California, a Place, a People, a Dream by Rawls, J James and West of the west by Arax, Mark - Assignment Example

California, a Place, a People, a Dream by Rawls, J. James The article discusses the spectacles of California most of which make it appeal to both Americans and non-Americans alike. The growth of the entertainment industry coupled with several other industries such as tourism makes the state a leading destination to both Americans and immigrants who seek to achieve their dreams. While the dream always works for others thus resulting in success story, the case is often heartbreaking for many others a feature that justifies the rising crime rates in California as the States unemployed resort to violence, crime and drugs among other vices. In the article, Rawls thus discusses the various paradoxes including those of greatness, growth and success about California thus providing a practical view of the state. West of the west by Arax, Mark West of the west analyses the great State of California. Arax believes in the greatness of the state that continues to attract thousands of visitors monthly. Most of the people coming to the State often do not understand the crime network and the problem of drug trafficking that haunt the state. The author therefore present a unique picture of California, one in which the illegal drugs money continues to enhance the growth of various industries within the economy. Drug peddlers adopt unique styles in concealing their businesses a feature that enhances the growth of violent crimes in the city as well. California is arguably one of the greatest and most famous states in the United States. As such, different people have varied opinions about the state. Both Americans and immigrants have varied hopes and opinions about the state of California. Theodore Roosevelt for example made the iconic statement “When I am in California, I am not in the West, I am west of the West." In which he describes the uniqueness of the state and paradoxes that people build about the state. The statement informs Mark Arax as he creates a title for his reportage. In their own different articles, Mark Arax and James J. Rawls express their understanding and opinions about the state of California. Both articles have a series of similarities and differences in their portrayal and description of the state as the discussion below portrays. James J. Rawls introduces his article by explaining that the California dream is always just that. The dream is a personal idea which meets numerous challenges and realities thus often either heartbreaking or gratifying the wishes of the people, both Americans and immigrants alike. Mark Arax on the other hand strives to explain California as being the “West of the west.” He therefore portrays the intimate spectacles arising from the tussles that people in California have with families, landscapes, politics and economy among many other factors. Mark Arax travels to California where he finds a thriving criminal economy sustained by the illegal sale of marijuana and prostitution among other similar illicit economic activities. To him such factors are manifestations of broken dreams of living the California dream. Key among the similarities proposed by both writers is the illusion of the California dream. Both authors contend that people are always optimistic when coming to the state of California. The growing entertainment industries coupled with the hospitality industry are among the corner stones of the Californian economy. “Founded on expectation and hope, the California Dream promises to fulfill our deepest longings for opportunity and success, warmth, sunshine and beauty, health and long life, freedom, and even a foretaste of the future,” (Rawls 23). Key among the features of the society the two contend about is the cultural conflict in the state of California. Residents of the cosmopolitan state just as the name suggests have various backgrounds a feature that validates the cultural conflicts in the state. Rawls explains numerous paradoxes about the state of California key among which is the greatness that people hope to achieve in California. As stated earlier, people believe that California is a practical state, one that easily turns dream into realities. Various cases of established actors and musicians in Hollywood continue to inspire many other people who believe that they will achieve greatness once they get to California. Rawls explains that such are inconsistencies with the truth responsible for the growing criminal networks in the state. In doing this, he acknowledges that crime rate in the state is rising with drugs and illegal guns fostering the growth of criminal activities. In his article, Arax admits that the crime rate is higher in the state of California than in any other state within the country. He marvels at the growing criminal industries, which continue to contribute to the state’s economic growth. He explains that drug barons have devised unique ways of growing marijuana. “There in the middle of the room, under twenty shoe size lights were the lean but powerful plants of an indoor marijuana grow, a secret garden that only his closest advisers had seen” (Arax 211). Key among the differences in the way the two authors define California is in Arax’s obsession with the crime in the state while James J. Rawls adopts an objective view into the paradoxes of the state. Arax’s obsession with the crime in the state denies him the objectivity required analyzing a state as big and prosperous as California. Rawls on the other hand investigates the opportunities and success that people envision when they come to the state. This way, he analyses the issues objectively thus presenting both the positive and negative aspects of the state, “the list of California success is embarrassingly rich and endless” (Rawls 23). In retrospect, the state of California is indeed a great state, one that continues to attract thousands of both Americans and immigrants. The two authors analyze the Carolinian dream as they discuss both the positive and negative attributes of the state. The two authors have similar opinion about the city’s economic potential. However, they differ in their presentation of the state’s crime rate. Works cited Arax, Mark. West of the west. New York: OUP, 2004. Print. Rawls, J. James. California, a Place, a People, a Dream. New York: Sage, 2009. Print. Read More