Bonjour je passe mon oral d'anglais a la rentree et j'aimerais voir un avis sur cette notion car mon prof est en vacances, merci d'avanceeee
Myths and Heroes

I am going to talk about the notion of Myths and Heroes. A myth is a popular story or belief that evolved in time and that conveys the ideals of a given society. Heroes are the legitimate characters of myths. A heroe is seen as someone who does things that other people can't or won't do. To illustrate this notion, I will focus on a founding myth of the American Nation. Is the American Dream a myth or a reality ? First, I will define the concept of the American Dream. Secondly, I will concentrate on the character of Oprah Winfrey, a woman who embodies the American Dream. Finally, I will try to show that the American dream can be called into question.

To begin with, I'll say that the American Dream is characterized by the idea of an America full of promises ans very attractive. It lets people think that anybody living in America, thanks to courage, work and determination, can succeed. People can start from scratch and make fortunes. Foreigners came to America to begin a new and better life. The song I chose, American Land, interpreted by Bruce Springsteen, was played for the first time in 2006, in New York. It summarizes the vision that the majority of immigrants had of the country. This song praised America, described as a land of opportunity and also plenty, meaning that the country has a lot things to offer, like gold and diamonds. This song pays tribute to the working class which built the cities with their hands and sweat.

Some people like Oprah Winfrey embodies the American Dream, making it a reality. That is my second part.

Oprah Winfrey is a figure of success, who showed that the American Dream could be a reality. She is an American talk show host, actress, producer and philantropist. Winfrey is best know for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She was born in Mississipi, to an unmarried teenage mother. Her youth was mark by a lot of difficult episodes and family problems. Despite everything, she made a career in the media and gribs opportunities until the success. I have chosen a document which is the portrait of Oprah Winfrey. She seems to be full of hapiness, and on the background, we can see a star, symbolic of her glory. Oprah is an example of a person who started from scratch and finally succed, thanks to fortitude. The fact that she embodies the American Dream makes her a kind of hero for all her fans.

Oprah Winfrey is like a hero for many americans, because she demonstrated that the American Dream was a reality. Howewer, it is often called into question. This is my last part.

The American Dream appears to be more and more questioned. It becomes increasingly a myth. That's what worries Barack Obama, in his speech on Economic Mobility dated the fourth of December 2013. According to him, The American dream is in danger of becoming a myth, not a reality. Indeed, today the US economy is characterized by rising inequalities and social stasis. It is more difficult for the lower class to climbing the ladder. As Obama said in a interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2012, « The American Dream is slipping away ». The fact that it is the president himself that has called into question the American Dream, the founding myth of the American Nation clearly shows that now it is no more a reality.

To conclude, I'll simply say that the American Dream stay a reality for some people. But it gradually becomes a myth, because of the evolution of the country. Actually, The American Dream has always been a myth for some people, excluded from the beginning to the possibility of grabing opportunities, like the african american community, for instance.