The American Dream Research Paper Example

Neologized by James Truslow Adams in 1931 and defined as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" -- the American Dream was born. The American Dream builds upon the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, which states that "all men are created equal" and are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." However, these ideas could not have been more contrary to the institution of slavery and its effects on slaves. Beloved, a novel written by Toni Morrison, examines the ruinous nature of slavery primarily through the lens of Paul D and Sethe. Sethe and Paul D revisit both tumultuous and untroubled moments of their past while also living a life - fueled and controlled by their previous trauma. Morrison attacks the American Dream to prove that slavery creates a society in which the dehumanization of Black Americans is normalized; she argues that Black Americans could not and cannot rise through the social classes of society to achieve a better life and that the American Dream for the Black Americans relies on community rather than the traditional individual hero. 

Morrison argues that Black Americans, free or not, have endured inhumane levels of trauma that act as a blockade against individual growth, preventing them from pursuing their version of the "American Dream." Paul D's character is a prime example of the remains of trauma after he escapes from slavery.  In a conversation with Sethe, Paul D says, "Schoolteacher changed me. I was something else and that something was less than a chicken sitting in the sun on a tub" (87). Disclosing that, he continues to drown under the weight of the Schoolteacher's comparison; the animalistic degradation defaced his masculinity and sense of manhood.  The rooster had the power to do as it pleased and commanded, and received,  more respect than Paul D could ever as a slave, driving him to lose faith in the concept of freedom. Paul D abruptly ends his conversation with Sethe and turns to internal monologue, thinking, "He would keep the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be. Its lid rusted shut. He would not pry it loose now in front of this sweet sturdy woman, for if she got a whiff of the contents it would shame him" (87). He feels the need to suppress his memories and experiences as a slave so that he cannot live but survive; otherwise, those emotions would seize him and his thoughts. Paul D continues to illustrate this idea throughout the novel as he struggles to love others after being someone else's possession for countless years of his life. Paul D is compelled to be continuously on the move in fear that the Fugitive Act will catch up to him; his motto is "​​Move. Walk. Run. Hide. Steal and move on" (78).  He believes that loving things is an insensible act because, "The best thing, he knew, was to love just a little bit; everything, just a little bit, so when they broke its back, or shoved it in a croaker sack, well, maybe you'd have a little love left over for the next one" (54).  Paul D's thoughts on love reveal an atrocity of slavery: slaves gave up the idea of love in hopes that it would spare them pain in the long run. There was always a chance that a loved one would be killed or sold to their next destination. Paul D symbolizes the blockade that slavery as an institution impedes Black Americans from moving forward and attaining their version of the "American Dream"; however, with the assistance of the community at Bluestone Road, he breaks free from the chains that held him back and attained his version of the "American Dream."

The traditional perception of the American Dream includes an individual hero attempting to reconstruct their own life; however, through Sethe's journey to freedom, freedom is less of an individual act and rather a community-oriented one. Sethe's journey begins with her escape from Sweet Home. During her escape, she is assisted by many characters, one of the most important being Stamp Paid. Sethe thought that Stamp Paid was taking her back to Kentucky, but "he turned the flatbed and crossed the Ohio like a shot." Stamp helped her up the steep bank while the boy whose coat was wrapped around the baby carried the baby. There, Stamp led her to a place where she would be safe but visible to his counterparts "Wait here. Somebody be here directly. Do not move. They'll find you" (107). Stamp Paid is one of the first instances of the community helping Sethe achieve her goal of freedom that would eventually lead to her version of the "American Dream." The next member of the community that helped Sethe on her path towards freedom was Ella; she "took a wool blanket, cotton cloth, two baked sweet potatoes and a pair of men's shoes from the sack" (108), conveying that members of the community were at the ready to help Sethe away from her previous life at Sweet Home. Baby Suggs is also a vital example of the power of community in breaking away from the past. Baby Suggs tells Sethe to "Lay em down, Sethe. Sword and shield. Down. Down. Both of 'em down," revealing that Baby Suggs believes it is time for Sethe to let her past go and build a new future, leading Sethe to finally lay her guard down to the possibility of establishing a family with Paul D. The exorcism of Beloved, Sethe's dead daughter who resurrected as a twenty-year-old woman, from 124 reveals the extent to which community helps Sethe achieve freedom. The thirty women led by Ella, who did not particularly like Sethe, came to her aid when she needed it most: "A woman dropped to her knees. Half of the others did likewise. Denver saw lowered heads, but could not hear the lead prayer" (304). Once Beloved returned, Sethe focussed all of her energy towards Beloved to make up for the murder she committed; however, Beloved ended up requiring attention at a rate that Beloved required attention at a rate that harmed Sethe. The community rid Sethe of what was slowly but steadily killing and feeding on her, freeing her to establish a family with Paul D and Denver. Paul D's remark to Seth in the aftermath of Beloved fleeing from 124 depicts another moment in which a member of the community came to Sethe's aid to help her achieve her "American Dream," Paul D says, "You your best thing, Sethe. You are." (322).  Sethe has a hard time understanding Paul D's remark, leading to the idea that she has not claimed her identity yet - she has not yet fulfilled her "American Dream." However, the community has set her on a successful path towards her version of the "American Dream." Sethe's journey to freedom and path towards her "American Dream" exhibits that community is at the forefront of helping one achieve their "American Dream."

Through Sethe and Paul D, Morrison reveals that slavery led former slaves and current Black Americans, regardless of their status, to experience blockades preventing them from moving forward and that community is at the forefront of achieving the "American Dream," rather than the commonly believed individual hero. It is essential to acknowledge the brutality and cruel nature of slavery and ensure that society never returns to the point where viewing another race or class of people as subhuman is acceptable.