Sunday, January 26, 2020

Philip Larkin Poetry Analysis

Philip Larkin Poetry Analysis Introduction Meaning of the Term Movement The Movement is related to the work and concept of a group of poets of the nineteen-fifties entirely. The poets were Donald Davie, Kingsley Amis, Thorn Gunn, and many more. Philip Larkin (1922-1985), who was also one of the poets greatly believed to be closely related to it. These poets believed to have casted a rebellion against the raised romanticism and sensuousness from the nineteen-thirties to nineteen-fifties. The work of these poets was regarded and regarded as victorious of common sense and clarity over obscurity and mystification. It was regarded as a verbal restraint over stylistic excessive. Philip Larkin subtly deflates the familiar romantic childhood idyllic associated with other writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Dylan Thomas. Such characteristics were a source of enduring popularity for readers of that time. Stark and Naked Realities in Philip Larkins Poetry The nineteen-fifties was filled with a time when the universal attitude of the people and the writers was highly anti-romantic and largely anti-heroic. The World War II had come to a halt in 1945 and the euphoria caused over the defeat of the Nazi including fascist nations, and also of imperialist Japan too soon ended.This gave ways to a feeling of despondency and rejection over the impairment which even the victorious Allies had to suffer in great. Worldly, the Germans bombing raids over Britain had inflicted enormous damage on the country including the territories and thousand and millions of lives had been already lost. As a result, there was an air of disillusionment and disenchantment among the commoners as well as among the writers, poets, authors and artists of that time. A writer like Philip Larkin was more committed to a realistic and naturalistic display of life and the actual conditions of life over the country could not have contributed a romantic a real halo or a heroic quality to the life which he necessarily depicted in his poems. The city was clearly more than a place of comic disparagement for this writer. He could not have really portrayed heroes andtheir heroismon the face of the miseries, constraints and the financial problems which the country was experiencing at that time. The Welfare State was established but the results of that were not to satisfying and comforting. It had been accepted by many critics through their criticisms that the poets of that time during Movement did not at all existed as a literary group. But it has also been acknowledged that these poets basically operated in a significant cultural and social influence. The Movement was the product of the specific views about both literature and society and it in its turn helped to establish and to circularize and comment on such views. Philip Larkin wanted only to show the stark, crude, blunt realities of life in his poems and emerged as an extreme kind of all anti-heroes. He mocked at himself and also mocked at the people as well as the conditions that surrounded him. Wherever he found any chances of reinventing feature in social, economical and political life of the country he did not close his eyes to it but he instead was even keener and gloomily much aware of the sordidness of the commercialized, commodifiedand consumerised society. Many of his poems are based on self-awareness and most of them also contain also sharp criticisms on the society encompassing him. The unwillingness to tell lies, accuracy and fidelity to the actual state of affairs were the three most governing principles of Philip Larkins poetry. His poetry is truthful, and he does not try to impart any glamour or glitter to life as he saw it. He does not try to romanticize human relationships, not even the love relationship between men and women . To conclude, he does not depict himself as main protagonist of any sort and he does not depict any heroic individuals with codes of honor as seen in Greek literatures. In his poetry,there are no warriors and no knights-at-arms in his poetry. There are also no Romeos and Juliets of Shakespeare in his poetry. There are no war-like deed in his poetry, and there is no tendency at all forthe glorification of human beings or human relationships. We observe much of stark and naked realities in his poetry. CONTENT No Romance for Larkin in Love and Marriage An Arundel Tomb'(published in 1964) is a poem consisting of 7 verses with 6 lines each which is about an Earl of Arundel and his Countess or second wife. The poet here recognizes the feelings of mutual attachment between them in a way the sculptor has depicted them as holding hands of each other. But Larkin does not romanticize and bring out the feelings of joyfulness ofthis attachment and bonding between them. In the reversal, he expresses the view that this beautifully holding of hands was necessarily the sculptor’s discovery and not a representation of an actual or momentary moment. Henceforth, Philip Larkin witingly looks at the relationship between the Earl of Arundel and his second wife with the rationality and not emotions. In Dockery and Son .Philip Larkin says that, while a person of his same age had married early in life and has a son. He himself had never married and had no son or daughter. But he does notregard Dockery as high ranking to himself because of this sit uations in life. In other words, he does not comment much