Preview

Dinesh D'souza Speech Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1263 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dinesh D'souza Speech Analysis
In the words of Dinesh D’Souza during a speech he delivered to the students and faculty of Liberty University’s Convocation: “…America is a country where you can be in the driver's seat of your own life in which your destiny is not given to you; it is constructed by you.” I agree with Mr. D’Souza wholeheartedly. For centuries, America has developed a reputation for being a place of refuge. America has become a sort of Haven, or a dream come true, for many. In no other part of the world can you receive the same level of freedom in all aspects of life than you can in America. This infamous “New World” offers the opportunity for a fresh start, religious freedom, and the opportunity to obtain wealth. Throughout the centuries, hardship and …show more content…
A common thought process can be summarized by this: if I just work hard enough, if I just work enough jobs, or if I just stay at the same job long enough, then I can make enough money to be happy or to reach a certain socioeconomic status. I believe this thought process to be timeless. However, as our country grows and evolves, the question has been raised: is hard work enough anymore? Is climbing the “social ladder” feasible without a college education or being born into a family with a substantial amount of money and social influence? Can the “working man” succeed anymore? The modern American dream was inspired by a growing middle-class that was the triumph of democracy after World War II. It's the promise was and is opportunity: that hard work and earn a good life: A good job with decent pay and security, a home and a safe neighborhood, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement, a good education for the kids. The promise always exceeded the performance…. every element of the dream is imperiled. Wages for the 70% of Americans without a college education have declined dramatically over the past 40 years... ("THE AMERICAN DREAM: Can A Movement Save It?", Borosage, …show more content…
No other country in the world has a dream. America was founded on a dream and has held fast to that dream. America as a "New World" was infamous for the opportunities it offered. The opportunity for a fresh start meant everything to millions of people from around the globe. Families immigrated in hopes of a new life-a life they could not have from where they came. Fathers hoped for steady jobs and mothers hoped for beautiful homes and an education for their children. Religious freedom played a huge role in the establishment of America. The founders believed everyone should have the opportunity to worship in the way that they pleased, and those who did not wish to worship were not obligated to. The possibility to obtain wealth was finally an opportunity available to the common man. While the concepts behind the American dream have held steadfastly through the ages, our country and its citizens' intellectual levels are advancing. Instead of trying to slow down these academic advances, I think we should encourage more people to pursue a higher education. “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plane, and the crooked places will be made straight; 'and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in all flesh shall see it

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    “The extreme emphasis upon the accumulation of wealth as a symbol of success in our society militates against the completely effective control of institutionally regulated modes of acquiring a fortune” (Merton). Have you ever looked around and noticed how much we emphasize money? Money controls so much of the American Dream that is causing a problem. Americans believe the amount of money you have is the end all be all in life and they are willing to do almost anything to gain it. The American Dream has deviated from the original meaning to mold to society today and the desire to constantly want more money. Money has been placed on a pedestal in the United States and because of this the American Dream has become…

    • 2119 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nowadays, many people leave their native country to move to American in search of freedom, fantastic education, and successful career. They want to achieve their personal goals in life; for example, political, better standard of living, good service healthcare, and equality of their life that they could not back in their homeland. As D'Souza stated in "Becoming American," In American, by contrast, you get to write the script of your own life." (344). In my opinion, I agree with D'Souza that we can achieve the American dream because of three reasons: Equality, better education, and better healthcare service.…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many ways of going about and achieving The American Dream, Some may exploit the talents of others, inherit money, or work hard to the position or job they want to have. In the current state of the economy, some do not have time to pursue the ambitions of man. As we advance the time to teach the generation on how to progress becomes longer,…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    James Brown Research Paper

    • 2020 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The American Dream is defined in the Random House dictionary as “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American” (Random House 1). However, most Americans strive towards the American Dream without knowing this definition. That is because you cannot give the American Dream a clear definition, it has an ever changing meaning. The American Dream of today is certainly not the same as what it was fifty years ago. In fact, fifty years ago in the 1960s the American Dream was simply peace, freedom and equality. During this time, the Civil Rights Movement was taking place in which African Americans were fighting for their freedom. There were…

