Yesterday we talked about Frederick Douglass in conversation with Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography and (then) Senator Obama's 2008 speech on race in America. While the differences in their circumstances are obvious, there are also some telling similarities in their commitment to education, or at least the value of learning. What stood out for me is their common optimism that individuals and the nation can improve. Once again this seems to support the very elastic notion that the American Dream is "of a better, richer, and happier life" (Adams quoted by Cullen) and the expectation that the dream can be realized.
I also notice that Franklin tells his story in a way that highlights the individual. Douglass does the same but with the agenda of expanding opportunity for many through the abolition of slavery. Obama gives individual examples, including his own life, but links the well-being of each to the well-being of others. The trajectory here is to enlarge the scope of who is "eligible" for the dream and then to recognize inter-dependence as foundational to achieving the dream. This is a fine starting place for 102 and our investigation of "Democratic Vistas" in the 19th and early 20th century.
No comments:
Post a Comment