on marriage and of children. In Poetry of DeparturesPhilip Larkin expresses a desire to leave and travel but then eventually drops upthis idea or view. He does not romanticize travelling in the name of adventures or the gathering of knowledge its own sake. In all these poems we find Philip Larkin adopting an attitude to the most crucial aspects of life. Love, Relationships, marriage and travel are not in his notions something worth experiencing, rejoicing, marvelous and wonderful. A heroic life is necessarily also a romantic life but Philip Larkin finds no heroism, greatness, magnificense and no romance in love affairs and marriage. Individuals in Larkins Poems in a Heroic Mold The individuals portrayedby Philip Larkin in his poems are certainly in the heroic mold. The main character or the protagonist in his dramatic monologues is the poet Philip Larkin himself. In these poems he does not proclaim himself in any way. And in poems where he portrays some other persons, theyare not presented as a heroic figure. The poem Mr. Bleaney’ which he uses in his other novel as well ‘Jill’the speaker is he himself. Both of them have not been depicted as a figure of heroism in this following poem. Mr. Bleaney is and ordinary kind of manual worker who is modest, humble and unassuming leading a poverty stricken. Philip Larkin speaks about Mr. Bleaneyas an exposing his shallowness and his uninspiring life. But Larkin does not speak of himself in any of such manners. He certainly establishes his superior nature over Mr. Bleaney because of his higher spiritual and intellectual interests but instead he jokes at himself in the same manner while mocking at M r. Bleaney. In fact Philip Larkin irony is often directed against himself only. The poem titled I Remember, I Remember is the most appropriate example. Here he attacks the romantic notions of his childhood which in other poems he has described as a forgotten boredom. The Evangelist in Faith Healing Is Pulled Down from his pedestal In the poem Faith Healing , the Evangelist is not considered as an ideal or rather not been idealized. On the other side, Philip Larkin has given us a satirical picture of the Evangelist. The evangelist is the one who has great strength, courage and a God equal figure in the eyes of his women guests but Philip Larkin drags this false divine power down to the ground from the high pedestal which he occupies in the eyes of his women deities. No heroic attitude towards work In Toads and Toads Revisited, 1954 Philip Larkin does not necessarily permits a heroic attitude towards work and compares it to the Satan described as toad. He does not say Work is worship but rather he says that work is a toad(not wanted) squatting on his life and others. Work is the way which takes a human being to his grave and immortality. Thus Philip Larkin barely adjusts himself to a life of work instead of claiming that work uplifts a man. Nowhere in his work of poetry does Philip Larkin present to our eyes views of a struggle against or a resistance to the misfortunes of life. William Butler Yeats had certainly upholds and applauds the idea of a heroic struggle but Larkin does not do any such thing his poetry. Larkins Unheroic Attitude towards Death Larkin is an anti-hero in its own writing. He does not even adopt a heroic attitude towards death which is the major theme in his poetry. Larkin was haunted, preoccupied with the thought of death itself and in his poems he recollects us of the high inevitability of death. The poems Coming, Going, and Days are about death and the climax and culminate of his treatment of death comes in the poem Aubade. But nowhere does he defies death. He does not follow John Donnes lead where he had said: Death, be not proud . But Larkin does not make any such assumptions. He fears death as he flinches at the thought of death. He certainly does not show any fearlessness and audacity towards death. In one his poem, namely The Explosion which is about British class working people where does he exalts death as a means of bringing honour to a greater extent to the people who were killed in the Explosion or the blast. In general, he harbours the fearfulness of death and immortality. CONCLUSION Elements of Modernism; and Larkins Opposition to Them In his introduction to his anthology The New Poetry (1962), Alfred Alvarez attached the Movement poets of the nineteen-fifties, accusing them of an exaggerated provincialism, insularity, dullness, and a blunt refusal to learn anything from the imaginative excitements and the artistic aims associated with T.S. Eliot and modernism. Philip Larkin was the most distinguished member of the Movement, other names connected with the Movement being Thorn Gunn, Donald Davie, John Wain, D. J. Enright, and Kingsley Amis. Larkin was therefore the chief target of Alvarezs condemnation. In his early poetic career, Larkin had been much influenced by the symbolist poetry of W.B. Yeats but afterwards he rejected Yeats in favour of Thomas Hardy. In other words, from being something of a modernist, he subsequently became a traditionalist, and a critic of modernism. It was as an opponent of modernism that he declared his support to poets to whom technique seemed less important than content, and who accepted the styles and forms which they had inherited and through which they expressed their own content or ideas. It was not simply experimentation which Larkin deplored but the fact that some artists had begun to