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Post by ashen99 on Feb 2, 2016 6:13:26 GMT
This poem by Langston Hughes is interesting because there is a very noticeable shift in the speaker's attitude towards a situation. Before the shift, he or she frequently mentions how these oppressed groups have been unable to achieve the American dream of success and freedom. He uses parallelism of the "poor white", the "Negro", the "red man", the "immigrant" to demonstrate how so many different groups of people have suffered in America, in contrast to its ideals. Here, it seems to imply that America failed them in being unable to provide the dream of freedom. In addition, the tone is much more somber, using phrases such as "dream that's almost dead" and "It never was America to me" to suggest a much more hopeless feeling.
However, the speaker's tone switches and becomes much more optimistic. The speaker mentions "bring back our mighty dream again" and "the steel of freedom does not stain" to emphasize more hope for the situation. It seems as though it's possible that all these people who have been oppressed for so long can effect change themselves and bring about reforms that can improve their prospects of true freedom.
Therefore, Hughes' poem implies how the American dream has now changed into something that is actually achievable, not a futile goal that cannot be reached.
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Post by cnelson on Feb 2, 2016 23:11:18 GMT
I essentially interpreted this poem as an overall call for a movement to rejuvenate the true concept of the American Dream again. The poem did had a very significant shift in tone, and I can see the shift from hopeless to hopeful, but I personally saw the poem shifting from a pleading to a frustrated tone. The first few stanzas the narrator was sort of pleading for the return of the American dream as seen in the following lines: "Let it be the dream it used to be", "let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed" etc. But then it switches quickly to a frustrated and angry tone with the lines "Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?" in which the narrator is suddenly irritated at the fact that people have caused the American Dream to disappeare from American society. He addresses how corrupted and cruel America has become to those who are trying to make a living and achieve their American dream. "Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak" illustrates how the weak are not given a chance to rise up, and are being treated unfairly, sort of like their being "bullied" by the strong and well of individuals of society. This completely goes against the American Dream and has caused an unequal plane in society that must essentially be put back into balance.
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Post by ndefilippis on Feb 5, 2016 2:00:29 GMT
This poem by Langston Hughes is interesting because there is a very noticeable shift in the speaker's attitude towards a situation. Before the shift, he or she frequently mentions how these oppressed groups have been unable to achieve the American dream of success and freedom. He uses parallelism of the "poor white", the "Negro", the "red man", the "immigrant" to demonstrate how so many different groups of people have suffered in America, in contrast to its ideals. Here, it seems to imply that America failed them in being unable to provide the dream of freedom. In addition, the tone is much more somber, using phrases such as "dream that's almost dead" and "It never was America to me" to suggest a much more hopeless feeling. However, the speaker's tone switches and becomes much more optimistic. The speaker mentions "bring back our mighty dream again" and "the steel of freedom does not stain" to emphasize more hope for the situation. It seems as though it's possible that all these people who have been oppressed for so long can effect change themselves and bring about reforms that can improve their prospects of true freedom. Therefore, Hughes' poem implies how the American dream has now changed into something that is actually achievable, not a futile goal that cannot be reached. Good ideas, Alan. I thought what you said about the American Dream being more attainable was interesting. When I read the poem, I viewed it as a warning to be wary for the people who have oppressed theses minority groups. Hughes talks about how the original settlers came to escape that same persecution in Europe. I think this pertains to the American Dream, since that original settler and the oppressed groups of Hughes's time both faced a lack of opportunity. I think Hughes is calling people to fight against the oppression of these minority groups so that everyone can achieve the American Dream. |
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Post by harleen5 on Feb 8, 2016 1:23:22 GMT
Alan, I really like a lot of your ideas. I definitely see how there is the idea of the American Dream being unattainable by certain groups. The shift in the poem does show optimism for the future, like you said, which shows that the poet is hopeful that the American Dream will be a dream for everyone. My question is, do you think that Fitzgerald would agree with the idea that the American Dream is once again attainable? Or has it been tarnished by society?
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