It seems that society is teaching children at a younger and younger age the difference between realistic and unrealistic dreams. As 1st graders we trade in our aspirations of becoming ballerinas and astronauts for more "sensible" options, such as doctors, lawyers, and business positions. In other words, professions that will provide us with a decent living. One might argue that this is evidence of the foundation of the American Dream: Americans wanting and securing a better life for their children.
This ideal can be traced back to Puritanism. As concluded by Cullen in The American Dream, the Puritans solidified the many cornerstones for what we consider the American Dream today: prosperity, happiness, and a better life for future generations. However it is vital to denote the importance of one aspect of Puritan society that they are commonly criticized for: the fact that their attempt at a "perfect society" was merely ideological, rather than realistic. While this did play a large role in failing the Puritan society, it is also responsible for a great deal of their success. They had a vision of becoming "a city upon a hill" and risked everything to achieve it. Although it is important to ground our aspirations in reality, with the growing pressure of society we are forgetting the importance and power of a dream. If we choose playing it safe for fear of failing, then how rewarding will our success be when and if we achieve it?
While the Puritans may have made many flaws in their structure of society, we must look to them as an example of how with dedication and discipline, we can challenge ourselves beyond what we thought we were capable of to follow our dreams. Through this, we have a much greater chance of ultimately achieving the true American Dream-whatever it might mean to you.
2 comments:
Jaqueline, I must begin by saying that your blog was very well written and I found that it challenged my thinking to a great extent so I will return the favor by challenging yours, as well.
In your last paragraph, you are talking about the how the "dedicated" Puritans essentially, overcame many obstacles to follow their dream of going to America. You are refferring to this idea when you write, "through this, we have a much greater chance of ultimately achieving the true "American Dream". Here, you are suggesting that the Puritans are a group of people that in the end achived the American Dream, and i have to contradict this idea and say that the Puritans came to America with a dream that originated in Europe and with European ideas. I also do not think that we can look at the Puritans and see success in any way. If this is what their dream was-to come to a new land and bring their children up in the same corrupted, brutal enviornment that they, too were brought up in, then I cannot agree that they achieved anything. They are frowned up by the majority of our society and if we all began following their same dedication, then we would become as corrupt as they were. I believe that if One is to successfully reach their "American Dream" then it will not be seen by author, Andrew Miller as "one of the most awful chapters in human history" (Miller-back cover) as he sees the time of the Puritans. The Puritans' "American Dream" is nothing but a society's failed attempt to achieve the perfect society and they will never be a good example, to me. But, i guess i have to challenge myself as well and say that maybe we are just as at fault as the Puritans are. Maybe in many years to come, our way of life: the way we strive for better appearances, and define our own success with dollar signs. Maybe the next generations will frown upon us and think of our ways as corrupt when we naively think that we are living a life that will be exemplary to our future society.
Great dialogue, ladies! Nice job...
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