When thinking of the American Dream the first thought that comes to my mind is, “all the different opportunities people have to choose from.” People were crossing the Atlantic to come to the new world in search of different things. Some came for the opportunity of riches, others came to experience a new way of living, a better, more free lifestyle. In John Smith’s, “A Description of New England” and Christopher Columbus’s, “Letter to Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” both give in great detail, the opportunities this new land offers. For people wanting to make money, John writes, “If a man work but three days in seven, he may get more than he can spend, unless he will be excessive” (Smith 71). This one line could instantly grab the attention of several people. During this period, life in England was not the easiest or most luxurious type of lifestyle. So any sign of a better, richer lifestyle would entertain anyone. Smith is telling the working class they could work less and get paid more. John also wrote to families and individuals who wanted a better outlook on life and enjoy their days on earth. In John’s description, he tells people, “What pleasure can be more, than to recreate themselves before their own doors, in their own boats upon the sea; where man, woman, and child, with a small hook and line, by angling, may take diverse sorts of excellent fish at their pleasure” (page 71)? With so many people in England, food at times could be in shortage. The
It was 7 years ago that Mary, John, mother, father and myself arrived in the city of London. Though we'd been told work here be more abundant, the air hardly compared, then or now, to the crisp farm breeze of our beloved Sourton hamlet in Devon. The move to London was made out of necessity, the farm and our Lord, who we'd thought could sustain us continually in employment grew evermore
Many people have come to America for adventure, opportunity, freedom, and the chance to experience the particular qualities of the American landscape. The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen, including immigrants and residents, should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. America somewhat provides access to the American dream, it is more so the citizen who provides access to the dream for themselves. Even though they encountered many trials and tribulations, with persistence, people such as Langston Hughes in “I Too Sing America and Anzia Yezierska in “America and I” they were able to achieve their individual American Dream.
America is the land of opportunity. With choices comes a hint of freedom one has in deciding where to continue in life. Dan Rather’s “They Lived the Dream” essay states, “For some, the Dream is one of freedom; for others, it is of fortune or family or service to one’s fellows…” (41). Choices are limitless, and with the American Dream still (to whomever it concerns) active today, a bright future awaits those who seek to their fullest advantage.
At least from the moment in 1620 when the Mayflower anchored off Cape Cod, there has been an American Dream. Though hard to define, it usually entails the concept of freedom, justice and equality. Despite variations in the content of the dream there is one constant, the American Dream is a dream of the future and as such implies the idea of progress, change and equality. Our dreams may differ from those of the men who wrote the Mayflower Compact
Many years ago, my grandparents came to the United States in pursue of the American Dream. They came chasing opportunities and in hope of gaining a better life. As the years passed, they achieved their goal and continued their journey as dreamers. The American Dream as seen by many today is that any person, regardless of their background, can achieve great things in America as long as hard work and effort is put in. Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, uses his 1925 novel as an allegory for his interpretation of the American Dream. The American Dream is a never ending dream; those who pursue it thrive for more, and those who achieve it are never satisfied.
The American Dream is often stated to be the foundation of many ideals in the United States society. Some believe that the dream is made for only monetary gain, while others maintain that the dream is part of a higher national vision. The term American Dream was coined in Epic of America by James Truslow Adams, where it was defined as being part of the great national vision of America (Source 1). It is defined as an opportunity to gain the highest happiness and riches. However, as stated by Adams, “what is better and what is richer?” (Source 8). It is due to the possible interpretations of this dream that it has slightly changed from its original meaning into a mixture that heavily favors monetary gain.
When the Englishmen came over to the New World, it was so much more different than England. They simply didn’t know how to survive on their own. Coming over to the New World meant you would have to farm, build, explore, and live all on your own. In England, certain people had those jobs, so ordinary Englishmen didn’t have to do the work themselves and didn’t have to be taught. England was a big city; All the exploring had been previously done. Men who had never had to survive in the wild were coming over to England, something completely different to what they were used to. For example, a painter could’ve painted and shown the queen with findings
American Literature has never ceased to reveal what this land has to offer and the idea that you get out of it what you put into it. The idea that you could have freedom, opportunity, and the ability to make money became known as the American dream. People wanted this dream to become their reality, no matter the cost or who stood in their way. On the other hand, it was obscure to those who had never experienced it before, including some within our own walls. Authors from decades past give us insight as to what both of those worlds look like.
The American Dream is something many Americans desire. The desire to the mind – set or belief that anyone can be successful if they worked hard for what they’ve been yearning. It is considered to be a ‘perfect life’; it can be full of money, contentedness or even love. There are many divergent opinions given by people. Walter Younger from Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of the Salesman’ both have their own views on the American Dream and how it can be achieved. Walter Lee Younger, a
In 1931 James Truslow Adams published a book named ‘Epic of America’ in which he popularized the concept of The American Dream. In this book he stated “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…” and once that phrase was written, The American Dream became what we truly know it as nowadays. It is the right of freedom, prosperity, equality and pursuit of happiness through hard work. However, The American Dream is an ironic concept seeing as it never seems fully attainable. Although it is supposed to represent independence, liberty and the ability to make something of one’s self, most people nowadays find
The idea of the American Dream has been around since America was founded, but until 1933, it was not put into words. In the article American Faces 1933’s Realities, by James Truslow Adams, he defines the American Dream as “ ...a vision of a better, deeper, richer life for every individual, regardless of the position in society which he or she may occupy by the accident of birth” (1). The American Dream does not have to be described as having copious amounts of wealth. To some, it is only a vision of a better life for themselves and their families.
The land of the free and the home of the brave, means something to many Americans, but that saying also means hope and freedom to a great deal of immigrants from many countries. Many foreigners think of America as the land of hope and a chance to have the American dream of a job and home, but for those who live there might not realize how lucky they are. The literary theme of the American Dream is a rather large subject of literature. Some of the stories that truly relate to the American Dream are Of Mice and Men, “To Build a Fire”, “Desiree’s Baby”, and The Life You Save May Be Your Own. These stories show that the American Dream has many different outcomes, typically the outcome is either good or bad.
The American Dream can mean different things depending on who is asked. Some will answer it is the freedom of religion, class or race, others will claim it is about the ability to choose where they want to work, what they want to wear, or what’s for breakfast the next day.
The American Dream is the result of possibilities and success. The term “American Dream” was been invented by James Truslow Adams in 1931: “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Another reference to the American Dream appears in the Declaration of Independence (1776). The author wrote that people are “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The question of the debate was: “Is the American Dream Still Alive and Well?”
Tied up familiarly with the idea of the American dream, is the concept of opportunity.