cultivate a relationship with their material rather than with their audience: and he deplored this fact because such artists in his opinion became easy prey to two principal trends, namely modernism and mystification. He said that his essential criticism of modernism, whether exemplified by Charlie Parker, Ezra Pound, or Picasso was due to the fact that modernism helped people neither to enjoy nor endure this kind of art. Modernist art, he further said, did not have any lasting power. Such art mystified or outraged the p eople. Every modernist in his opinion felt compelled to sink deeper and deeper into violence and vulgarity so far as art was concerned. Furthermore, Larkin seemed to think that modernist art, whether music, painting, or poetry, was complex and difficult to explain. In this view he was right because such modernist works as The Waste Land and Ulysses contain quotations from other texts thereby making themselves into complex and many-layered literary palimpsests. In Larkins opinion this sort of thing had encouraged a view of poetry which was almost mechanistic, namely that every poem must include all previous poems. Larkin held that every poem must be its own sole freshly-created universe and must, therefore, have no belief in a common myth-kitty. Larkin rejected the evolutionary view of poetry adopted and promoted by the modernists. His anti-modernism attracted him to the traditional poets such as Wordsworth and Tennyson. Larkin also admired John Betjeman even though this poet was not directl y associated with the Movement. Philip Larkin has much in common with all these earlier English poets. They all used a moderate tone of voice and accessible language-a language such as men do use. Besides, all these poets were centrally concerned with the relationship between themselves and to the landscapes and they habitually expressed a sense of communion with their surroundings in exalted terms. In other words, they were all intensely patriotic poets. And yet we must acknowledge at this point the fact that, although Philip Larkin has flatly rejected Modernism in theory, he is in practice a remarkably wide-ranging poet whose last volume of poems, entitled High Windows shows distinct modernist and symbolist leaning which he was supposed to have discarded quite early in his career. Nor can we claim that there is no obscurity at all in his poetry. Illustrations of Larkins Rejection of Modernism: His Raw Material We have now to turn to Larkins poetry in order to find out in what way or ways he has rejected modernism in his work. Rejecting the complexity and obscurity of Modernist poetry and rejecting the element of mystification in it. Larking chooses only familiar subjects and matters of daily interest for treatment in his poems. He does not deal with abstractions. He deals with the concrete realities of life. The subjects in his poems relate to common occurrences and daily happenings. In the poem At Grass, he meditates upon a number of retired race-horses whom are a concrete reality which anybody could have witnesses. Besides, anyone looking at those horses would have speculated upon their present status and its contrast with their past glory. There is nothing transcendental about the subject of the poem or Philip Larkins treatment of it even though some critics have said that the poem symbolically deals with human beings in their state of retirement from their life of activity and achievem ent. Lilies on a young Ladys Photograph Album is again a poem in the anti-modernist mode. It has as its theme a contrast between the past glamour and charm of a lady and her present condition. The glamour and the charm have now considerably declined; but the poet still cherishes a memory of them, and treasures them in his heart. Nothing could be more realistic than this contrast and the wistful feelings of the poet. WORK CITED Primary Sources Larkin, Philip. Collected Poems: Philip Larkin London: The Marvell Press, 1988 – The North Ship, London: Fortune Press, 1945 – The Less Deceived. York shire Marvell Press, 1955 – The Whitsun wedding. London Faber, 1964 – High Windows. London Faber and Faber, 1974 Secondary Resources Rajamouly.K. The poetry of Philip Larkin. A critical study, Prestige Books

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Natucket Nectars flyin’ high

I. Identify/Define the Key Issues/Situation AnalysisA. Key issues that will impact the focal firm’s ability to survive, thrive and grow. First Nantucket Nectar has to decide on a strategy on how to achieve increased growth in future. This may include an IPO, being bought by one of the big players in the beverage market or growing organically. Independently on how they achieve this goal, it is most important that they preserve the current spirit of the company. This includes both the inner structures and also the external image of the company.Internally they have to keep up the entrepreneurial spirit, like the nonhierarchical structures, the non-formal dress code and other factors which make Nantucket Nectars a place where â€Å"work is still fun†. On the other side they have to maintain their image of being an independent company which only produces products with the highest quality and not willing to compromise that at any cost. Especially in the case of being sold to a big company, they have to make sure that they are not associated with the buyer but are still seen as the small independent â€Å"good-guy† company.Finally, as the