Dreams From My Father- Final Reflection

            Reading the text was interesting. Reading this memoir was a different experience for me because I rarely read books where the protagonist is somewhat relatable to me or even the people around me. Some points in the book were really slow paced and excruciating to read because the plot of the memoir took a while to develop.  I feel as if the book was written for an adult. My initial reaction to the book was that it was going to be an inspirational story about working hard to accomplish your life goals. I still feel as if the story was inspirational and well written. The style in which the book is written almost makes me pity Obama. He had to deal with so much early on in his life.  This memoir is different than every other memoir I have read. In the memoirs that I’ve read, the protagonist is always this very relatable character. Dreams From My Father differs from other memoirs is that Obama is this very smart and composed person. I felt as if he didn’t really have any flaw, throughout the book I have noticed that Obama rarely mentions how he could’ve improved a situation or ponder on lingering regrets throughout the book. In other memoirs that I have read the main characters would frequently talk about scenarios where things could have gone differently. Obama is different because he just moves on and learns from his mistakes. Overall the book was interesting and moving because it enables readers to understand that hard work can lead to tremendous success.

Dreams From My Father- Connections

Dreams From My Father can be connected to Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Left to Tell is a memoir about Immaculee’s childhood during the Rwandan Holocaust. Like Obama, her father was also killed. Immaculee’s father died at the hands of the Hutus and Obama’s father died in a car crash in Hawaii. Obama is who he is today because of his parents and the stories that they told. Immaculee’s parents also was a big aspect of Immaculee’s life. Immaculee’s parent and Obama’s mother, were dedicated to them. Even though they had financial issues they were still extremely dedicated to their children. Obama’s mother would wake him up every morning at 4 A.M. to teach him because education her son’s education was important to her. After dinner Immaculee’s parent would make Immaculee and her brothers and sister sit on the living room floor to teach them math and other topics. Both of the parents taught their children what was wrong and what was right.

            Obama and Immaculee are also similar because their parents are both educators. In Indonesia Obama’s mother would teach English to the foreign businessmen to earn extra money and to save her marriage. Immaculee’s father was a math teacher and Immaculee’s mother would stay at home to do house work. Immaculee and Obama are literally similar because of there parents and influences. They two are figuratively connected because they both had hardships to deal with like racism. Obama was stuck in the middle of two worlds because he was mixed and his mother resented some white people. Immaculee was frowned upon for being a Tutsi. Hutus made up the majority of the Rwandan population so Immaculee would constantly feel ostracizedlike Obama felt. They both did not know or understand many things until they were much older.            

Dreams From My Father- Title Significance

            The significance of the title Dreams From My Father: A Story About Race And Inheritance is Obama is to show how Obama tried to be successful like his father. The title relates to the plot because towards the end he has a divided inheritance. The title also relates to the story because his other would always scold him for having things to do with people of certain races. Obama’s mother was not a racist but resentment toward white people because she pitied her husbands. She would often say to Obama “They are not your people.”

            Obama’s father was frequently brought up in the book. Obama became a lot more interested in him after his death. Obama was fascinated with his father after he got to know more about his past and difficulties. Obama definitely discovered many things about his father that it almost seemed as if he somehow knew who his mysterious father was even when his father left he was two.

            The title is literal because Obama actual receives a divided inheritance and had to struggle with racism and resentment toward certain races. The title is figurative in the aspect that his father was a mystery to him even till the time of his death. Obama builds an image of his father through the stories told by his grandparents. So much was discovered about his father that readers could almost feel as if Obama knew his father personally. Obama would also strive to be like the image of his father that he created

Dreams From My Father- Emotional Reaction

            “Once in a while I would run into him on his way back to the store, and I would off to carry his groceries up a long flight of stairs. He would look at me and shrug, and we would begin our ascent, stopping at each landing so that he could catch his breath… not a single word was passed between us and not once did he ever thank me for my efforts”(4).

             The passage explains Obama’s relationship with one of his neighbors before he died. I felt as if their relationship was very peculiar. Obama’s relationship with the old man lets me know that he is generous and kind and does not expect anything for being so courteous. Obama write about the old man in a vague and admirable way. He gives us only a gist of his relationship with the old but enough for the readers to understand him.

            “The loneliness of the scene affected me, and for the briefest moment I wish I had learned the old man’s name”(5).

            Obama didn’t even know the old man’s name! that is what drew me to this portion of the memoir because I didn’t know that people could have this vague and non-communicative relationship. Obama also mention how when the man had passed away, the police had found close to a thousand dollar in the old man’s refrigerator. Obama also mentions the old man having similar opinions as him. This indicates that Obama is wise observant.

Dreams From My Father: Passage Analysis

            “Men take advantage of weakness in other men. They are just like countries in that way. The strong man takes the weak man’s land. He makes the weak man work in his fields. If the weak man’s wife is pretty, the strong man will take her…. Which would you want to be?”(40).

            In the passage, Barack’s stepfather at the time Lolo was explaining to Barack the means needed to be taken to be successful. At that point in the memoir Barack, his mother, and Lolo had just moved to Indonesia because Lolo passport has been suspended.  As Lolo spent more time working and providing for his family, he became a different man. He wasn’t happy, his wife wasn’t happy and neither was Barack. Lolo was always working to an unfair and extremely low salary. Buying a refrigerator cost the family their two-month salary. No one in the family was happy and that ultimately led to divorce. The figurative language used in this passage is metaphor and personification. A metaphor is used in the passage because Obama is calling and comparing men and countries. The passage exemplifies personification because land is getting humanistic features.

            This passage is significant because it help Obama pave the way to success and get a better understanding of the world and the people in it. The passage also gives Obama a good idea of what type of person he wants to be. After hearing Lolo’s explaining Obama was able to determine who he didn’t want to be; a weak man.