Argumentative Essay: The American Dream

The American Dream is usually known as having faith that citizens can achieve success by working hard. How is this possible if the cost of living standards continuously raise, but the economies payroll remains the same. It is impossible to believe in the American Dream when being in the working class because it doesn’t give you the same opportunity as other classes. In order to to bring society back to believing in the American Dream, there must be a change in the way we invest in the education systems and gain equality for everyone.

Two words that inspire much conversation, thought, and even tension are the words American Dream. What is it? How do we achieve it? Is it even possible? Back when our country was first founded, the idea of the American Dream was people looking for a “new life” would come America to gain more opportunity. A very important document to our nation is the Declaration of Independence. This document highlights the concept of the American Dream when it declares, “All men are created equal” and also when it states the inalienable rights of each man are, “ life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” Equality, life liberty and happiness are significant points in the dream every American seeks to achieve.

It can be argued that the American Dream is dwindling as the country ages. As the country’s population rises, competition becomes more intense. This undoubtedly can make it more difficult to achieve a level of success that was more easily attainable 30 years ago. In addition, the cost of education has gotten so high that many graduates are paying back student loans for years. Many are stuck in a pit of debt that greatly hinders their career and personal goals. Also, rising costs of healthcare make it nearly impossible for some lower-income families to worry about more than keeping their basic needs met. In fact, some millennials are so fed up with current conditions that they completely deny the existence of the modern American Dream. For example, Andy Vasoyan, a 24 year old freelance voice actor and audio producer said, “I feel that the American dream (existed) and then just disappeared into the ether. Right now, because of income inequality and the difficulty of living in urban centers, it’s probably impossible for a huge segment of the population. And I don’t know if it was ever a real thing, but the idea of working

The greatest explanation of the American dream is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech” I Have a Dream.” In 1963, King and other leaders of the civil rights movement organized a huge march for equal rights in Washington, DC. With a massive crowd of over 200,000 followers, the march was protesting racial discrimination in employment, racial separatism in schools, and they demanded minimum wage for all workers. (Biography.yourdictionary) Dr. King’s speech is more like a testimony of truth rather than a speech. At the time of his speech, African Americans were not free while the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. Dr. King’s movement established the way for the idea that there is an American dream, the idea that somebody can be anything they would like to be. This idea is still relevant now in America. Americans pursue their dream everyday by having the opportunity to attend college, and work. Although America is the land of opportunities, Americans take these opportunities for granted, while other parts of the world make it their lives’ time goal to get here. In certain times of history the American dream has not been available to some races. For example it be the Japanese during World War 1 and the African Americans during the Civil rights era. “The land of opportunity has discriminated people from completing their dreams” (Nobelprize.org.). Our country has gone through great trials of racism. The great Martin Luther King Jr. worked his whole life to change these things. Dr. King made history when he gave his speech “I Have a Dream” at the Nation’s Capital in 1963. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (King, Martin L., Jr.). The famous speech is a testimony to the struggle of African American people and the deep desire of Dr. martin Luther King Jr. who lived, fought and died to win equality for the African American community. Another important aspects of Dr. King's struggle was his vision for the memphis sanitation workers strike.

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

Our country has gone through a lot in the past couple months, hasn’t it? There’s been riots, shootings, peaceful rallies, and a presidential election. It all appears to be questioning the idea of what America really is. Is there ACTUALLY an American dream? Is it dead? Is it still alive? Or was there ever once a set in stone ideal lifestyle of the everyday American? So many questions, so many perspectives. It can be inferred from watching a news channel on tv, that our nation is the most dived it has been in a VERY long time and it is quite concerning. Something makes me believe that we can grasp the idea of the American dream, and work our way slowly back to where society used to be. Using teamwork. Knowledge, and perseverance, society can

One of the major foundations of America is believing in the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea of being able to come from any background and still having the same opportunity to achieve success by working hard. To many this dream has become an illusion and unrealistic. The gap between the rich and the poor continuously increases as the chances of the working class’ of ever surpassing their status diminishes. Although the American Dream seems to be the ideal goal for many Americans it has become more of a literal dream.

In the world today some people have doubts that the American Dream isn't possible. Well the truth is that the American Dream is still possible if you put your mind to it, if you do what it takes to succeed, and if you just believe in yourself. You need to have faith in yourself

Americans hold the concept of individuality very near and dear to their hearts, but despite backgrounds and disparities that accompany them, all Americans share one commonality. They possess the ability to achieve the American dream through perseverance. The American dream represents an opportunity to live up to one’s full potential through hard work and persistence, regardless of their background. Citizens that devote a willingness to take advantage of opportunity that presents itself, will reap the rewards of the American dream, even though it might not develop effortlessly. For those presenting ambition to strive for it, the American dream stands welcoming and attainable for all.

The pursuit of happiness is the American dream that every immigrant envisioned and sought. The dream has soured and devolved into a nightmare for most Americans. The United States’ debt is currently in the trillions of dollars. Average American households are also in serious and debilitating debt. The cost of living in American has sky rocketed in recent years, but the minimum wage did not follow suit. The American people were forced to take out loans and credit cards to charge basic living expenses like food and gas. It costs around $250,000 to raise a child from birth until their eighteenth birthday. It does not include the ever-growing college tuition. Unfortunately, a college education does not mean that a person will be successful in a

The reality of the American Dream is that people are capable of succeeding. Success, though, requires one to work hard and be dedicated to

In America, it is believed that through determination and hard work, people can achieve their personal dreams. Though many people believe in the American Dream, there are many who don’t. It does seem hard to believe that every single person in the country has a good and equal chance to achieve their dreams, but there is a real possibility. A quote by Tommy Hilfiger reads, “The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive, and passion, it’s possible to achieve the American Dream.” Like Tommy explained, it really is possible to chase your dreams and eventually turn them into realities

In the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United states of America it reads " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." To put this statement in more basic words, the first amendment means that you have the right to practice whichever religion you follow, you have the right to exercise your freedom of speech. The first two segments of that amendment create the American dream. The thought of exercising the right to vote, freedom to assemble or being able to exercise your opinion verbally is a far from grasp idea in dozens of countries around the world. This is what makes America have a reputation like no other, this freedom is what makes The United States of America an outlet for people of foreign lands to come and create a better life for themselves and their loved ones.

We all see things through our own lights. No one person could have the same point of view as another. With these different views, everyone has their own opinion on things. So to have a different view on the American Dream would be normal, just like my view and Mr. Eastvold view on sports would be different. I’m going to prove that although our meaning of the American Dream are different, the American Dream still exists it just depends on who you are and what it means to you.

If the American dream means having a reasonable rate of income growth, unfortunately most people won’t achieve it. According to Ben Casselman ,“The middle class hasn’t seen its wage rise in 15 years. In fact, the percentage of middle-class households in this nation is actually falling. Median household income has fallen since the financial crisis of 2008, while income for the wealthiest of Americans has actually risen.” As the wealthy get richer the people below them continue to struggle more and more. Thomas Edsall wrote in the New York Times that,“Not only has the wealth of the very rich doubled since 2000, but corporate revenues are at record levels.” Edsall also observed that, “In 2013,, corporate profits rose five times faster than wages.” To top that off inequality also pushes against the American Dream. Around the 1940-1970 working people earned more than their parents, however studies have shown that this number has lowered significantly. Most of the studies have found that most of this change