THE AMERICAN DREAM

In the present text I’m going to analyse an extract from Russell Wayne Bakers autobiography “Growing up” in order to find out the deep meaning and to make my personal considerations after a careful analysis. 

As for the title, "The American dream" refers to a stereotype about America. Indeed America is a sort of dream, where people can find work, peace and a better economic conditions. Therefore I expect the text to be about a man, somebody who grows up. The idea of growing belongs to American culture. The growth can develop into two different levels: first of all into a physical level since it means to grow older, to become mature and responsible; on the other hand it underlines an economical growth, a sort of progress, a development, as well. People expect from the American dream equal opportunities, since they escape from danger,  wars or worst life conditions.

The passage is an autobiography, where the narrator and the speaking voice are the same person. Using the stylistic advice of the autobiography, the narrator can make his reflection and can express his personal opinion about the theme. There are pros and cons about using the first person narrator. Indeed the reader can identify in the narrator's thoughts and reflections, whereas at the same time he can refuse his point of view or his ideas. 

The text starts with an exaltation made by the narrator to his little sister Doris, who was such a charismatic and active girl. He appreciates her matureness and courage. However the best she could hope was a career as nurse or school teacher since she was a girl. So in the first paragraph the speaker is telling the reader that in those days, when he lived, females were not allowed to have the same opportunities of men. So he speaks about his sister's defect, which was doing instead those actions that society would never have expected from a woman. So the speaker's intention is to rapresent American society by giving a portrait of his little sister, since she rapresents the American dream. 

Her mother left her with a son and she was realistic about the difficulty. Indeed she didn’t believe his brother could grew up to be the President of the United States. Indeed the narrator wants the reader to reflect about the theme: everybody could be everybody, even the President of America, which is a very important role. However a lot of parents, who were more than paupers, believed their son could do it. Therefore parents have great expectations about their sons and the mentality originates and grew up from the puritan culture. The speaking voice reinforces all his assumptions by saying he is not joking. Besides he mentions President Lincoln, who was the symbol of freedom. Indeed the role of memory in American society is very relevant. Therefore lots of children were enthusiastic about the idea of becoming the United States' president, whereas the narrator was not. He wanted to be a garbage man since he collected empty bottles, tin cans with pretty labels and discarded magazines.