Unit06TheNewAmericanDreamers

TheNewAmericanDreamersRuthSidelBackgroundinformationAbouttheauthor:RuthSidelisprofessorofSociologyatHunterCollegeoftheCityUniversityofNewYork.AgraduateofWellesleyCollegeandtheBostonUniversitySchoolofSocialWork,shehasworkedinthecareofemotionallydisturbedchildreninBostonandasdirectorofsocialworkinacommunityhealthcenterintheBronx.AfterthegrantingofherPhDin1978,shewasappointedtothefacultyofHunterCollege.In1988-89shewasco-founderandinitialco-directoroftheCenterfortheStudyofFamilyPolicyatHunter.NewEnglandthestatesofthenortheasternUS:Maine,NewHampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,RhodeIsland,andConnecticut.ItiscalledNewEnglandbecauseitwasthefirstpartoftheUSwherepeoplefromEngland,includingthePilgrimFathers,begantosettleinthe17thcentury.NewEnglandcontainssomeoftheoldestandmostrenownedinstitutionsofhigherlearning,includingHarvardUniversity,YaleUniversity,theMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,BrownUniversityandBostonUniversity.ThefirstcollegeinAmerica,Harvard,wasfoundedatCambridge,Massachusettsin1636.Anumberofthegraduatessettleintheregionafterschool,providingtheareawithawell-educatedpopulationandoneofitsmostvaluableresources.Mery1Streep(1949-)anAmericanactresswhohasreceivednumerousawardsforherworkinmoviesandtelevisionandwho,fromthe1980stothepresentday,hasbeenregardedasoneofthebestinherfield.Byyear2005,Streephasbeennominatedatotalof13timesforOscars—10forBestActressand3forBestSupportingActress—makingherthemost-nominatedactorofalltime.“Dallas,”“Dynasty,”or“L.A.Law”Dallaswasalong-runningprimetimetelevisionsoapoperaabouttheEwings(//),awealthyTexasoilfamily.ItairedontheCBSnetworkfromApril2,1978,toMay3,1991.Itwasbroadcastaroundtheworld,andisprobablythemostfamousandsuccessfulAmericansoapoperaoutsideoftheUS.Theseriesisprobablybest-knownforthecentralcharacterofJ.R.Ewing,thevain,greedy,scheming(诡计多端的),crassoilbaron(石油巨头)playedbyLarryHagmanfortheshow’sentirerun.DynastywasanAmericanprimetimetelevisionsoapoperathatairedonABCfromJanuary1981toMay1989.TheseriesrevolvedaroundtheCarringtons,awealthyoilfamilylivinginDenver,Colorado.Theseries,regardedasoneofthemostsuccessfulintheworld,andprobablythesecondmostfamoussoapoperainmodernTVhistorybehindDallas.L.A.Law(1986-1994)wasoneofthemostpopulartelevisionshowsofthe1980sand1990s.TheshowwassetinandaroundaLosAngeleslawfirm.Theshowwonnumerousawards,includingtheEmmyforOutstandingDramaSeriesin1989,1990,and1991.ItsfamiliarthemesongfeaturesasaxophonesolobyfamedsmoothjazzartistDavidSanborn.Chanel,GabrielleBonheur(1883-1971)(/^brbr/)knownas“Coco,”aFrenchfashiondesignerfamousforhertailoredsuitsanddressesandforherlineofperfumes,particularlyChanelNo5.Chanel’smodernistphilosophy,menswear-inspiredfashions,andpursuitofexpensivesimplicitymadeherarguablythemostimportantfigureinthehistoryof20th-centuryfashiondesign.夏娜尔JobCorps(/kC/)isaprogramintheUnitedStatesadministeredbytheU.S.federalgovernmentDepartmentofLaborandrunbyvariousagenciesfordisadvantagedandat-riskyouthtogivethemajobandsocialskillstosucceedintheworkforce.HoratioAlger,Jr.(/r/1832-1899)a19th-centuryAmericanauthor,whowroteover130dimenovels.Manyofhisworkshavebeendescribedasrags-to-richesstories,illustratinghowdown-and-out(穷困潦倒的)boysmightbeabletoachievetheAmericandreamofwealthandsuccessthroughhardwork,courage,determination,andconcernforothers.Oftenrepetitive,thenovelsremainpopular.dimenovel:amelodramaticnovelofromanceoradventure,usuallyinpaperback廉价小说Asbestsellersintheirowntime,Alger'sbooksactuallyrivaledthoseofMarkTwaininpopularity.AstheGildedAgeversionoftheAmericandreamtookshape,Alger'sworksgavehopeforabrighterfuturetomillionsofyoungmenwhowerethenlivingonthebrinkofsociety.霍雷肖·阿尔GildedAge:镀金时代（美国南北战争后35年间的繁荣昌盛期，源出MarkTwain的同名小说）Dick-and-Janereader:apopularelementaryschoolreaderinthe1950sand1960sportrayingawhitemiddle-classfamilywithtraditionalvalues(themotherstaysathomeandthefatherworks).IntroductiontothetextForcenturies,thepromiseoftheAmericanDreamhasinspiredmillionsofAmericans.Theytendtobelievethatthroughhardwork,courageanddeterminationanyoneintheNewWorldcanachieveprosperity.Inthistext,sociologistRuthSidelexaminesthewaysyoungwomenintheUnitedStatesdefinetheirsuccess:theirNewAmericanDreams.Traditionally,theAmericanDreamisa“rags-to-riches”aspirationforthemen,especiallyfortheWASPProtestants.Womenhavebeenseenasplayingsupportingrolesinmen’sjourneystowardsthematerializationoftheAmericanDream.Traditionally“womenhavehopedtofindtheiridentitythroughmarriage,havesoughttofindvalidationoftheiruniquenessandimportancebybeingsingledoutamongallotherwomenbyaman.”However,youngAmericanwomen“seetheirlivesintermsoftheiraspirations,theirhopes,andtheirdreams”.Theystandapartintheirintentiontomaketheirownwayintheworldanddeterminetheirowndestinypriortoformingasignificantandlastingintimaterelationship.That’swhyRuthSidelcallsthiscropofyoungwomentheNewAmericanDreamers.TheNewAmericanDreamerscomenotonlyfromupper-middle-classhomesormiddle-classhomes,butalso“fromfamilieswithsignificantfinancialdeprivation(/7prv/)andnumerousothe