English 06B Assignment Blog

      There are many examples of literature involving immigrants looking towards the US as "the land of opportunity," and involved with that are their visions and ideas of how perfect things would be living there. From the point of view of the citizen, however, the reality of life in the US is far from perfect, and we might argue that expecting the visions of the "perfect American life" to be real is setting yourself up for failure. There are many things to consider on both sides of the "American Utopia" subject, as citizens and immigrants have vastly different experiences and histories. Here are three expectations and realities of the American Utopia idea. 1. Expectation: "Land of the Free." People have more freedoms in the US than can be found in other countries. People live in a society where they can go about their day in any way they please and are completely free to do so. Reality: Under the constitution, residents and citizens of the US ha...

      The short story, "Checking Out," by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, provides the point of view of a disadvantaged minority many people ignore. The main character, Obinze, is an immigrant from Nigeria, in London, struggling to gain citizenship in the UK. The political situation in Nigeria is at a bad point, and Obinze tries to obtain a visa to emigrate to the US, but is denied each time, which causes him to end up in London. His desire to go to the US stems from a commercial on tv called "Andrew Checking Out," where Andrew "checks out" of the country as if was a hotel, and leaves for America. This inspires Obinze to do try to do the same, and he fantasizes about what his life would be like in the US.     Most of Obinze's desire to leave Nigeria comes from his vision of the US. He sees it as a utopian-like society where he is free to do and speak what he wants, and can drink all the Fanta he wants. He imagines the intellectual conversations he would have...