Throughout history, The American Dream has been based on Freedom. Immigrants that came to America obtained more freedom then they would have else where, but even for the "Home of the Free", they are never truly free. .
Due to that fact that they are immigrants, forces them to hide their native inheritance. Lu and his wife wont speak their native language of Swiss around their children and their neibors because they don't want people to know where they are from. They do not feel free honor their past. .
As a society, normal behavior is expected. It is an expectation from the society to pick up the accepted ways of the community, failure to do so results in the community viewing you as abnormal. It is for this reason that the community thinks of Ivar as being crazy. .
"He had but one room, neatly plastered and whitewashed, and there was a wooden floor. There was a kitchen stove, a table covered with oilcloth, tow chairs, a clock, a calendar, a few books on the window-shelf; nothing more."(28).
Most people in a community have a house, with a number of rooms and a family. Ivar is considered to be a crazy man because of his living conditions and his love of animals. But he does share a respect for the land that he shares with Alexandra. .
Alexandra is not free because she is bound to the land. Alexandra's freedom is taken away by her father. He puts the responsibility of the land and the family on her when she was young. By giving her those responsibilities he is taking away her chance of getting married and starting a family. .
Although by giving her the responsibility of the land, her father is giving her more freedom and more authority that most women would have been able to experience in the that time period. Alexandra's father passed his land down in hopes that the land will become more valuable and profitable for his children. .
"That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.
