Conversation Paper #2: The American Dream

“The key, she told Manju, was “to study the first-class people. You see how they’re living, how they walk, what they do. And then you do the same.” (Boo, Ch.9).

Boo’s book, behind the beautiful forevers, is about the aspirations of people on the bottom to climb their way a little higher, or even to the top of the bottom. For the first time, even untouchables are offered a chance at prosperity—a home, a job, and a little disposable income. The chance at a better life is the very definition of hope for many people, and it’s enough to keep them going under even insurmountable odds...even though for most, they will never attain their “beautiful forevers.”

For your second conversation paper, I want you respond to the question: what is your American Dream? That is, what dream are you striving to attain sometime in your future, and that college, hopefully, will help you achieve? What is the ideal, and what is the bare minimum you would settle for? How achievable do you think this is? Has anyone in your family every achieved this? Or is it something that is becoming harder and harder to attain? Discuss what you want, how you think you can get it, and what some of the obstacles are to achieving this in your lifetime.

To help you discuss this, I want you to find at least two sources that discuss some elements of your American Dream. It could be an article about the economy, or about recent college graduates, or about your ideal job, or about millennials, etc. Anything that helps you discuss your dream and why achieving it isn’t something that everyone can take for granted. In addition, I want you to use Boo’s book to compare and contrast your own ambitions. How do their ambitions compare with your own? In what ways is America like and unlike the undercity of Mumbai? What reflections or lessons do they learn that can help you on your own journey?

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 4 pages double-spaced, but you can do more
• At least three sources: two outside sources and the book
• Be sure to cite according to MLA format, which means introducing and citing quotes, and including a WC page
• Due next Thursday, November 15th by 5pm [we will have class that day, but it will be a Writing Day]

NOTE: Turn in a hard copy of your paper AND an e-mailed copy this time around. The English department needs a record of at least one assignment from each Comp 1 class to assess the kinds of work our students are doing.