Stephen Cruz Vs. Horatio Alger

Initially, Stephen Cruz believes the American Dream to be one of hard work and determination, in fact, he thought that he was a perfect example of this dream.  He had very little growing up in a Mexican family, and was as innovative as possible in order to live the American Dream for himself.  He was able to work his way up creating opportunity for himself and become successful.  Horatio Alger was a man who to had the same thought process on the American Dream.  Alger believes that anyone born into poverty was able to create the same opportunities that everyone else had though "hard work, persistence, initiative, and daring."  At first glance, and even in Stephen eyes, he was a living example of this dream.  He worked though college and was then presented with many job offers creating endless opportunity and what would seem to be the definition of the American Dream.  Horatio might have had the same view and understanding as Alger at first, but he soon came to the realization that he was not living the American Dream at all, in fact, he was now questioning its actual existence.  He realized that the only reason he was presented with these job offers had nothing to do with hard work.  It only had to do with the fact that he was a minority that people found expectable to have in company a and still look accepting to all races.  He realized that no matter what he did he could never work his way up higher than the job he was originally presented with.  Horatio came to the knowledge that the American Dream did not exist, and was truly controlled by the majority.  It had nothing to do with hard work or determination, but who you were born to be in society.