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CP English II: Synthesis Essay
Reading Time: Approximately 45 minutes
Suggested Writing Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Directions: The following prompt is based on the accompanying six sources. This question requires you
to integrate a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the sources to support
your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary. Your argument should be central; the sources
should only be used to offer further support for your argument. Remember to attribute both direct and
indirect citations.
Introduction to Topic:
From the time of its inception, the United States has been seen by many as a land of opportunity, a
place of great potential. Furthermore, those who immigrated came here for the American dream. The
American dream is the belief that in the United States, people are free to pursue opportunity, and that
through hard work, they can make a better life for themselves and their children. This dream has
powered the hopes and aspirations of Americans for generations, but has been called into question in
recent years.
Assignment:
Read the following sources carefully. Then, in a two page essay, synthesize (to form a new, complex
product by combining parts or elements from multiple sources) at least three of the sources for support,
take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that the American dream is possible in
today’s society.
Pts. Possible: 135 pts.
Sources:
Source A (Obama)
Source B (Rosenfield)
Source C (Sokol)
Source D (Cartoon)
Source E (Washauer)

Your essay will need to be accompanied by a works cited page, correctly identifying all of the
sources you used to create your finished essay.
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Source A:
FULL TRANSCRIPT: President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address
Jan. 20, 2009
Full transcript as prepared for delivery of President Barack Obama's inaugural remarks on Jan. 20, 2009, at the
United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices
borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and
cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of
prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging
storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but
because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of
violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of
some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been
lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings
further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of
confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must
lower its sights.
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Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we
gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out
dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has
come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea,
passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a
chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our
journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those
who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the
doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have
carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
Citation Information:
Author – Barack Obama
Title: Full Transcript: President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
Name of Website: ABC News
Date Last Updated: January 20, 2009
Retrieval Date:
Web Address: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Inauguration/president-obama-inauguration-speechtranscript/story?id=6689022
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Source B:
American Dream is still alive, but
unrecognized
Everett Rosenfeld, CNBC 5:33 a.m. EDT July 5, 2014
A poll conducted by marketing firm DDB found that only 40% of American adults over the age of 18 believed they
were "living the American Dream."(Photo: Thinkstock)
A new study shows that a majority of Americans are living the American Dream — even if they largely don't realize it.
The poll, conducted by marketing firm DDB as part of its 2014 Life Style Study, found that only 40% of American
adults over the age of 18 believed they were "living the American Dream."
That same 7,015-person study also found that sizable majorities reported owning a home, receiving a "good
education," finding a "decent job" and giving their children better lives than they themselves had—all traditional tenets
of the American Dream. Although these findings may not seem intuitive, the answer behind this discrepancy could lie
in an important trend in American financial security.
"Even though people report that they are not living the dream, they actually are when you look at the traditional
benchmarks," said Denise Delahorne, SVP, Group Strategy Director, DDB Chicago, who worked closely with the
survey. She theorized that many people do not see themselves as having attained the traditional American Dream
because of a shifting definition of the term.
"If you're new to this country, then life seems pretty good here," Delahorne said. "But for many people who have lived
here a long time, they've started to think of the American Dream less as the traditional elements, and more relative to
wealth."
In the DDB survey, only 25% of adults reported that they have been able to "make a lot of money" in their life.
But Erin Currier, director of economic mobility at The Pew Charitable Trusts, told CNBC she does not think the
disparity between the DDB respondents' life histories and their own assessment of American Dream fulfillment lies in
an evolving definition. Still, she agreed with Delahorne: The explanation lies in wealth.
"[American families] have enough that they are able to consume those indicators of the American Dream, but they
aren't financially secure," Currier said, drawing the distinction to an increase in citizens' incomes, but not their wealth.
"My instinct is that people feel that on a day to day basis."
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Because Americans are "treading water," she said, they are too insecure to be able to enjoy their achievements. Still,
Pew research from 2009 confirms that the elements listed on the DDB survey roughly align with what citizens see as
the American Dream.
• I am living the American dream 40%
In my life, I have been able to:
• Own a home 66%
• Get a good education 78%
• Find a decent job 74%
• Have decent health and medical care 78%
• Give my children a better life than I have 81%
• Feel relatively safe 89%
• Be treated fairly 81%
• Have enough food to eat 93%
• Speak my mind freely 87%
• Buy the car of my dreams 35%
• Make a lot of money 25%
Citation Information:
Author – Everett Rosenfield
Title: American Dream is Still Alive, but Unrecognized
Name of Website: USA Today
Date Last Updated: July 5, 2014
Editor/Webmaster: CNBC
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Web Address: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/05/american-dreamunrecognized/12047675/
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Source C:
Why I believe the American Dream is still
alive
By David Sokol
Published June 23, 2014
FoxNews.com
Facebook23 Twitter9 livefyre14 Email Print
According to a recent research report from CNN/ORC International, 59 percent of adults believe the American dream
has become impossible. As the son of a grocery store manager and a homemaker from Omaha, Nebraska, this
troubles me deeply because I see myself as a reflection of the American dream. I had parents that believed deeply in
this concept and instilled in me – and each of my five siblings – that nothing was unattainable if we worked arduously,
courageously and with conviction.
Could we as a nation have lost touch with what makes us so distinctly “American?”
The CNN/ORC International poll goes on to state that 63 percent of those surveyed believe most children in this
country will grow up to be worse off than their parents. This particularly reinforces the need for our nation to
rediscover the power and promise of the American dream. Too often headlines are dominated by facts and statistics
that fundamentally undermine our national – and individual – confidence.
Could we as a nation have lost touch with what makes us so distinctly 'American?'
The American dream has suffered because we have begun to quell innovation, discourage entrepreneurial efforts
and question the value of higher education – all because we are told daily that living in our great country is simply
becoming “too hard.”
This was not as our Founding Fathers intended when they challenged us to form a “more perfect union.” And this is
not indicative of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” spirit that the novels of Horatio Alger defined as uniquely
American.
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This is why I am proud of the work of Horatio Alger Association, a non-profit organization awarding more than $100
million in undergraduate scholarships since 1984 and allowing more than 21,000 at-risk students to pursue the
American dream despite having faced unparalleled adversity.
The incredible stories of the Scholars counter any national skepticism about the American dream in a powerful way.
After emigrating from Vietnam to the United States in 1991, Nathan Nguyen, a 2004 Horatio Alger National Scholar,
and his family faced significant financial hardships. Through passion and perseverance, he was determined to help
his parents achieve their American dream while pursuing his own path to success. In 2006, two years after receiving
his scholarship, Nguyen established Instrumental Savings, a music help center, which Music Inc. Magazine dubbed
“the new future of the musical instrument industry” and by the age of 22 he was a millionaire.
And then there is 2005 Horatio Alger National Scholar Justin Anderson who founded Anderson Trail Soft Granola as
a 16-year-old high school student in southwest Houston, Texas. At the time, he had very limited contact with his
father and – like Nguyen – his family struggled financially. Despite Anderson’s adversities, he found inspiration
through the support of his mom and grandparents who encouraged him to follow his dreams. Today, his line of
indulgent oat snacks, WOATS Oatsnack, can be found in all Super Target stores nationwide and Anderson has been
recognized on the Empact100 list of the country’s top young entrepreneurs.
These are just two examples of the many exemplary Horatio Alger Scholars who worked hard to achieve their goals
with integrity and perseverance.
This fall, the current class of Horatio Alger Scholars begins college. Representing all 50 states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico, 921 students will attend institutions of higher education ranging from leading liberal arts
colleges to nationally recognized universities. The vast majority of the 2014 Scholars come from low-income
households yet these students averaged a 3.62 GPA and a mean SAT score of 1,605 – more than 100 points above
the national average.
I do not believe that we are so different in the 21st century that the principles by which the United States was
established in the 18th century – and under which it grew so tremendously in the 19th and 20th centuries – are no
longer applicable within our society. These principles are not what our history is made of but rather, drive how we
make history. The 2014 Horatio Alger Scholars reflect this spirit and nearly 30 years of Alumni Scholars have proven
that the American dream not only lives, it thrives, especially when we as a nation fully commit to it.
David Sokol is the Chairman of Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational
organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams
through higher education. Mr. Sokol also serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Teton Capital, LLC.
Citation Information:
Author – David Sokol
Title: Why I Believe the American Dream is Still Alive
Name of Website: Fox News.
Date Last Updated: June 23, 2014
Editor/Webmaster: Livefyre
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Web Address: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/06/23/why-believe-american-dream-is-still-alive/
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Source D:
Citation Information:
Author – Bradford Veley
Title: American Dream Cartoon and Comics
Name of Website: Cartoonstock
Date Last Updated: 2014
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Web Address: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/a/american_dream.asp
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Source E:
The American Dream Still Exists
Is the American Dream a Myth?, 2006
Matthew Warshauer is a professor of American history at Central Connecticut State University and is currently writing
two books about President Andrew Jackson.
The American dream has always included achieving financial success; however, the celebrated method of acquiring
money has changed over the centuries of American history. Early versions of the American dream honored thrift and
hard work as the preferred way to become successful. Since the industrial revolution, however, Americans have
dreamed about finding shortcuts to extravagant wealth, including winning on lucrative game shows or buying a lucky
lottery ticket. Some people have also attempted to win millions of dollars in lawsuits in their pursuit of the American
dream of instant wealth. The emphasis on good fortune rather than industriousness and perseverance is eroding the
work ethic that once made the American dream a respectable goal.
