How Does Harlon L. Dalton Challenge The American Dream

It has been portrayed throughout many years in movies and television shows, a poor boy overcomes the social and economic class that he was born into to become a wealthy and successful person. Our nation loves to see a “rags to riches” story, which is why so many of them exist. For that most part it is just a story which can be labeled as the “American dream”, but really it’s just a myth. Both “Class in America” by Gregory Mantsios and “Horatio Alger” by Harlon L. Dalton challenge the American myths of success by providing information and reason that shows how the “American dream” can only be achieved by a few people and is a rare occurrence. Both writers are focused on the reality of life in America and how hard it is to move past your economic status you’re born into
Both of the readings provide the same message, that it is extremely difficult and nearly impossible to improve you’re economic status. Even though both stories give the same message they go about it in different ways. “Horatio Alger” by Harlon L. Dalton is mostly disproving the story “Ragged Dick” by Horatio Alger. “Ragged Dick” is a story that provides the false message that it does not matter where you start from as long as you are a good person with the right morals you will eventually become successful, because of this Dalton provides examples that diminish the meaning of the story. He uses examples like being “the best black student” or being “surprised that a white man can play basketball above the rim” (Dalton 262) to convey that although they can have the right merit, they are already being judged on their race rather than their true ability. Why can’t they just be the best student or second or third, why do they have to be labeled as the best black? This shows that no matter what, there are still other qualities being judged than just their merit or morals. In “Class in America”, Mantsios main