Dan Rather's The American Dream

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Bachelor's February 2008

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Dan Rather, the author of The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of a Nation writes about Trung Dung an Internet millionaire. He states that the term Internet millionaire? became an obsession with the ?new economy?. He mentioned that they were business heroes and guided American dreams of materialism. In the following literary analysis, Dan Rather explains like most stereotypes, this one obscured the individuals behind the term ?Internet millionaire?.

Dan Rather illustrates how Trung?s family had lived in relative steadiness during wartime Vietnam. His family was able to get by with a combination of hard work and resourcefulness, but Trung wanted to pursue in higher education. ?By ?78, the height of the boat people escaping Vietnam, we realized that I can never get into school, into university, because of my background,? Trung recalls. The arrangement for Trung?s escape would mean that he could establish himself and the rest of the family could join later.

Trung?s family raised enough so he could be in a better country after selling all their furniture, jewelry, trinkets, extra clothes, and everything else not already confiscated by the government.

The author explicated the conflicts his mother went through and finally paid off in 1984. Trung stated, ?My mother had absolute confidence in me, and I cannot even imagine what she went through. Imagine a housewife raising three young kids in a very hostile environment and then having to take care of the grandmother and a husband in jail. How she managed to do all that and make sure we are in school and do well in school?And she?s personally responsible for me getting out here. It?s mind-boggling to me. I have no idea how she did it.? I took a year for Trung and his sister to gain admittance to the United States...