Introduction to “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama

Introduction to “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama

Obama’s original plan was to write a different book. He took a year off after graduation from Harvard Law School to write this book. As he set down and began to write, he started recalling memories from his past where his mother and grandparents told him stories as a child. He was against the idea of writing a book about his past. He stated that his wife’s six years old cousin’s first grade classmates would not play with him because of his ethnicity background. This could have been avoided if they didn’t move to a mostly white suburbs but if they had stayed in the city, there was a possibility of his son being in gang activities. Obama’s father was African American and his mother was white American. When people discover his background, it seems like he was a completely different person. Many of people’s names in this book will be changed to ensure people’s privacy with the exception of his family. Obama shows his gratitude to his family for their love and support that made him write this back which is also dedicated to them.

Jacky Leung
English 201B, MW 1-2:50