The American Dream Materialism Analysis

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

As American culture changes over the decades, so does the meaning of the American Dream. The American Dream, a term first coined in 1931 by freelance writer James Adams Truslow, was the theory that each person, regardless of their background, can work hard and get wealthy. It was a very idealistic way of thinking, but unrealistic for many due to inequality and individual aspirations. The literary works of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Luis Valdez’s “In Lak 'ech:You are my Other Me” and “Zoot Suit”, Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech “What has happened to the American Dream?” depicts how individuals from different decades in American history define the American Dream. As America evolves throughout the twentieth century, so does what people view as important, which adds on to what the American Dream means.

A lingering question to many of the less fortunate in America pertains to the existence of the so-called “American dream.” Does this American dream exist and is it attainable? The American dream inspires many immigrants move to America, hoping to better their lives and those of their families. However, in the novel, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich’s attempt achieve the American dream deems it not possibly attainable. Likewise, today, in the twenty-first century, the American dream is still not attainable.

In today’s society, the majority of people carry the belief that the dream is unattainable. However, the fact is that they are not willing to work for it, and expect “the government [to] actively work to help people achieve the American Dream,” (Source E). This flawed mindset is what makes the dream seem distant, for the American Dream is not the source of the problem. This sense of entitlement also leads to the destruction of the motivation that runs the American Dream, as well as completely warps the definition that manifests a positive image in the beneficiary’s head. The lack of entitlement enables the dream to function to the highest capacity possible, displaying how humbling oneself makes one even more capable of achieving true greatness.

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. The American Dream is unachievable in the United States because no matter how hard one works or how hard one tries to save money, the American Dream is simply not accessible to those that begin with nothing.

The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.

It has been contended that the socioeconomics status of an individual does not impact the difficulty of hardships faced while striving towards the American Dream. In “The (futile) Pursuit of the American Dream”, Barbara Ehrenreich suggests “...while blue-collar poverty has become numbingly route, white-collar unemployment and the poverty that often results- remains a rude finger in the face of the American Dream.” To put succinctly Ehrenreich claims all who pursue the American Dream encounter the same difficult hardships. However, the socioeconomic status of an individual impacts the jobs the individual obtains, the education obtained, and ultimately the income of the individual; thus, impacting the difficulty of the hardships faced.

The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.

Despite many Americans believing that the American Dream is no longer available as there are government restrictions that limit their potential for success in any fashion, others insist that the American government provides rights for the people of America to be able to constantly achieve what they believe to be the American Dream. The American Dream is not just a dream of success but more a measurement of achievement and the ability to better one’s

The American dream at one point was what drew people to American; the right to life, liberty, and the happiness. The American dream is the hope to acquire currency, large homes, raise a middle-class family, and pursue what brings people joy in life. But in the year 2016, the American dream becomes hard to believe in. The American dream may still exist, but it is not equally accessible to all Americans. This is true because the American dream is not affordable for everyone, it is not available to everyone from different degrees of education, and race and ethnicity creates large social barriers.

Individuals have been examining whether the American dream has been a risk or an open door for the American society. Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele in their book “The Betrayal of the American Dream”, Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld in the book “Crime and the American Dream”, Frederick Wherry in his text “The Social Characterization of Price: the Fool, the Faithful, the Frivolous, and the Frugal.” argue that the American dream has turned out gravely and eagerness for money, ubiquity and usage has started to impact us dreadfully. On the contrary, Mark Rank, Thomas Hirsch and Kirk Foster in the book “Chasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes” defend that the American dream is the way it should be, helping and giving chances to individuals. Notwithstanding the contentions safeguarding the American Dream by asserting that it offers reason to the American individuals, the fantasy is really a risk to the American culture, on the grounds that it transforms residents into over-shoppers, it makes financial crevices in the middle of classes, and the speeding up in crime

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence, in founding America, laid the foundation of the American Dream with the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson 77). Jefferson believed that life should be better and richer for every man. He did not, however, necessarily mean that money is needed for life to be “richer.” As the American economy, society and culture have advanced, the interpretation of the American Dream has changed drastically. Nowadays, the American Dream values money and materialism over happiness.

The American dream has been argued to have changed drastically over time, and even completely dissolved. Without something to believe in and strive for, living is pointless. For years the American dream has given people a goal that they wish to meet one day; but of late people have shown little to no interest in the American dream. The lack of hope in the dream has caused lessened motivation for a quality life, and promoted a way of mediocre living. I argue that media is the root of the change, along with politics.

The United States of America is built upon the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a country were individuality is celebrated, where differences are acknowledged and respected, where dreams become reality and where more is never too much. The success of the American dream has allowed it to lose its geographic limits and to reach people beyond the country´s borders. Today, not only American citizens, but people from all over the world believe what America has invited them to believe; that they deserve equality in terms of opportunity and freedom, that they have the capacity of accomplishing their life goals if they work with passion and determination. The American dream has changed the way people see life.

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.