The song American Dream by Raye Zaragoza and Norman Rockwell's painting Freedom from Want both explore themes related to the American ideal, but they approach it from different perspectives, reflectin
📋 Exam Question
Below, you find the lyrics from the song 'American Dream' and the painting Freedom from Want.
'American Dream' was first published in 2017 and is written by Raye Zaragoza (b. 1993), who has a mixed Japanese, Mexican and Indigenous background. Freedom from Want was created in 1943 by Norman Rockwell (1894–1978). Norman Rockwell was an American painter and illustrator whose art reflects everyday life in America.
Write a text in which you interpret the song lyrics below and compare them to the painting in light of their historical and cultural contexts.
- ‘American Dream’ (2017) by Raye Zaragoza
- I’ve been thinking about the news
- Daddy leaves it on all day through
- I’ve been thinking about the wars
- To be honest, I can’t take it anymore
- I hear you everyday
- The awful words you say –
- But hate can’t be the face of the American Dream
- I’ve been thinking about my life
- And how one day, I want to be a mother and a wife
- I’ve been scared of that thought too
- In a world of struggle, who will help us through?
- I hear them every day,
- saying it’s going to be okay.
- But hate can’t be the face of the American Dream
- I know, we’ve got a long way to go.
- But I’ve got to believe, that change is a choice and it can start with me.
- And I’ve been thinking about our mother
- And how they took her away from her people
- Put her in a boarding school
- Away from her brother, sister, and culture
- I can hear her every night, saying we’ve got to make this right.
- Cause hate can’t be the face of the American Dream
- I know, we’ve got a long way to go.
- But I’ve got to believe, that change is a choice, and it can start with me.
- Change is a choice, and it can start with you.
- Freedom from Want
References:
- Zaragoza, R. (2017) American Dream. Songtradr. https://www.songtradr.com/songs/raye-zaragoza/american-dream
Rockwell, N. (1943). Freedom from Want. Oil on canvas, 45 3/4″ x 35 1/2″. Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, 6 March, 1943. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©SEPS: Curtis Licensing, […]
✏️ Model Answer
The song American Dream by Raye Zaragoza and Norman Rockwell's painting Freedom from Want both explore themes related to the American ideal, but they approach it from different perspectives, reflecting the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created. …