Synthèse anglais Mythes et Héros, is the American Dream a myth or a reality ?

Synthèse d’anglais 1

Myth and heroes

INTRODUCTION

My presentation is going to deal with the notion Myth and Heroes.

→To illustrate the notion, I have chosen to talk about the American Dream. The American Dream is the notion that people who start from scratch become rich through hard work. Moreover, the American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain succes in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. It is achieved through sacrifice, risk taking and hard work, not by chance.

So I’m going to focus on the main question, is the American Dream a myth or a reality ?

→Annonce du plan

I / I WILL EXPLAIN IF THE A.D WAS A REALITY IN THE PAST ?

→Why did the immigrants went to live in the USA ? To sum up, these peolple were yearning to live in an open society where they would become rich and could afford expensive materials and clothes. They were dreaming of being treated on an equal footing, hoping that in America, they could overcome the social barriers. America was built by very destitute people who lived in dire straits. They had little income and were hoping for a higher standard of living and better prospects. They tried to achieve success in America.

→To my mind, the document that seems to best illustrate this idea is the American Land Song by Bruce Springsteen. In this song, the singer pays tribute to the immigrants and to the working class who arrived in the USA believing in the A.D. He praises manual workers because cities were built thanks to them. He thinks today, that the new generations should pay tribute to the immigrants who came during the waves of immigration. Bruce Springsteen’s vision of America is definitely idealized. The USA is described as a « nation of immigrants ». In fact, the different waves of immigration are listed. Immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Great Britain, Itlay wanted to integrate into American society. He also refers to Ellis Island, it was the first place that the immigrants saw.

→So, the USA is seen as « a land of opportunity ». To sump up, America was an open society where all the people are treated on an equal footing and they can become rich very quickly, become millionaires overnight.

II/SECONDLY,I WILL SEE IF THE A.D IS STILL ALIVE NOWADAYS ? 

→I’m going to say yes but it has changed and it has evolved.

→In fact, we studied a cartoon in class drawn by Joe Heller. It deals with a major issue, an issue that is at the centre of the American’s preoccupation : immigration but more specifically illegal immigration. The cartoon’s caption alludes directly to the 2010 law passed in Arizona that allows the police to arrest anyone suspicious of being an illegal immigrant. The idea is to stop illegal immigrants, it’s a form of racism since it’s based on people’s appearance. What is a little funny is that the cartoon shows the statue of Liberty being stopped and questioned because she looks different, she is green not caucasian. It’s ironical because she’s a symbol of freedom in America and all over the world. →Personnaly, I think the 2010 law shouldn’t have been voted because this is a form of racism and it is outraging. To conclude about this cartoon, it shows that the USA doesn’t welcome the immigrants who dream of achieving the A.D anymore. The A.D is a myth for all the illegal immigrants who can’t cross the border.

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