The Futile Pursuit Of The American Dream Analysis

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? Many people leave their homelands and come to America for what? Maybe a false dream that might not even still be alive today or even worth pursuing. Please take this journey with me through my paper to see if the American dream is still alive today. If it is, is the American dream even worth pursuing anymore?

What is the American dream? The American dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." - James Truslow Adams. The American dream can be defined in many different ways. Thus being, can people achieve their American dream? Many people could achieve the American dream through self determination and perseverance, but the American dream could be unachievable when facing financial obstacles or the costs of college.

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.

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.” Although there are many obstacles in life, the American Dream is pretty realistic.

One should believe in this synopsis when agreeing that the American Dream is indeed still alive today. There are countless opportunities that should appease the aspiring man or woman of his or her worries of deciding what they want to be. In fact, there are a lot more opportunities, mainly for minorities, than there were in the past due to the odious character that the white man used to have. That 's why people tend to laud the men and women that came from little to nothing that then make it to their

The American Dream has been misinterpreted for many years. Many people believe it is dead and it can’t be achieved by anyone. But is the American Dream really unobtainable? Many people associate the American Dream with making a ton of money, a stable and enjoyable job, having a nice house, car, family, etc. But many people believe the American Dream is no longer obtainable. Is this true? Or is the people’s definition of the American Dream all wrong? Achieving the American Dream is still possible because it is achievable by anyone who pursues it, people have given it a different and untrue definition which other people believed, and it is attractive enough for immigrants to want to come here.

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.

What the American Dream means to me is happiness. Being happy and not having to worry about food, shelter, and/or health. To have a healthy life, family, and relationships whether it be friends or family. To me the American Dream is not having a big house, nice car, or expensive clothing because I believe no matter how much material you have it will never bring you true happiness. “The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it’s all that matters.” (Audrey Hepburn)

The Reality of an American Dream Do you believe that Americans still provide an access to the American Dream? From varieties of different perspective, successfulness has many different meanings that could include stable jobs and stable families. Those men who were married had the highest labor force participation of 74.6 percent. Also men who lives in North America has a highest employment rate of 52 percent. America still provides access to an American Dream to the “tired, poor, and the huddled masses.”

Jennifer L. Hochschild describes the American dream as “the soul of the nation.” She clearly illustrates the importance of the dream to American culture. So, what is the American dream according to Hochschild? She was referring to John Locke and his fantasy, then said “But the sentence evokes the unsullied newness, infinite possibility, limitless resources that are commonly understood to be the essences of the “American dream.” She also pointed out the flaws in the American dream and how at times the pursuit of it can lead to counterproductive outcomes not just for the individual but society as a whole. Moving on, into how exactly she described the dream. She pointed out that there was definite division between the way the whites and blacks

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 about freedom.” Stated (Nancy Pelosi). (1) If asked to define the American Dream each individual person may define the meaning in different ways, depending on their financial statues, or if they were born in America or not. When I am asked what The American Dream means to me, I envision a well founded system which represents freedom of choice, opportunity, and growth for all American citizens.

Yesenia Villalta Ms. George American Literature 19 March 2018 The American Dream is not Longer Alive The negative side of the American Dream comes when people pursue success at any cost, which in turn destroys the vision and the dream (Azar Nafisi).

Lastly, the speaker uses tone to reflect the disbelief of “The American Dream”. Hazel felt like fairy-tales are just dreams and there is a difference between dreams and reality. For example, “tryin ta climb” (7 & 8). Hazel symbolizes society’s representation of women in the past; uneducated, un-ambitious, and un-believing in themselves or others. Also, “Sohelpmegod” (10). Her tone of living “The American Dream” hits her hard once she realizes, she’s not only a maid but has poor grammar. She can barely speak proper English, yet she can be a princess. Lastly, she states, “an has ta flush / da toilet down three times” (22 & 23). In “The American Dream” you click your heels together three times and are transformed into a princes with a beautiful

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. They are the dreams of a better education, better wages, better living conditions, equality, and they are the dreams of a better life. So then what exactly does the “American Dream” mean to people, how are these dreams achieved by those who are not native to our country, why do some people make it while others fail and who does the “The American Dream” really belong to?