The American Nightmare

At one point, many used to consider America to be the “Land of Opportunity”, and America now considers itself to be the “greatest”. In reality, it is far from that. The idea of liberty and justice for all and the American Dream create a false sense of hope and opportunity that is not attainable for all people. Minorities in America have always sought the same social, political, and economic liberties white people have for simply being born. The sad truth of America is that everyday people recite that “Liberty and Justice is for all” when The America we are seeing now is one where long-standing issues of oppression, and immoral capitalism are clear as day.

Ethnic and racial inequalities predominate in American society where people of color and marginalized groups face structural barriers and an unequal opportunity in cases of quality housing, healthcare, employment, and education. Oppression is not just always something one person does to another, but a system that creates a material reality and society so that one group receives benefits over another group. In Between the World and Me, there is a clear division in the way of life of a person of color or marginalized person and a white person. “I obsessed over the distance between that other sector of space and my own.” (Between The World and Me). Coates mentions that during his childhood he would see children on television living very different lives than his own. A key word is the word “sector”. Using the word sector defines how distinctly different the groups were from one another. He continues to mention that the children on television were not worried about dying or being beaten, they worried about whether or not they would win the soccer game or get asked to the dance. Today we see that even instances of being pulled over create a large sector between people of color and those capable of achieving the American Dream. When a person of color gets pulled over, they fear their lives, put their hands on the dashboard and as a result drive slower than the speed limit to prevent any interaction with the police force. A white male however, getting pulled over is upset they will be late to work. Coates continued to wonder about the difference between what he saw on television and what he lived. Even as he observed the differences between his own experience and "the Dream" experience he saw on television, he realized they were connected and one was superior than the other.

The idea of the American Dream is so pervasive and conceived of in such a nonchalant way, that it is unlikely the Dreamers will wake up. Coates calls to the people who get sucked into the Dream as “Dreamers.” They are sucked into the role of not only by their lack of vision of the current issue but to live in expensive, but also by their belief in the false myths of American history, including the idea that the country is equal and just and that pursuing the Dream is morally innocent. Although not all Dreamers are white, Coates believes that Dream is deeply saying that: “I am convinced that the Dreamers ... of today, would rather live white than live free,”(BTWAM).  His definition of a “dreamer” adds on to the fact that they have the urge to look away from the ugliness of the country's past and forget the evidence that is right in front of them. He suggests that they are brainwashed in their own "whiteness" that is more important to them than actual freedom of others. This is what stops the dreamers from facing reality. There is always the split, where people's lives are constantly at risk due to the color of his skin. 

A google search of "3 black teenagers" vs "3 white teenagers"

In many cases marginalized groups are viewed as “threats” to an ideal American society. Coates mentions that; “America might justify itself, the story of a black body's destruction must begin with his or her error, real or imagined…” (BTWAM) Almost any time a marginalized person is killed, it is put out there for the world to debate. There needs to be some sort of “justification” because America is too “great” for things like this to happen. The policemen and angry whites who killed innocent humans are never held accountable. Currently in the case of George Floyd, the police officer never faced any repercussions until the story blew up. How many innocent lives are going to be lost until people realize the problem at hand? Black people are seen as "deserving" of what happened to them. There is a devastating double standard here and one that many people refuse to recognize. “At that moment, I was sad for you,” (BTWAM). The “you” represents the people trapped in the idealistic society and can't see what the real world is like. They are trapped in these bubbles, unable to be part of the real world because they are trapped in communities filled with “White fragility” and the idea that everything is perfect-when it's not. To fall for the idea of the Dream, people have to believe that American society is just and moral. This Dream is impossible for black people to fully obtain, and moreover, it is a flawed and false dream anyway. Even the smallest things show signs of oppression against marginalized groups. A simple google search of “three white teens” provides us with white teens smiling and playing sports. A search of “three black teens”, provides us with images of mugshots. (image on right). So for people to believe in the Dream, people must be blind to the idea of  racism and violence in America and the discrimination that is embodied in formation of American society; and they are. It is happening in places where the American Dream should be born. The irony of that situation is that places like the Northshore is where the American Dream is supposed to be born, but instead it's being killed. The other day, a lady stopped in front of my  car for “playing music too loud” (Personal Story). She claimed that I “did not belong in the community and was different than everyone else” (personal story). Minutes later, a group of white boys came speeding past with music twice as loud, and the lady said nothing. Oppression happens all around us, in a place where the Dream is supposed to flourish. But the dream was fake from the start, to get people to believe that the American Dream was everything people would want, and that it was within reach. It is very accessible for whites, but it was built on the discriminatoin and injustice of blacks, not Liberty and Justice for all. It requires marginalization and blindness to the realities of the racial divide. 

