Introduction
Many people have done an analysis concerning the reality of the American dream. The American people have identified critical factors of consideration if the country were to realize her destined achievement. The factors include those that enhance the realization and those that pull behind. The positive ones are encouraged whereas the cons are obliged to get into extinction. This is the perfect way to achieve the American dream. For the purpose of this paper, it will take a critical look at the ideas of Harlton Dalton and Gregory Mantsios towards the realization of the American dream. A dream of equity, indiscriminative perceptions and opportunities made available to every American regardless of their background.
The essay entitled ‘Horatio Alger’ presents Dalton’s message and ideas about the American dream. The essay suggests that for the American dream to become a reality, there are concerns that need to be addressed. This includes the barriers of races, the background of a person and the social class to which they belong. In the essay, Dalton argues that only commercial success is achieved through hard work, initiative and persistence. However, the agony of race, background and class of a person remains out of reach and beyond the hand of the average American. Dalton goes by the notion that creating opportunities for one’s self is the only way to achieve the American dream (Dalton, 259). This is because the American people use the values of optimism, wealth and worthiness as criterion of judging among themselves. Discrimination between the blacks and the whites means that the American dream cannot be achieved in equal measure. Dalton explains this by suggesting that blacks are only compared with fellow blacks and whites likewise.
Mantsios’ ideas
The essay entitled ‘class America’, Gregory describes the issues about social class towards the scarce opportunities in America. The essay begins by suggesting how the American people are private. They never talk about their financial standings. These include things to do with ‘working class’, ‘lower class’ and so forth. Americans only describe themselves as people integrated into a common setting. Opportunities are available to everyone. It is only that one should put an initiative and effort to realize their goals and objectives. However, Gregory notes other factors results to unbalance of opportunities. Here, the family that one is born determines how success the individual could become. For example, there is more like hood that a child born in a rich family could be more successful than one born in a poor family. However, this is not always the case since everybody has the opportunity for success.
The complement of the two essays
It is evident that the two essays present much compliment on each other. Clearly, Dalton’s essay presents too optimistic, blind ideas towards the world. It is very insensitive and destructive in social terms. The essay is based entirely on Alger’s myth. It gives a direct look to the social realities of life (Dalton, 289). The essay stresses on the things that are a reality in the American society. When Dalton talks about discrimination of skin color towards opportunities in America, he justifies his arguments that such things are barriers to the realization of the American dream. Contrarily, Gregory is more rational in his presentation of ideas. Gregory does not fail to recon that discrimination exists in the American society but suggests that such things do not lock someone out to realize success (Mantsios, 270). There are many opportunities and provided that one puts an effort they are subjected to the same chance towards the realization of the American dream. Nobody has a direct advantage over the other. The only drawback is whether one comes from a non resourceful background since their like hood to prosper life is less compared to someone from a rich family. Albeit the differences of race, all Americans have equal opportunity.
Dalton’s persuasion
Mantsios’ persuasion
On the other hand, Gregory emphasizes that all Americans must put effort to achieve realize success. This is because there are no real barriers that could deny a person the chance and grant another person an easy chance. Things of discrimination are for the ancient days and have no place in the current society. However, the gap between the poor and the rich is widening, and that is a inappropriate to the realization of a common goal (Mantsios, 260). Therefore, Americans should concentrate on individual actualization since the society presents fair opportunity for everyone. Gregory Mantsios believes that people are the same and have similar characteristics. The issue of social class which is middle, lower and the upper categories are the criteria of success determination but not races.
Conclusion
As discussed above, the two essays give a similar message to the American society despite the delivery differences. Dalton identifies racism and individual background as the obstacle to achieving the American dream. However, Gregory Mantsios only puts emphasis on the social class differences as the determination of success. Both Dalton and Gregory have a common call to the Americans. This is a call for the abolishment of discrimination of class and race if the Americans were to realize their dream. Otherwise, the American dream will never become a reality.
Works CitedDalton, Harlton. “Horatio Alger. ” Rereading America. Colombo, Cullen and Lisle. 6th Ed., 2004. 304Mantsios, Gregory, “Class in America: Myths and Realities (2009).” Rereading America. Colombo, Cullen and Lisle. 6th Ed., 2004. 333-334
