Shattered American Dream

The dispositions of William Jones and of his son Sam are the central topics of this blog. Jones is a man who lived vicariously through Sam. Sam was on the verge of prosperity until he was drafted by the military and sent to camp in Georgia. His son's accessibility to an education plus taking advantage of the opportunity by graduating from high school was a triumph for the Jones' especially for William. The struggle of William toiling away at his simple yet hard work gave him reason to believe that his life had a purpose after all. The American Dream comes to my mind when William talked about how Sam "wasn't going to his living with a mop and a broom. He was going to earn it wearing a starched white collar and a shine on his shoes and a crease in his pants." There are so many William and Sam Joneses in this country. Unfortunately, William's American Dream was crushed by the monster called racism. This tragedy is equivalent to the depicted in "Within Our Gates." Education was seen as the doorway that would elevate one African-Americans' family to a higher pedestal until a mob of white people levels their dream to the ground. I can say that things have changed for the better for African Americans. Or have they? It seems like education continues to be inaccessible for black people and the majority dwell in our prison systems. Who knows? Racism should probably be blamed for these setbacks. Though, like early 20th century South, it is the fault of their limitations and not of politic's.