Since the beginning of time in the United States, the idea of the American Dream has had a heavy influence on society. According to Document C, American Dream is defined as earning enough money to be happy, obtaining a worry-free lifestyle, and running in a high social circle. While working Americans still hold on to the hope of the American Dream, individuals from other countries often move to the United States with the hope that they too may have a piece of the pie. Despite the novelty and allure of the American Dream, it is nothing more than false hope.
In the book “The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation” by Jim Cullen, the concept of the American Dream is explored from many different views. These views explore what the American Dream is and the people who helped established it. In the book, Cullen talks about freedom in the American Dream, common American Dreams, and made me realize what my American Dream is. One of the first things Cullen discusses in the book is the freedom within the American Dream. In the United States, we first got our freedom from the British in the Declaration of Independence.
Impossible Dreams The meaning of the American Dream can be seen as ”A uniquely American vision of the country consisting of three central ideas. The American dream consists of a belief in America as the new Eden- a land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promise; a feeling of optimism, created by ever expanding opportunity; and a confidence in the triumph of the individual.” Using this definition of the so called “American dream”, it seems to be a great representation of it at first, until you realize it includes everyone as the individual. From the beginning of the Civil war to the end of the War to End All Wars, the American Dream wasn’t possible due to the treatment of the Native Americans, the inequality between women and men, and the false promises given to the immigrants coming to our country in their time of need.
America is the greatest country to ever exist in the history of all time. Where else in the world are you able to be whatever you want? As long as you work hard and apply yourself, you can achieve anything. In America, anyone can climb the social ladder if they put their mind to it. Success stories are all over the place.
Annotated Bibliography Cohen, M. (2014, April 26). The American Dream is now just that for its middle classes – a dream. The Guardian, p. 00. “The American Dream is now just that for its middle classes – a dream” by Michael Cohen explains the perception of Americans towards the decline of the middle class. The article details how the middle class was viewed before the elections of President Obama, and how it’s viewed after the creation of the Affordable Care Act.
Therefore, anyone can achieve the American Dream if they believed in themselves, and put their mind to it; and don’t accomplish the dream for others but yourself. As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated in his book, Self Reliance and Other Essays “ if we live truly, we shall see truly” (Emerson 29). Education is another great aspect of the American Dream. Education for American citizens have been ever expanding. More and more Americans are
Whenever the environment ever talks about the american dream what are we talking about. The American dream is nothing but a big mess.when our society tells us about the american dream they make it sound so good but really it’s just a big mess. The main reasoning i don’t like it is because some people aren’t trying to do good and they get away with a lot. If the people can earn it then they deserve it but if there just gonna give it away then there is no point. Like great gatsby he worked for his money.
No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And, still, today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important
The American Dream Is Achievable And Is Alive To begin with, for majority of the people it is an idea that every U.S citizen should have an equal opportunity to succeed and achieve through positive outcome such as hard work, determination, and initiative. What it means to me is everybody flourishing on the dreams they have in mind and living the life they want. For instance, the author, Adam Shepard, of the book “Scratch Beginning” had succeed on the american dream through positive outcomes when facing many adversity such as living in poverty. On the other hand, there are those who do not believe the american dream is achievable.
The American Dream is being able to achieve whatever a citizen wants as long as they are willing to work hard for it; being financially stable is a key factor to being successful. This is the main reason many immigrants come to America. They want to start a life that allows them to build a family in a successful environment. The American Dream started in the early 1800s saying that anyone was able to achieve what they want as long as they worked hard and never gave up. America is one of the best countries to achieve the idea of “being successful.”
The American Dream: Happiness The key to achieving the American dream is to live life happy. No matter if it is happiness with money, love, freedom, or safety all people deserve the American dream. Everyone has their own way of pursuing an "American dream". Many immigrants have come to America to pursue that dream.
Many people have and are still coming to America, seeking this thing we once knew as the American dream. The American dream has been around since 1776 but was later coined in 1931. (Novak, 2015). Is the American dream still alive today? Is the American dream still worth pursing?
The Problem with the American Dream According to the history books, the widely-known expression “the American Dream” was originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It was first described in Adams’s book “The Epic of America” as “...not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Over the years, America has become more egalitarian, but much must be done until there is true equality. Although the concept of the American Dream has always been believed to be open to everyone, throughout American history it has only been continuously accessible to the upper-class majority.
Everyone has a dream. Although these dreams aren’t the ones you have while sleeping, they are the ones that drive you, challenge you and keep you fighting for the reality that they will become true. They are the dreams that you will work hard for. Martin Luther King Jr. even died while fighting for his dream to become a reality. They are the ones you hope will one day become a reality.
The American Dream begins with an affordable living arrangement and a good job, but with remorse, these two pieces are not connecting (Thompson, 2014). A college graduate can expect expensive housing with a job not reflective of the high housing price. In an article published in The Atlantic, “Why it’s So Hard for Millennials to Find a Place to Live and Work” Derek Thompson talks about the inequality between upward mobility and the housing market. For example, Dayton has one of the most affordable housing markets in the United States, however unlike California there is no social mobility (Thompson, 2014). The American dream is different for everyone and changes the course of action an individual may take.