Barack Obama and the American Dream as Depicted in Some of His Famous Speeches

Pre-University Paper from the year 2012 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,5, , language: English, abstract: In 2009 Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. He fascinated millions of people all over the world and even in Germany people recited his motto 'Yes we can'. He inspired a nation. Obama and his speeches were so electrifying that a lot of people spoke of a national obsession with Senator Barack Obama. I wondered how he managed to fill the people with enthusiasm. He was always speaking about the American Dream. So I asked myself: 'What is this American Dream; which of its values and ideas are so fascinating that they inspired the nation, and how are they influenced by Obama using them in his speeches? Does Obama just use them for tactical reasons because they are so popular?' In order to answer these questions it is at first necessary to define the term 'American Dream' and to understand the history and meaning of its ideas and values. Then I want to look at Obama's biography, if there are any hints that show his interest in the American Dream and what influence does it have on his interpretation of the American Dream. For the analysis of his interpretation of the American Dream I have chosen a selection of Obama´s most striking speeches up to April 2009 . These speeches show how he managed to inspire many citizens. Because I want to illustrate all of the six fundamental concepts of the 'American Dream' I scanned the whole collection for striking phrases exemplifying his use of these ideas. They will show his specific interpretation of the American Dream.