founders have a long term interest in the company, they have to find a way of keeping control of the company, so they should not give away too many of their shares in order to earn a lot now.B. Critical Success Factors (then & now)Their greatest success factor is primarily their great tasting, all natural, high quality product. This product enabled them to get a great and very committed customer base and build up a brand. The current trend of people favoring healthy and natural beverages additionally helps them to grow successfully.Their entrepreneurial spirited and highly motivated team helps them to quickly react to new trends in a constantly evolving market and even with a small marketing budget they showed that they are able to establish their products successfully on the market, mostly using highly creative and alternative marketing tools. Additionally, the story they can build up their  marketing on is much more appealing than that of any of the brands introduced by big companies. While still suffering from low margins, cost will be reduced with greater volumes and more experience in the market.II. Mobilize Strategic Options A. Keep the company and grow organically1. This approach allows the founders to retain control over the company and be able to leverage at best on the image and story developed through the years. They would also be able to secure the job for all the employees who were fundamental in the growth of the firm. This strategy wouldn’t prevent the founders to sell the company in the future, after further increasing its valuation.2. Refusing to sell shares would mean turning down fast growth opportunities and it would be difficult to access the multi-serve distribution, which offers the highest growth possibilities. Furthermore they would not be able to decrease their cost structure, exposing them to the risk of being taken down on price competition by large firms. Finally, there is no certainty that the valuation of the company will increase in the future and an opportunity of selling on these favourable condition may not happen again. B. Go public and do an IPO1. This strategy would represent a fast way of gaining money to invest for growth while at the same time keeping a reasonable degree of control over the company by having a large number of shareholders with few shares. The further growth of the company would permit Azzarello – Chang – Chemali – PalluaEntrepreneurial Management Case 11 – NantucketEoS, thus driving down the costs. In addition, the New Age drinks industry’s favorable market conditions would help increase the valuation of the company on the stock market. 2. An IPO would obviously entail the risk of being  acquired by an undesired company. The process of contacting an investment bank and define valuation would be costly and timeconsuming. In addition, the short-term profits demanded by the investors would be in contrast with the long term orientation of the company. Finally, market conditions may change and this could be a source of stress for the founders and the employees. C. Sell the whole company or part of it to an established firm1. There’s a big interest in the company at the moment, and this can initiate a bidding process that can further drive valuation up.   Many of the possible investors are highly attracted by the industry and, due to a strong need to complement their product portfolio with a New Age product some of them may bid high. Beside money and an improved cost structure, large companies could provide access to a broad distribution network, supermarkets and shelf-space as well as know-how. The founders and their associate still own large part of the company and can leverage on that to keep some control after selling.2. The other side of the coin would be for the founders to lose substantial control over the company after the acquisition. There is also the risk of losing the culture that has characterized and differentiated the firm throughout the years, providing a main source of competitive advantage. In addition, the company could be acquired by a big company with low reputation and this could result in a bad image transfer. Finally, the highly valued employees might be affected by the outcomes of the acquisition.III. RecommendationTo grow business without losing control and company culture, Nantucket should sell its shares to an established company, gaining resources for expansion as well securing their intangible asset. Getting momentum for growingBeing a small company in growing and competitive industry, selling the company enables Nantucket to scale up their business by leveraging the expertise of bidder, including distribution capability, financial strength  and management. Compared to IPO, this approac h allows Nantucket to receive resources for expansion as well as cash inflow. This strategy aligns with the vision of founders for long-term operation goal that would level up the business to a more sustainable level while keeping control of founders on the company.Start developing their own taskforceThe bidding combines the mutual interests for bidders to penetrate the market and for Nantucket to grow in the market. Current situation creates a favorable buying condition and bargaining power for Nantucket which would minimize the loss of control so that Nantucket could still preserve their most important asset of business, the unique brand image and culture. With this good position, Nantucket should carefully choose bidders by to find the expertise that could be leveraged and match their strategic goal.Successful experience of Ben & Jerry and ZapposThe case of Ben& Jerry acquired by Unilever and Zappos acquired by Amazon are two successful precedents of this strategy. After acquisit ion, these two companies were able to operate separately with bidders and secure their valuable intangible assets as well. Ben & Jerry kept running by its social responsibility philosophy and Zappos continued to operate as an independent entity from Amazon, both preserve the intangible asset like brand image and company philosophy.Azzarello – Chang – Chemali – Pallua

