Does everyone have Access to the American Dream and The 21st Century American?

I believe that not everyone in the United States has access to their own goals and dreams. It is a sad truth that some people still face racism and sexism in modern day America as demonstrated through the novels we covered this semester. Some people are born into poverty and are unable to better their situation simply because they cannot afford to do so. Some people look at their own situations and dream small. Some people set realistic and achievable goals for themselves and set out to achieve them. So in a way it depends on the person, how motivated they are, and not where they come from. If they are smart enough to know their own limitations, intelligent enough to set realistic goals, and hard working enough to accomplish them then they can achieve their unique American dreams.
The Quintessential 21st Century American is impossible to define. The people that constitute the population come from myriad different cultures. Today American culture is composed of a plethora of different ethnicities, cultures, and traditions of people from all over the world. They can’t be categorized into one group. I think that maybe in the beginning of America people were more similar. In the early days of our country, the population was more homogenous due to the fact that much of the population was not considered citizens. Women and minorities were excluded from the affairs of government and from crafting policy and laws. Now we have Asian, Native American, and African American cultures all mixing together with people like Hunter S. Thompson. That’s a scary thought. Hunter S. Thompson was not even sure if his friend/ attorney was Hispanic or Hawaiian. These novels have made me glad that I am an American living in the present time because they show the darker side of our history. This class has shown me America from different perspectives and different points of view that I was previously unaware of. Indian Killer was especially interesting as I was shocked to learn that Native Americans still face so much racism today.