There is a constant reminder of the unachievable American Dream through greedy people who always desire something greater than themselves. The American Dream is the idea that someone from a lower-class or a marginalized background has the opportunity to succeed in life. The Great Gatsby puts the idea of the American Dream to the test. At the start, it almost seemed almost too good to be true, Gatsby seemed to have achieved the American Dream. In reality, Gatsby shows what the American Dream is, unachievable. Even once he had accomplished this “Dream”, he still wanted more and was never satisfied. This not only implies that materialism of the American Dream is ultimately unfulfilling, but it also shows that people from the lower classes and marginalized groups will never be fully accepted by those who were born into wealth or privilege. People in American society rely more on money and status than living a happy life. Gatsby would often host parties for hundreds of people: “At least once a fortnight a corps of caterers came down with several hundred feet of canvas and enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden. On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys” (The Great Gatsby). Gatsby’s constantly threw the most spectacular parties, but what they really showed was the carelessness of America. Uninvited guests still came to feed off of Gatsby's riches without even knowing Gatsby to enjoy his wealth and the luxury of the American Dream. When Nick is at Gatsby’s party, he hears the rumors about Gatsby amongst the guests: “He’s a bootlegger” (The Great Gatsby). The people at  Gatsby’s party continue to talk poorly about Gatsby proving they aren't there for him, but his wealth. The guests didntt care about a relationship with Gatsby, only his money.  While everyone was too focused on gaining riches and the American Dream, they failed to achieve what is most important in life, living in the moment and developing relationships..

In additon, the Rich Brothers shows that Pete is so consumed by a wealthy lifestyle that he often dreams about "sex and money. [but] mostly money. A nightmare is when [he] dreams that he doesn't have any " (Rich Brothers). The key word/words are the use of “Dream” and “Nightmare” Even when asleep money is running through his brain. Money is the only thing running through his mind when he is awake and asleep that it is the only thing that matters to him.  He "worked hard and made a lot of money, but not any more than he thought he deserved" (Rich Brothers).We see how Pete is a slave to money and how it intervenes with who he is as a person. How Pete treats others reflects and gives an insight as to how absorbed and shallow he is. 

Although hundreds of people came to Gatsby’s parties, none showed up to his funeral. “At first I was surprised and confused; then as [Gatsby] lay in his house and didn’t move or breathe or speak hour upon hour it grew upon me that I was responsible [for the funeral] because no one else was interested” (The Great Gatsby). No one cared about Gatsby's death, people forgot about him because to others, he was just money. There is a difference between not coming and not being “interested”. None of the guests were interested in who Gatsby was while he was alive, they only cared about his money, so once he passed, all the interest went away. Who Gatsby was as a person was ignored and forgotten by the guests proving the insensitivity and loss of morality of the American people. The American Dream is the constant desire for something better, to fully achieve the American dream is impossible. Those who pursue the American Dream believe that no matter how much they accomplish, there is always something better to strive for. Although it is always great to have goals, this not only implies that the materialism of the American Dream is ultimately unfulfilling, but it also shows that people from the lower classes and marginalized groups will never be fully accepted by those who were born into wealth and privilege.

America is a country of opportunity, just not equally for everyone. It aspires so much to be “great again” when it was never great to begin with. Why would we want to go back to a time of oppression and inequality that is worse than it is today. In order to make America truly great, America needs to wake up. Everyday people recite that “Liberty and Justice is for all” when the America we are seeing now is one where long-standing issues of oppression, and immoral capitalism are clear as day.  Until everyone can have an equal opportunity and see that the value of life is beyond money, America can never truly be great.