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Forced child marriage in India (Modern Slavery) Free Essay Example, 1750 words

In other states such as Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Chandigah, Pondicherry, Daman and Diu, as well as Punjab and Delhi, nearly a tenth of the girls are married when they are barely 18 years of age. The sociological, anthropological, as well as psychological perspectives are consistent in their theoretical foundations of child marriage, that the practice arose as way of sealing bonds and establishing lasting alliances between families, groups or clans, to preserve or destroy power between them (Rubio 8). Child marriages have been a common occurrence in many societies across the world since the medieval era, as a strategy of strengthening unions between families or other parties. Child marriage in India traces its history in the medieval ages, under the turbulent political reign of Delhi Sultans’ monarchy; the Delhi Sultans caused widespread socio-cultural unrest by forcing people to convert to their religion, and the Hindu women were the worst affected group. This was the darkest era in the history of the Hindu woman since not only was her status lowered, but barbaric practices such as child marriage were also introduced. The Delhi Sultans decried the birth of a baby gir l as an ill omen and propagated the stereotype of young unmarried girls as a potential cause of disaster. We will write a custom essay sample on Forced child marriage in India (Modern Slavery) or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now In that case, child marriage evolved as a pervasive cultural practice that was justifiable on numerous grounds, thus, many marriages in India were performed even before the girl outgrew her infancy. Besides that, the Indian feudalistic society’s emphasis on honour, rivalry, and animosity led to the creation of military alliances between families and kingdoms to preserve or destroy power between them, and young members of their households were married off as guarantee that the bonds would be upheld. Similarly, the Indian society’s caste system is largely responsible for the emergence of child marriages in the country since it was practised as a way of preventing young people from getting tempted to marry outside their castes. Moreover, the child marriage tradition in India also had its social justifications as the Indians practised it as a way of protecting their girls against rapes as well as abductions by foreign rulers. Apart from that, the practice was also a way of strengthening family relations and bonds while fulfilling the old people’s desire to hold their grandchildren before their death. India has made some remarkable progress towards abolishing ch ild marriage, especially through the establishment of a national legal framework that is spelt through a number of acts of legislation, policy frameworks, strategy and plans, as well as programmes and schemes aimed at eliminating child marriage (Malika, Basu & Dhivya, David 7-9).

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The American Flag Essay - 1176 Words

When you see the American flag, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Is it a war? A relative? A political leader? What? For me, I usually think of the Star Spangled Banner. I grew up on a military base in Germany. If the flag were being raised or lowered, you would see soldiers, and even civilians, standing at attention, saluting the flag. In a parade, as the flag was being carried in front by one of the brigades, everyone held his or her hand over his or her heart as the flag passed that person. Even in the theaters, before the movie would start, the Star Spangled Banner would be played while scenes of American flags in battles and peacetime were on the screen and everyone would stand, either at attention or with†¦show more content†¦A man by the name of Gregory Lee Johnson was convicted of desecrating a flag in violation of Texas Law. He burned the flag rather than uttering insulting words, which would have been allowed under the first amendment. Bu rning a flag, according to Goldstein, is the preferred means of disposing of a flag when it is such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display. Burning a flag, as Johnson did, to express dissatisfaction with the policies of our country is the wrong way to express feeling. Other wrong ways to treat the flag is by spitting on, writing on, tearing up, or stepping on the flag. You may be asking yourself, what would possess a person to do any physical harm to one of our countrys most sacred objects? Well, as we saw in the Johnson case, it was because of his disgust in the USAs policies. Some may not only be disrespectful to the flag, but also to the political leaders in our country. Some may just be moral less. Others may think that desecrating the American flag would be a good way to show his or herShow MoreRelatedThe Flag Of The American Flag836 Words   |  4 PagesHow can a simple flag evoke so much patriotism and pride, even after this many years? Veterans may say the flag represents our freedoms- freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion. In 1985, at the Maryland Flag Day ceremony, President Reagan stated: â€Å"The colors of the flag signify the qualities of the human spirit, we Americans cherish. Red for courage and readiness to sacrifice; white for pure intentions and high ideals; blue for vigilance and justice.