    • 2020 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    At first, Brandon King uses examples of the Great Depression, the Great Recession, and other economic standpoints to support his allegation of proving the American Dream is still alive. King contradicts his economic claim with, “Instead of trying to interfere with the enterprise that creates jobs and growth, we should rely on the values of the American Dream: that anybody can climb out of hardship and achieve success” (King, para 8). King is saying it does not matter where someone begins as long as they aspire to be successful. This counters the previously mentioned comment by Paul Krugman: not everyone can achieve success no matter how hard they try. Brandon King adds another source from a newspaper editor in Atlanta to affirm this claim, “’the Great Recession didn’t kill the American Dream. But the promise of a good life in exchange for hard, honest work has been bruised and frayed for millions of middle class Americans’” (Chapman in King, para 8). The American Dream is attainable for those who have to resources, but most people fail because they have to start at the…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (United States Declaration of Independence). In much the same way as the authors of the founding fathers, the American Dream can be defined simply as the pursuit and the achievement of happiness. Clarifications, like not needing to use underhanded means, are not necessary because it is readily apparent that these means do not provide happiness nor liberty. In other words, the American Dream is attainable through hard work, determination, and the fruits of honest labor, even though it is embodied negatively in literary contexts and positively in historical terms.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    America was, and still is by some, known as the land where dreams become reality. ”The traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can better their lives, pay their monthly bills without worry, give their children a start to an even better life and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire.” Point of views can be made to support and challenge this, however, the true solution to the American dream is hard work and motivation. This being said, those that are given these chances and choose not to take them to advantage can only find fault from within themselves. The American dream can be possible to the poor, the tired and huddled masses if the opportunity presents itself and they’re willing to work for it.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Achieving the American Dream requires a person to rise above the social class of which one was born with hard work, dedication, and ambition. But still many argue that the American Dream no longer provides for “the poor, the tired, and the huddle masses” the American Dream was never necessarily intended for that It allows and provides opportunity and optimism to the "poor" "tired" and "huddled masses" and to everyone for that matter. That is the American Dream, equal opportunity. Are there flaws to due to basic human tendency? Yes but that's no one personal fault. Not only Is American considered the “Land of Opportunity” but America…

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different reasons why the American Dream still exists. Many households in the U.S. have wage earners “earning between $30,000 and $90,000 a year. They also own a home and at least two cars”(56). Those households have achieved jobs that provide financial stability for their families, having a job that provides financial stability is one of the reasons why the American Dream is still out there. If one works for it, one can achieve success. A woman named, Delores Kesler, founded a staffing company with $10,000 “20 years later, her company, Accustaff, had projected revenues of 2 billion”(They live the dream). Kesler worked towards achieving her…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The “American Dream” has changed drastically from in the beginning. It started as possibility. The possibility of you dream coming true. Of being able to worship who you choose. Of being the entertainer that you wish to be. Of making a better life for your children. The “American Dream” was the possibility. Today it isn’t about the possibility any more, it is about demand. The demand of getting everything before ever having it. The demand of “being American means I should get everything “. They use to say “you can be anything you want” not “you can want everything without…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People in this world come from different backgrounds. We look at problems from different standpoints; we think uniquely and act in dissimilar ways. The Dream gives everyone the chance to acccomplish thier personal goals.To me that means I can still attempt to reach my goal even though my parents are not millionaires. Nobody can dissuade me from seeking a position in a physics department even though my ancestors farmed for a living. Another more subtle reason that America allows people to reach their goals comes from the base created by others who have exploited the Dream. As Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Numerous great physicists (like Einstein) immigrated to land of the free to chase their dreams; one day I might be able to build on top of these geniuses’ ideas and thoughts. Therefore, the American Dream gave me the base and the chance to reach my envisioned…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to miriam webster, the American Dream is defined as “a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful”(the American Dream). Many Americans still try to achieve the idea of the American Dream, so in my opinion, it is still relevant. Living the American Dream is basically being successful and having a stable, happy life. Having a career, a family, a place to call home, and happiness is what everyone strives for. Living in the United States, the working class takes all of the crap from the government.…

    • 1771 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Dream Act

    • 1766 Words
    • 8 Pages

    America harbors a dream that is the very essence that defines us for who we are as a country, and separates us from any other nation in the world. It is the reason we are proud to call ourselves American, for we live the dream that others ache to experience. All around the globe, people clinging to their last strand of hope leave behind their homes and set out for America 's soil. Their safety is a small price to pay when the only dream they wish to accomplish is living out the American Dream; an opportunity they willingly risk their lives for. But the clock has timed out, and now students of our generation feel this chance of achieving a brighter future slipping from their grasp.…

    • 1766 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thankfully, the American Dream is beginning to evolve by diminishing the priority to value the classic and more outdated standards of success. The Dream should revolve around happiness and valuing human life, that’s it, regardless of the amount of money or children someone has. Perhaps, we will all come to our sense soon, and realize what our own personal American Dream is, and start working towards a realistic and attainable goal.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American dream is something that is still obtainable today, but first it has to be defined. It has not really changed from the way it was in the 80’s because it is still the idea of getting a nice house with a wife and two kids. The only thing that has really changed is that it is harder to achieve. The unemployment rating in America is at an all time high. Finding a job is hard with a college degree, and if you don't have a degree it makes it very hard to find one. The American dream is something people from all over the world try to come to America and achieve. They even try to come to America illegally because they know you could come to America with nothing and become a millionaire. It is the thing all people living in America want…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays