The Help, The Poor, The Successful and Pie = America.

The Death of America...

The 'American dream' has become somewhat a symbolism of American culture and it's famous optimism of the country and it's future. The video above is the music and lyrics to the 1971 hit by Don McLean - 'American Pie'. Based around the events of a changing America through the late 50's to the 70's, the song basically shows the heart break of the end of the American dream. It was the fifties - the postwar years - where the idea of the American dream was at it's heights and America was the dominating country in terms of economy and prosperity. The sixties, however, were a time of drastic changes in America and that is exactly what McLean emphasises in the lyrics. He called the sixties "the death of America." even the opening line for the chorus "Bye bye, Miss America pie." relates to that. He uses the saying "As American as apple pie" and twists it, converting it in the song to come across as a final farewell to all things American.

Chorus - American Pie

Bye bye, Miss American pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee

But the levee was dry

Those good ol' boys drinking whisky and rye

Singing "this will be the day that I die, 

This will be the day that die."

Historically, it was in the 60's that some of the biggest events of the Civil Rights Act history took place. Of course, even today there is still racism in many parts of America, but is that what the American dream is about?
It would seem that some still believe in America that the dream is only possible if you work hard... And have skin like snow. This strongly contradicts the ideas that Horatio Alger depicts in 'Ragged Dick'. Dick, even as as a child living in poverty is still given the hope of not necessarily success, but respect in his future, by working hard - which is fair enough.

However, if we were to look at something like segregation in the US, we see that no matter how hard someone works - if they were black (in the 1960's), they would never be able to reach their full potential. Take the 2011 American drama film adaptation of 'The Help' staring Emma Stone and Viola Davis. Even just this poster alone tells the story of how it once was. The two white girls are able to sit down, relax and do as they please, whilst the two black women after forced to stand and work.
In the realm of the 'American dream' if someone were to work as hard as the black maids and servants did, then they would very quickly find themselves in a much higher position  and to continue rising until they reach they're goal or at least a respectable position, similarly to Dick. But no, because they are coloured, suddenly it makes it impossible for them to break the barrier enforced by society and become successful.