† At the presentation to CongressRead MoreBurning The American Flag : The Flag1852 Words   |  8 PagesAshley Lawrence Ms. Zlotziver ERWC 15 December 2015 Burning the American Flag â€Å"Old Glory,† otherwise known as the American Flag, has been a huge part of America s history and a representation of The United States of America. Ever since The American Flag has been around there have been countless debates about whether it should be a crime to burn or deface the flag. Throughout the world there are many places where defacing your country s symbol is considered a crime and considered disrespectfulRead MoreThe Burning Of The American Flag1040 Words   |  5 Pagesformer president Ronald Reagan. One of protesters, known as Gregory Lee Johnson, set an American flag on flames in order to express his opinions. The Texas law enforcement arrested him due to the fact he broke a state law which prohibits the burning of the American flag. Johnson appealed and escalated the case up to the federal Supreme Court. In 1989, The Supreme Court decided that the burning of the American flag was an act of one’s freedom of speech and that it was supported by the Con stitution. TheyRead MoreThe History Of The American Flag1557 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of The American Flag In this paper I am going to talk about the history of the American Flag and what makes it uniquely American. There are many reasons why the flag is uniquely American, one being that it is the American Flag. I am going to cover a lot of important facts about the flags history all the way to the present day flag. Ill cover the process of creating the flag and much more. The flag of the United States of American, also known as the American flag, is the national flag of the UnitedRead More The American Flag Essay863 Words   |  4 Pagesinformation about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution â€Å"that the Flag of the United StatesRead MoreEthnography of the American Flag Essay720 Words   |  3 Pageshonor their flag in almost every aspect of their lives. They are placed at national shrines, cathedrals, outside homes and inside of every classroom. Every the morning in schools all across the nation children are required to pray to the flag a nd pledge their loyalty. In it is raised every morning outside the school and then taken down at the end of the day. A smaller version also hangs in most classrooms for the children to gaze at with pride. Before undertaking in major event the Americans stop andRead MoreAmerican Flag Speech Essay1520 Words   |  7 Pagesyou for being here today. We are gathered here to respectfully retire flags that have been deemed no longer serviceable. It is proclaimed that each of these flags have served well. These flags have inspired those who desired the taste of freedom and have represented hope to those oppressed by tyranny and terror. These flags have welcomed any and all in the name of liberty. The American flag flies free to the wind. The American flag flies above residential porches, campsites, small businesses, corporateRead More Burning the American Flag Essay681 Words   |  3 PagesBurning the American Flag The American flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, with seven red stripes alternating among six white. In the upper left corner there is a rectangular blue space that contains fifty white stars. The thirteen stripes symbolize the thirteen original colonies of the United states of America and the stars represent the fifty states of the Union. White is said to symbolize purity and innocence. Red symbolizes strength and courage, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseveranceRead More Patriotism and The American Flag Essay994 Words   |  4 Pagesiconography of the American flag in today’s society. Some believe patriotism is simply the act of supporting the decisions of the leaders of the country. Others say, to be patriotic, people should be outspoken and voice their oppositions to what is going on in the government. Opinions also differ on the idea of what the American flag represents. One opinion of the flags representation is that the flag represents our history, and the formerly mentioned idea of patriotism. Others believe the flag also representsRead MoreThe American Flag: Symbol of the Vanishing American Dream1069 Words   |  5 PagesWhen the flag was first made, it symbolized freedom and opportunity for both citizens of American and the immigrants. There was the dream that America was a place of freedom, where you could do what you want, say what you want, and get a job or own your own land. For some, that dream became a reality, but for many of those immigrants, it has proven to be just that, a dream. Is this piece of cloth we hold in such high regard simply an ironic symbol or the American dream? Does it truly symbolize freedom