The American Illusion
The American Illusion By: Mateo Hernandez The American Dream is an idea we all have heard of. It’s the idea that anybody can be successful and free in America as long as you work hard enough and have the right mentality. But how realistic is the American dream? Is it achievable or is it simply an... illusion? E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime is proof that the American dream is faulty at best and limited to a select few. Take a few of the most successful characters in Ragtime. Henry Ford, a Michigan-born farm boy who worked his way up from nothing, founded one of America’s biggest car companies and became one of the most successful businessmen of his time. Evelyn Nesbit, who was born into poverty, used her beauty and sex appeal to marry into one of the richest families in the country. Finally, immigrants like Tateh and Harry Houdini’s family were drawn into the U.S. because of this vision of success. Tateh lived in the slums of New York with hi...