The American Dream in Christ in Concrete
Pietro di Donato
Pietro di Donato was born in West Hoboken, New Jersey on April 3, 1911. He was born to Geremio and Annunziata. He had seven other siblings. He is believed to be one of the most celebrated Italian American novelists in mid-20th century. His best known work, "Christ in Concrete" made him famous and recalls his own life.
Christ in Concrete
“Christ in Concrete” is based on the life of Pietro di Donato, and is autobiographical. The book recounts the life of his father, Geremio who works as a bricklayer and is eventually killed in a building collapse. The book takes place in New York in 1923 and focuses on the lives of Italian immigrants working in construction.
Originally, Christ in Concrete was published as a short story in Esquire. It only contained the first chapter of the book. It was eventually written as a book, following its publication in Esquire magazine. It was selected by The Book of the Month Club and compared to The Grapes of Wrath as a “more formulaic novel” (66, Ferraro). It was eventually made into a movie in 1949 called, “Give Us This Day.”
This was Pietro di Donato’s most well known novel. He did write other books, but they were not as popular. His second book was “This Woman” which is a sequel to “Christ in Concrete” and tells the story of di Donato after his father’s death. Di Donato eventually died from bone cancer on January 19, 1992.
What is the American Dream?
The American Dream is “the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone" (Investopedia). They should also be given equal opportunity to achieve this success and this success comes through hard work and determination. The starting point for the American Dream is really in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Many people came to the U.S. in search of these truths and of the American Dream, just like the characters in Christ in Concrete.
The Appeal
Why do many people hope to achieve the American Dream? What are the appeals of it? First of all, it gives people freedom and equality. They can make decisions on their own and they can attain wealth. They have the freedom to lead a better life and can live based on what they believe. Overall, it gives people the ability to control their own life rather than having someone control it for them. They can make their own decisions.
The Illusion
Many people looking to start a new life don’t realize how hard the American Dream is to achieve. Many people have tried to move their way up on the social ladder, but have failed. They have to find a job that pays enough and have to be able to provide for themselves and their families. It is a lot easier said than done.
The American Dream for Geremio and Paul
The characters in Christ in Concrete are trying to achieve their own versions of the American Dream. At first, they are drawn to the appeals of the American Dream and want to provide for their family, but ultimately, the American Dream is out of their reach and becomes an illusion to them. The first character that wants to achieve the American Dream is Geremio. His dream is to be able to provide for his family and to save enough to buy a house. We see this when he says, “He bought a house! Twenty years he had helped to mold the New World. And now he was to have a house of his own! What mattered that it was no more than a wooden shack? It was his own!" (6, Christ in Concrete). He is so happy that he is able to buy a house even though it really isn’t much. He works hard everyday and Job means everything to him because it's the only way he can provide for his family, but when the building collapses, everything is over. In his last moments, he realizes that his American Dream is being crushed by the thing that he needed the most: Job (a little ironic?). His untimely death leads to devastation for his family and he knows it, as he is being buried alive, when he cries out, "Oh, if he could only hold out long enough to bite even the smallest hole through to air! He must! There can be no other way! He is responsible for his family! He could not leave them like this! (15, Christ in Concrete). He was the sole provider for the family and now he is unable to do that.
After the death of Geremio, Paul becomes the head of the family. Paul’s dream was very similar to his father’s dream. He wants to be the man of the house and provide for his family. He believes he can achieve this dream because he gets hope from what the Cripple says to him: “Your most dearest dreams are gonner come true he says, and you’ll all gonner experience another and better kind of life!" (201, Christ in Concrete). This is basically what the American Dream is and what Paul wants. He believes this because he has nothing else and is in desperate need of a better life. This is the illusion of the American dream; things don’t just get better, you have to work for it. He tries everything to support his family. He goes to the priest to ask for money. The priest doesn't help him and isn't very generous even though the priest has a table full of food and only gives him a portion of cake. Paul slowly begins to realize that his life is not going to get better and he begins to lose faith in everything, including the American Dream.
