The Nightmare of the American Dream

What is a dream? The answer to this question depends on how it is used. The word can be used to describe "a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep" (Google, dream). In this case, there are several types of dreams; daydreams, lucid dreams, and nightmares just to name a few. A nightmare is a dream arousing feelings of intense fear, horror, and distress. It can be caused by stresses in life, relationships, and work (Dream Moods). Another way the word dream is used is to describe an ambition or desire, such as the American Dream (Google, dream). This comes from the idea that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve prosperity (Google, american). Normally, the American Dream carries a positive connotation, but in some cases it can be negative. If the American Dream is in fact a dream, then just like any other, it can also be a nightmare. Such is the case for black slaves in the 1800s. Harriet Jacobs, who wrote “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” and Frederick Douglass, who wrote “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself,” told their story of life as slaves. In these particular works, the nightmare of being a slave is a result of their master seeking to achieve the American Dream. While the American Dream was being realized for the white man the American Nightmare was born for the black people he enslaved to produce the hard work to make the dream possible.
Stressors of life cause nightmares. The perception of a loss of control one has over life and its events are examples of such stressors. Slaves are pieces of property owned by white men who paid for them. In order to be fully utilized, slaves are broken – emotionally, mentally, and physically – until they lose their humanity and become a machine for work. Obviously, how a slave perceives the world is a result of being dehumanized. It becomes too easy to believe that their individual worth is set at a monetary price their master bought them. Nevertheless, some slaves cling to their humanity and reject the notion that a slave auction defines their self-worth. When a receipt of Jacobs’s sale was shown to her, she was floored, stating, “A human being sold in the free city of New York” (Jacobs, 1777). This apparent contradiction is a nightmare for this American. Further, having no control over her freedom in a free country only increased the stress. In order to exert some amount of control in her life, Jacobs created choices for herself. When her master was going to keep her as his mistress to indulge in his sexual desires, Jacobs chose not to endure this rape by losing her virginity to another man (1767.) This act in this day in age would render her impure and be of no value to another man, including her master. Her life as slave and woman was considerably different compared to non-slave women. Jacobs realizes this difference when she says, “the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standards as others” (1767). She is able to maintain her humanity by creating choices and options that were not typical of non-slaves, no matter how negative.
Just as life can cause nightmares, relationships are also a source of pressure. The most prominent relationship in a slave’s life is his master. Sadly, it is most often the most negative. A master seeks to break his slaves to maximize his use of them. This requires physical brutality as well as emotional and mental oppression. Douglass describes how masters kept slaves from knowing their birthdays (Douglass, 2040). Birthdays are celebrations of life and of self. If slaves have a sense of self, they are more human. Fear is also a powerful way to wield control. Douglass described his master as
…one of those who could torture the slightest look, word, or gesture, on the part of the slave, into impudence, and would treat it accordingly….His savage barbarity was equaled only by the consummate coolness with which he committed the grossest and most savage deeds upon his slaves…(2048).
Living in fear of someone and without having any choice but to follow is a heavy burden to carry. This fear begins to infect the mind, the heart, and the soul. Enduring this physical pain, emotional torture, and mental anxiety is a nightmare.
Problems arising from one’s work, job, or profession is a source of stress that causes nightmares. For the case of the slave, his work is his life. A slave’s primary job is to obey his master. This sounds easy enough, but the price is most often exploitation. The reality is that slaves are “a piece of merchandise…liable to be demanded of them [slave owners] at any moment” (Jacobs, 1759). These loyal, hard workers are completely unprotected from the law and these laws demote slaves to a piece of property wholly subject to someone else’s command. This already unfair situation worsens when slaves are denied the right to enjoy the fruits of their hard work. They are rewarded by more work and serious consequences for slipping up. Just as Americans today slap the side of their cell phones when they do not function as efficiently or affectively as they “should”, slaves are treated as machines with a specific purpose and that can most often be easily replaced. The only problem is that these machines have a soul, a mind, and a heart that needs to be beaten out. A hideous nightmare is human beings regarded as machinery for a single purpose, to work.
When the dream of prosperity motivated men like Douglass’ master to seek a better life, it was comforting to believe it would be better for all. Sadly, this was not the case. Men escaped oppression only to oppress others. Wealth and prestige were achieved, but the American Dream was not. Slaves did the hard work necessary to bring about such desired affluence, but they were not allowed to enjoy it. Slave masters undertook atrocious acts to ensure their resources without getting their hands wet of the honest work required. Nevertheless, they basked in the fruits of someone else’s work. This is not the American Dream, either. This is an abominable nightmare. However, nightmares are dreams. Maybe, these hopeful white men actually found what they were looking for – a cheap way to “achieve” means without work – the American Dream.