Is the Sky Everyone’s Limit? Americans live, breathe and speak of the “land of opportunity” where no matter what the pigment your skin is, where no matter what your ethnic background is, and where no matter what religion you follow is, you can reach your dreams with some hard work. This world renown belief is called “The American Dream”, but is this just a comical statement? What is the American Dream? Just by typing in this phrase to the internet the response simply states that it is, “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The American Dream is not to say that the dream of money and success is unattainable for certain people. Just …show more content…
There are steps this nation can take, some concrete steps by The Center for American Progress note in Leveling the Playing Field: How to Ensure Minorities Share Equitably in the Economic Recovery and Beyond, these concrete steps start with the continuation of a substantial economic stimulus to get the U.S. economy out of its worst recession since the Great Depression, but they also require energy security and health care reform. These additional steps can both enhance long-run economic growth and immediately buffer the economic security of society’s most vulnerable. The authors Weller and Logan only see these supporting policies listed as a way for this nation to truly move into the country we were promised decades ago. When it seems, this country has moved over social injustice after social injustice, it always seems that only the tip of the issue has been touched. The American Dream is and will always be nothing more than a dream. Since our African Americans and Hispanics are being targeted by not only police but colleges and workplaces, how are they to try to reach their dreams? A level playing field has never been played for the minorities of this nation “filled with opportunity for
The American dream carries a different meaning for every person. The definition may also change according to the time period and situation. In many sources, the American dream is defined as the ideal that all United States citizens should have equal opportunity to obtain success and prosperity through dedication. Two famous speeches, “The Speech at the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry and “The Speech in the Constitutional Convention” by Benjamin Franklin, define the term American dream during the time we were fighting for our independence. These speeches helped define the American dream by motivating the colonists to build the foundation foundation of the term, which is freedom and independence.
Equality. Opportunity. Prosperity. The American Dream paints a vision in which each of these ideals are ever present and available to all individuals inside the vast border of the nation. The notion is that every individual can, through concentrated efforts and dedication, improve their own socioeconomic class and climb up the hierarchy.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thomas Jefferson. The American dream is the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to meet success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. George Hilton from mice and men, traveled miles to find a successful job. George also, dreamed about big houses and jewelry, but instead found a stable job.
The American dream is a term used in a lot of ways. Although research has shown that American dream can’t be attainable by most people, closer examination shows that it can be attainable by the following reasons. As Daniel J. Mitchell stated in New York Times im January 1st, 2015 “The United States is not a perfect country, but the American Dream is still a reality.” By that he meant that even with America’s Grow rate, poverty, unemployment rate in the past years and still going Americans can still chase their American dreams If we look at the history and the definition it shows that infact it is possible to attain it.
“Things usually work out in the end.” “What if they don’t?” “That just means you haven’t come to the end yet.” (Walls 259) By definition, The American Dream is both the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American as well as a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the American dream as ¨ the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.¨ The best example of the American dream is The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls. This is a book written about her traumatic experiences throughout her life and how she has made it through. She has had many struggles she has had to endure throughout her life: poverty, no security, bullies, rape, bad parenting, starvation, etc. Her two main struggles are her parents and poverty which is something that a lot has gone through. In Jeannettes life story, she shows everyone that the American dream is something that
I Have a Dream The American dream has always been a staple of the American culture. When people speak of it, they say that the American dream, “is going from dirt poor to filthy rich and becoming more than you could have ever imagined” (They Say pg.611). It is where every citizen of the United States of America has the opportunity of its achievements no matter where they stand or what prejudices they may face. My definition of the American dream is basically the ideal life in America today.
The American dream is a dream of land in which life should be better and richer for everyone. It’s a land where people succeed to accomplish their ambition of a better life. Most of the people have a different way of defining this American Dream. Unfortunately, for some, it could mean wealth,status,or power whereas for others it could mean companionship, good morals,love,and amity. According to our Declaration of Independence, it entitles every man and woman the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The American Dream is a set of ideas which includes each person’s opportunity to follow their dream of achieving a future and own happiness. The meaning of success in one or other way is to be rich. Everyone wants to improve their future, America is where everyone can equally get opportunities to improve ones’ future. America gives people an opportunity to dream of bettering their lives. Many people move to America dreaming of a better future, because no matter the race, everyone is given equal opportunities.
“The term “American Dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the U.S. can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life.” (McMahon). The American Dream, according to Google, is everybody can achieve wealth and through hard work, determination, and good fortune. For most people, the American Dream is for lower class people trying to climb the social ladder to be considered upper class.
The American Dream is an opportunity in which a determined person can have exceptional success through dedication and hard work, achieving equality, freedom, and personal goals. As immigrants, my grandparents followed this beacon of hope, and had this one thing in mind: a better life. Coming from
My definition of the American Dream is someone who starts from nothing and makes their way through life in a happy and healthy way. Not everyone is capable of reaching the American dream. In Of Mice and Men the American dream was not reached by Lennie and George. In A Raisin in the Sun, they too did not reach the American dream. The American dream is a difficult thing to accomplish even though many live their lives trying got achieve this dream.
What is the American dream? America always had that impact in other countries, as the land of dreams, opportunity, freedom of speech, and the list goes on and on. The American dream is about working hard to get were you want to be, make ours children lives better then what we had as child. Fitzgeral explains in his book, in 1920’s
but the definition of The American Dream really isn’t just as simple as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative”. Its complicated, diverse and every person you ask will tell you something different. Sometimes the answers will be vague, but some will also be specific. So, let’s see what people really think. Some immigrants say that “The American
Racial inequality has plagued our society for centuries and has been described as a “black eye” on American history. It wasn’t until the passing of The Civil Rights Act of 1965 that minorities were given equal protection under the law. This was a crucial step on our society’s road to reconciling this injustice. However, the effects of past racial inequality are still visible to this day, and our society still wrestles with how to solve this issue. In 1965, President Lyndon B Johnson said: “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair.