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Student Name Mr. Patterson Acc. English III 24 May 2010 Barriers Influencing American Dreams Do obstacles in one’s life change one’s aspirations? If something hard or even unexpected occurs, does one turn his or her back on all that has been worked for? In an American society, there is an idea of a dream. Most people have dreams that differ from one another. Dreams are not limited only to society. Countless numbers of times in American literature, there are moments when an obstacle slows or possibly halts progression. Dreams can also be found in American literature; however, like the reality of society, barriers can be a component of having aspirations. Barriers create obstacles, whether emotional or physical, that make achieving a dream difficult or even appear to be impossible. In American literature dreams seem to be unattainable because of barriers. In all the years of literature, dreams, goals, and aspirations come in contact with a conflict. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby , Jay Gatsby has a dream to be with Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby has a passion for his dream so fierce that he pursues Daisy no matter what the barrier. “No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his... heart” (Fitzgerald 101). One barrier that Gatsby encounters is he has not money. Daisy is a girl of wealth and vanity. In order to catch the attention of Daisy and come closer to his dream, Jay Gatsby goes to great lengths to acquire money. Nick Carraway, one of Gatsby’s new acquaintances, questions his Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:49 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:35 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:44 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:36 PM Comment: TITLE SHOULD REFLECT OVERALL THEME OF ESSAYß Comment: Attention Getter Comment: Broad Topic Comment: Narrow Topic Comment: Thesis Statement Comment: Clincher Sentence Comment: Name of AUTHOR AND LITERATURE PIECE. If you are not using the books as paragraphs approach, Only mention the AUTHOR/BOOK the first time you use the quote. From then on out, just introduce quote with the name of a character or something. Comment: Correct use of ellipsis
money when he says, “’I thought you inherited your money’” (95). To reply, Gatsby states, “’I did, Old Sport, but I lost most of it in the big panic – the panic of the war’” (95). After giving an inappropriate reply to Nick’s later question concerning Gatsby’s business, he clarifies that he “was in the drug business and then... in the oil business” (95). Gatsby’s obstruction, the lack of money, did not stop him in his quest for Daisy. Another obstacle Gatsby faced is that, upon returning from the war, he finds out Daisy is married. “Daisy was [Nick’s] cousin... and [he’d] known Tom in college.... Her husband... had been one of the most powerful ends” ( 10 ). Tom Buchanan was young, charming, charismatic, and wealthy. Daisy “had a debut after the Armistice, and in February she was presumable engaged to a man from New Orleans” (80). This seemingly impossible barrier does not stop Jay Gatsby from continuing his quest for Daisy. In addition to being in love with a married woman, Gatsby faces the obstacle that Tom Buchanan will not give Daisy up. Gatsby and Daisy have come forth with their feelings for one another and their growing relationship. Tom and Gatsby argue over Daisy’s loyalty to the other. Tom disagrees with Gatsby when he says, “’Daisy loved me when she married me and she loves me now. And what’s more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree and make a fool of myself, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time’” (138). Gatsby states otherwise that Daisy’s heart was never loyal to Tom and she never loved him. Tom says, “’Even that’s a lie.... I want to speak to Daisy alone”” (140). Daisy admits in a pitiful voice, “’Even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom. It wouldn’t be true’” (140). Tragically for Gatsby, barriers of love and money keep him from attaining his dream to be with Daisy. Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:38 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:38 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:51 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:39 PM Comment: Single quote inside a double quote to indicate a quote in the passage was quoted in the essay. Comment: Only the page number is required since The Great Gatsby quotes haven’t been separated by another quote. Comment: Explanation of combined quote from above, and it relates to the THEME OF BARRIERS. Comment: This PARAGRAPH has just a little too much retelling of the novel.
hand came a muffled screaming. Lenie began to cry with fright.... She continued to struggle and her eyes were wild with terror. He shook her then, and... she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck” (91). Death, money, and strength created barriers for George and Lennie in pursuit for their dream that was unattained. Perseverance is a strong quality that is needed for pursuing and attaining dreams. In Rudy , Rudy Ruettiger has a dream of playing football for a Catholic university, Notre Dame. Like other dreams, Rudy encounters obstacles that make achieving his dream difficult. One barrier he has is that his size is too small for football and is a disadvantage. In his young childhood years, his is teased and singled out because his small size does not benefit either of the teams playing. When Rudy gets older and plays more intense football, his bigger teammates pound him. After beating the odds of becoming a Notre Dame walk‐on, Rudy begins practices with the university team. His is in the lowest of ranks. He is used as a target and a dummy for tackling. The older, bigger men charge into him hard and because he is small he struggles at every practice. Not only is size a challenge that Rudy faces, but he also struggles with the support of his family, friends, and teachers. From his youth he has been discouraged of his dream from his father. When he was young, Rudy told his family about his dream to play football for Notre Dame. In response to his statement, his father laughs at him. In an attempt to make Rudy reconsider, Rudy’s father says, “’Chasing a stupid dream causes nothing but you and everyone around you heart ache’” ( Rudy movie). His own father expresses disappointment and doubt to Rudy for having an impossible dream. While attending high school, Rudy’s teacher makes several comments to him that dampens his spirit. The teacher Winston Patterson 5/17/10 1:50 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:53 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 2:47 PM Comment: Don’t have to mention all three aspects of paragraph. Just summarize and slightly introduce next paragraph. Comment: Don’t forget to include PERSONAL characteristics/values in your essay. Comment: His what? What is the lowest of ranks?
indicated ”’If I were giving out grades for day dreaming, you’d be getting an A.... The problem with dreamers is that they are not doers.’” Rudy’s support from his high school football coach is similar to that of his father and teacher. On the last day of practice, the coach gathers the team for a talk. He says, “’Tomorrow night will be the last time you put on a football uniform.’” Lack of support from important people in his life creates a major barrier for Rudy. Although physical and emotional opposition creates obstacles, Rudy faces yet another barrier. Before playing for Notre Dame, Rudy has to be accepted into the university. After graduating high school, Rudy faces the horrifying reality that his grades are not qualifying for the university’s standards. In strenuous efforts to raise his grades, he goes to Holy Cross, another Catholic school, before applying for Notre Dame. While there, he works hard and befriends a tutor who helps him overcome this burdening barrier. In spite of this challenge, Rudy perservers and continues to say to himself, “I can’t wait to get there.” He would not let barriers dilute his ability and motivation in fulfilling his dream. Ability and accessibility dictate dreams. In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” Emily Grierson had a dream of obtaining true love. At the same time, she was met with barriers. A barrier that challenged Emily’s ability to accomplish her goal was that her father had driven away and [they] knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her” (Faulkner 650). Her father was not easy in selecting a possible man to be with Emily. “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily.... So, when she got to be thirty and was single, we were... vindicated; even with insanity in the family, she would not have turned Winston Patterson 5/17/10 2:54 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:54 PM Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:55 PM Comment: High school team? College team? Comment: Explanation of reference to thesis statement. Comment: Needs single quote. Remember, a quote within a quote looks like this: “’jfkdla;fjdkal;’”
examples in literature – specifically Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby , “A Rose for Emily,” and Rudy – I have learned perseverance, sacrifice, the importance of hard work, and to begin with the end in mind. In addition, the lyrics from the song “The Impossible Dream” from the Broadway musical The Man of La Mancha , inspire me to pursue my dream in spite of barriers I might encounter: THIS STUDENT INSERTED THE LYRICS INTO HIS OR HER ESSAY RIGHT THROUGH HERE. I will persevere no matter how hopeless is may seem to be, work hard when my arms are too weary, and be willing to sacrifice for a heavenly cause. I dream to do all this to influence the world so the world will be better because I still strove with my last ounce of courage to achieve my dream. Having to work for a destination can make overcoming obstacles easier than they may seem. Examples from American literature show that with dreams come challenges. Some have proven that barriers discontinue progression. Others have proven that anything is possible if the heart is truly yearning for achievement. Perseverance, sacrifice, hard work, and a set view on the goal make the American dream possible. Barriers are challenges, whether emotional or physical, that test one’s ability to dream no matter how difficult or even impossible dreams may appear. Winston Patterson 5/17/10 9:48 PM Comment: TRY TO AVOID ENDING YOUR ESSAY WITH YOUR RESTATED THESIS. END WITH A PROFOUND THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR OVERALL OPINION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.
Works Cited Faulkner, William, “A Rose for Emily.” Holt: Elements of Literature. 5 th^ Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2005. Page # goes here. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Simon & Schester, Inc., 1925. Rudy. Tristar Pictures, 1993. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, USA Inc., 1937. Wasserman, Dale. “The Impossible Dream.” The Man of La Mancha. Original Broadway Production, 1965.
