
African American dream is about equality andDream involves material success, the African
freedom.American dream consists of freedom and equality.
In Martin Luther King's famous speech "I Have aReferences
Dream," he says "the life of the Negro is still sadlyAnsa, Tina McElroy. Baby of the Family. Harcourt,
crippled by the manacles of segregation and the1991.
chains of discrimination"... "the Negro lives on aGoines, Donald. Black Girl Lost. Lushena Publishing,
lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast2006.