American Dream

6 Pages 1379 Words

The American Dream:
The Declaration of Independence versus the Narrative Works of Frederick Douglass


The American dream is imbued with the concept of the self-made individual regardless of race. America is the land of the free individual, who carved his life with his own two hands and suffers the consequences of his failures. This does not imply that America is a permissive nation but rather an America that was regarded as the personification of the ideals of freedom that lie in the hearts of all men. In early American literature, the narrative works of Frederick Douglass reminds the common man that an important detail of the American dream is the realization of the basic God given right to pursue happiness and equality among all men. The founding fathers concentrated more on a sense of economic freedom rather than the freedom of the true American soul. In the times of Frederick Douglass, America was challenged to realize its dream, for the structure of the world did not permit our nation the luxury of an anemic democracy. The price that America could ultimately pay for the continued oppression of minority groups and the importance of the self-made man is the price of its own demise.
The substance of the American dream can be found the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence. “ We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, creator, with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This is a great and universal dream but it was fantasy for minority groups. This dream does say another
thing that separates our nation from any other nation in the world. Each of us have certain basic rights that are neither derived from or conferred by the state. These basic rights are given by God, gifts from his Holy hand. Never before has one single document expressed in such profound language the dignity and the wort...