Coates redefines the meanings of American Dream to emphasize the dream is built on oppression

and exploitation of blacks, appealing to remind his black audiences to stop trampling into the

dream. In the text, Coates refers American Dream as “the Dream”. ​ In between the world and

me, Coates distincts the meanings of the dream between the white people and blacks. For

example, Coates confess: “the process of washing the disparate tribe white, the elevation of the

belief in being white, was not achieved through wine tastings and ice cream socials, but rather

through the pillaging of life, liberty, labor, and land; through the flaying of backs; the chaining of

limbs; the strangling of dissidents; the destruction of families; the rape of mothers; the sales of

children; and various other acts means”(Coates,8). Comparing among a sequences of contradict

dictions like “wine tastings”, ““ice cream social”, “and''chianing”, Coates barely exposes the

reality of the dream. The dream that white people believe, including “wine tasting” and “ice

cream social” is based on the sufferings from the blacks. Additionally, Coates tells Samori that

the dream deny blacks’s right to secure and govern our own bodies(Coates,8). Secure and govern

own bodies” is the basic human rights. However, the dream is the poison which covered with

candies for the blacks. Coates sets up a satire in here by telling his son that “the dream” which

made by blacks is the tool can destroy blacks’ bodies again. The black audiences can easily make

resonates with Coates by understanding the reality of the dream under the perfect cover. In

addition, Coates and Malcolm X’s, a famous black activist, both reveal how the whites uses “the

dream” as a tool to get benefits from blacks. ​Coates makes the argument how the white

supremacy kept getting benefits from black community. “America was built by the blood of

black bodies”, Coates confess,However,” the white supremacy ate the first treasure fruit from the

garden”(Coates 110). Coates is poignant the fact that Coates get the benefits of black bodies.
However, the oppression never ended through the progression of history. Malcolm X, an

influential black activist, claimed the same ideas in his famous speech: “Ballet or the bullet”. In

Malcolm X’s speech, he revealed how white politicians used blacks as a coin to win the

presidential campaign while they are isolating from society. From the old days, white enslaved

the black bodies. Nevertheless, white attempts to constrain black people and brainwash them

from pursuing the American Dream, which never belongs to black community. The Dream, an

invisible hand, controls the society with ignorance.In Coates’s article of “I’m not black; I’m

Kanye West”, Coates describes Kanye West was “shockingly ignorance” and dying to be white.

In my perspective, Kanye West’s view on that slavery was a choice (West) is the result of the

dream which Coates talks about in the book. The dream educates people to live under ignorance,

to live in the way which authority wish, and live with the loss of consciousness. In Coates,

Malcolm, and Baldwin’s idea, the history of slavery should be memorable but should not be

forgivable. The society will not improve without shackling “the dream” down and waking people

who are ignorant.Malcolm X, a famous black activists From the olden days, white enslaved the

black bodies. Nevertheless, white attempts to constrain black people and brainwash them from

pursuing the American Dream, which never belongs to black community. The Dream, an

invisible hand, controls the society with ignorance.

In Malcolm X’s speech, he revealed how black community was isolated from the society and

how white politicians used them as a coin to win the presidential campaign. Coates also makes

the argument how the white supremacy kept getting benefits from black community. America

was built by the blood of black bodies, Coates confess,However, the white supremacy ate the

first treasure fruit from the garden(Coates 110). From the old days, white enslaved the black
bodies. Nevertheless, white attempts to constrain black people and brainwash them from

pursuing the American Dream, which never belongs to black community. The Dream, an

invisible hand, controls the society with ignorance.​It is a strong and poignant critique of the

American Dream. The dream, as symbolic of the great American, is a tool for authority to cover

people’s eyes from the shameful history and the injustice of the society.

In the Between the world and me, Coates makes arguments on the American dream throughout

the passage. From recalling the slavery history and police brutality in nowadays, Coates laments

the limitations of the blacks have placed in American society. Through the passage, he critiques

on “American Dream” as a tool for the authority to conceal the history of slavery and racism in

the society. The vow of American Dream is that “work hard to pursue happiness equally”.

However, it is a fraud made by the authority because only black children are told to work twice

harder than those of white. In both Coates’ book and Malcolm X’s speech mentioned how black

community still suffers from the racial inequality while American dream offers everyone in the

same position. In Malcolm X’s speech, he revealed how black community was isolated from the

society and how white politicians used them as a coin to win the presidential campaign. Coates

also makes the argument how the white supremacy kept getting benefits from black community.

America was built by the blood of black bodies, Coates confess,However, the white supremacy

ate the first treasure fruit from the garden(Coates 110). From the old days, white enslaved the

black bodies. Nevertheless, white attempts to constrain black people and brainwash them from

pursuing the American Dream, which never belongs to black community. The Dream, an

invisible hand, controls the society with ignorance. In Coates’s article of “I’m not black; I’m

Kanye West”, Coates describes Kanye West was “shockingly ignorance” and dying to be white.
In my perspective, Kanye West’s view on that slavery was a choice (West) is the result of the

dream which Coates talks about in the book. The dream educates people to live under ignorance,

to live in the way which authority wish, and live with the loss of consciousness. In Coates,

Malcolm, and Baldwin’s idea, the history of slavery should be memorable but should not be

forgivable. The society will not improve without shackling “the dream” down and waking people

who are ignorant.