The American Dream is one of that thousands of people dreamt of. Everyone who lived in America or moved to America had hoped of oppurtunity to start fresh and prosperity to become successful. I belive in Zitkala-Sa's story The School Days of an Indian Girl, she did not live the "American Dream."
The reason I believe Zitaka-Sa did not experience the American Dream is because she was forced away from her home native land to the "Land of Red Apples" as she calls it. If you were forced to leave your home to be civilized by the American people and educated and raised the way they wanted, than that is no where near living the American Dream. Zitaka-sa should have been able to choose her own future, isn't that what the American Dream is all about? She should of been able to decide whether or not she wanted to go to school and leave her hometown. She was humiliated throughout school, and felt very out of place. At one point she says, "they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet...this embarrassed me, and kept me constantly on the verge of tears." She also got her long hair cut off which made her "[lose] my spirit." Zitaka-Sa had every right to keep her long hair, for it completed part of her identity. The fact that these Americans were forcing her to change and causing her so much pain is why I believe she did not live the American Dream.
Yes Zitaka-Sa was given these oppuritunities to go to school and become educated and civilized which may appear to seem like she did live the American Dream, but truly, I believe that the American Dream was meant for people to prosper in their own way but in Zitaka-Sa's case, that was not true. Instead she was constrained, humiliated, and overcome by these Americans people who forced her to live their American Dream.
I totally agree with your view that Zitkala was forced into the American culture and not truly able to experience the American Dream. As you stated Zitkala was not only forced into the American culture, but she was also humiliated. The American people teaching her did not care to understand nor did they respect her culture. This was seen best when they cut off her long hair. To people outside of her culture this would not seem like a big deal, but in her culture it meant everything to her. Your quote describing that Zitkala was "overcome by these American people who forced her to live their American Dream" sums up the entirety of her experience. Something I noticed that you didn't mention in your journal was the impact on her previous lifestyle. She was no longer content in her mom's cabin she even stated that her mother "was not capable of comforting her daughter who could read and write." In retrospect she was caught in limbo between the "American Dream" and her previous lifestyle. This truly becomes tragic when looking at it that way not only was she forced to indulge a culture she was not fond of, but she also lost a little bit of her own. When did the American dream come down to choosing between your customs and the customs of others?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Denzel.
ReplyDelete