Traditionally, Americans have sought to realize the American dream of success, fame and wealth through thrift and
hard work. However, the industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries began to erode the dream, replacing it with a
philosophy of "get rich quick". A variety of seductive but elusive strategies have evolved, and today the three leading
ways to instant wealth are large-prize television game shows, big-jackpot state lotteries and compensation lawsuits.
How does one achieve the American Dream? The answer undoubtedly depends upon one's definition of the Dream,
and there are many from which to choose. John Winthrop envisioned a religious paradise in a "City upon a Hill."
Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of racial equality. Both men yearned for what they perceived as perfection. Scholars
have recognized widely varying conceptions of these quests for American excellence. One component of the
American Dream seems, however, to be fairly consistent: the quest for money. Few will deny that Americans are
intently focused on the "almighty dollar." In a society dedicated to capitalism and the maxim that, "the one who dies
with the most toys wins," the ability to purchase a big house and a nice car separates those who are considered
successful from those who are not. Yet the question remains, how does one achieve this success? How is the Dream
realized? For many Americans the formula is one of instant, albeit elusive, gratification. Rather than adhering to a
traditional work ethic, far too many Americans are pinning their hopes on what they perceive as "easy" money. This
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article focuses on three phenomena in contemporary American society that have successfully captured the quest for
the American Dream. Savvy marketers have convinced their audiences that a new wave of television game shows,
lottery luck, and lucrative lawsuits are the way to wealth.
Rags to Riches Through Thrift and Hard Work
Instant wealth has not always been a major component of the Dream. Americans have traditionally centered their
efforts on thrift and hard work. During the Colonial Period, Benjamin Franklin counseled people on the "The Way to
Wealth." Poor Richard's Almanac advised that "Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and
wise." The key to wealth was industry: "Industry pays debts," insisted Poor Richard. Americans of the Early Republic
expanded Franklin's notion of industry into a labor ideology. For many the goal was not extravagant wealth, but,
rather, economic independence and the opportunity for social advancement through financial gain. Abraham Lincoln
insisted that the greatness of the American North was that industry allowed all men to prosper: "The prudent,
penniless beginner in the world, labors for wages awhile, saves a surplus with which to buy tools or land, for himself;
then labors on his own account another while, and at length hires another new beginner to help him. This ... is free
labor—the just and generous, and prosperous system, which opens the way for all."
In the midst of industrialization following the Civil War, many Americans experienced profound hardship in the
changing economic landscape. They found solace in the tales of Horatio Alger, whose characters overcame adversity
through industry, perseverance, self-reliance, and self-discipline. The ubiquitous "rags to riches" legend became a
cornerstone of American society; anyone could succeed and achieve wealth if they worked hard. The commitment to
industry illustrated by Alger's characters, Lincoln's ideals of free labor, and Franklin's practical maxims were further
solidified in the American mind by the addition of a religiously based, Protestant "work ethic." Many believed that hard
work allowed one to not only achieve financial success, but, through that success, revealed God's grace.
Numerous scholars note that the shift away from the traditional American work ethic corresponded directly with the
rise of industry. Work values changed dramatically when the assembly line production and machine driven
atmosphere of industrial America swallowed up skilled workers. The aftermath of World War II exacerbated the
ethical shift as a consumer culture blossomed and Americans became preoccupied with material goods. As one critic
[David Reisman] noted, "consumed by desires for status, material goods, and acceptance, Americans apparently had
lost the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, and craftsmanship that had characterized the nation."
The result of this shift in work ethic has actually spurred rather than lessened the people's desire to achieve the
American Dream. Yet the real difference is that the Dream has become more of an entitlement than something to
work towards. Many Americans no longer entertain a vision for the future that includes time, sweat, and ultimate
success. Rather, they covet the shortcut to wealth. Many who are engaged in work view it more as a necessary evil
until striking it rich. This idea has been perpetuated by a massive marketing effort that legitimizes the message that
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wealth can be obtained quickly and easily. Whether through the television entertainment industry, state-based lottery
marketing drives, or legal advertisements, Americans are told again and again that the road to the financial success
of the American Dream is more a matter of luck than hard work.
Citation Information:
Author – Matthew Washauer
Title: The American Dream Still Exists
Name of Website: Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Date Last Updated: 2006
Editor or Webmaster: Gwinnet County Public Schools
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Web Address:
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?displayGroupNa
me=Viewpoints&jsid=e7ca439e47f522b3de5fc54ad6bc9832&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CE
J3010415202&u=lawr16325&zid=9a0c92a87dc8131cf8764154e66e0252