Reading Ha Jin’s short story “An Official Reply” was especially interesting as a college student because it brought up the idea of not being able to choose your own major, even when applying for the major that you wanted. This lack of individualism and being forced to follow a certain career path could also have an impact on future success, and also prompts us to look at the idea of the American Dream. While the typical idea of the American Dream is that if you work hard, you can prosper and be successful, it can look different and mean different things to different people. This being said, it is not always true because not every person will have the same opportunities when they come to the United States, for example, not being able to afford the education needed for a successful career.
It is also interesting to think about the American Dream motivating us to work hard, compared to in factories and workplaces in Communist countries. If people’s major or career was already chosen for them, there could be benefits such as reduced unemployment, but would also cost people their personal freedom. While giving up the choice of a job would guarantee employment and income for life, it would come at the cost of giving up a career path that you love. Sacrificing freedom for the benefit of security is a recurring theme in this story and is we are continuing to make these tough decisions today. “The Woman from New York” also highlights some of the misconceptions people have about America, such as the notion that anyone can come to America to be rich, however, while you might make more money, taxes, cost of living are also factors to consider.