Cultural Hegemony In The American Dream

What is the “American Dream” everyone talks about? The term “American Dream” was first coined by a historian named James Truslow Adams. This term is used to describe the America way of life. It describes how every U.S. citizen should have equal opportunities and the freedom to be able to achieve their passions and dreams while completely disregarding the social class. It is also the importance of economic security and wellbeing which is being able to have the resources and tools to live a comfortable. Also stated in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equally” with the right of “life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (U.S, 1776). Is the American Dream attainable? I believe that the American Dream is what individuals think about the United States and how in this country they would be able to get a job, and be able to fulfill their dreams. I also think that the dream of ours was once achievable, but not anymore. The American Dream is slowly dying. There are many sociological concepts which help us support the idea why it is vanishing.

The American Dream is the chance for a person of any gender, race, sexual orientation, or or anyone of diversity to have an equal opportunity to change their and become happy and successful in their own eyes. Three books that explain the American Dream are The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. Each book includes the main character trying to change his or her life by finding what makes them happy. They all leave their hometowns and have a chance to start over.

In a country that is based around the idea that you can be anyone and do anything, one would think that most Americans all want the typical “American Dream.” Many would agree that when we think American Dream, we think fancy yachts, designer clothing, and big buildings, but is that really what the dream is all about? By definition, the American Dream is defined as, “the idea that every U.S. citizen should have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination” (“American Dream”). It is the idea that someone that comes from the very bottom can make their way to the top through determination and persistence. But what is considered to be “the top” is hard to

“One of the generalities most often noted about Americans is that we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people,”(Steinbeck America & Americans) John Steinbeck stated this when discussing the topic of the American dream. He believes that numerous Americans are chasing after a dream that is nearly impossible to reach. John Steinbeck expresses his belief on the American dream through a general negative attitude toward the American dream and the failed dreams of his characters.

The American Dream has held a special place in the hearts of patriots since the very founding of America in 1776. It has been a subject of many authors who grapple with its attainability, and is a beacon of hope gazed upon by victims of circumstance. The Dream has been interpreted by great minds in various ways, and has been deemed both an evil deception and a great promise of a better life. However, the American Dream has morphed from this promise of opportunities and second chances--in fact, it has become viewed as a cause for societal competition and the reason for decreasing happiness among the American people. As Americans attempt to “achieve their goals,” and “keep up with the Joneses,” they subject themselves to the materialistic cycle of greed. Success, and the goal of the American Dream, has been redefined. To be put simply, the American Dream is now to be richer than one’s neighbor, despite the fact that happiness--and thus, the Dream--cannot be achieved solely through wealth and material goods.

We have all heard of this intense rollercoaster ride that we are on called the American Dream. The term was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining it as “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.” Since it’s arrival, the Dream has evolved from a pursuit towards “freedom, mutual respect, and equal opportunity” (Shiller) to later one of greed described by Shiller as being “excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth” beginning in the 1960s. Traditionally, the American Dream included features of a nuclear family, that is one with a breadwinning father, a housewife, and two kids, owning a white picket fence home, thriving without financial worries, and a happy family. There has been a shift in focus for the Dream caused by the Millennial generation and in turn they have included features that place an emphasis on equality in all aspects of their lives from family life to the workplace placing their own twist on the Dream. The American Dream has evolved over time to include equal opportunities, college education, and happy family.

Research conducted by Sandra L. Hanson and John Zogby concerning shifting attitudes toward the American Dream states, “lack of thrift, effort, ability, motivation, and self-control are the most popular explanations for poverty among Americans” (Hanson 571). Such explanations demonstrate the growing issues that help to create the darkness of the American Dream. In placing such an emphasis on achieving success, the American Dream belittles those unable to achieve it and allows no room for failure. Though some individuals may work hard their entire lives, they may never find the material success that others such as Ben or Charley do. Even in the case of characters who have worked their entire life, such as Willy, the lack of tangible, material success creates a false idea that they did not do enough or did not work hard enough. Concerning Willy’s career and life, Ben states, “What are you building? Lay your hand on it. Where is it?” (Miller 1271). This statement pushes the misconstrued idea that whatever success one has achieved needs to be tangible and seen, which is not always the case. It can be argued that by the end of his life, Willy had found success. Linda’s proclamation that they were “free and clear” after having finally paid off the mortgage furthers this argument (Miller 1298). Out of debt, and with the comfort of a devoted wife and loving sons, Willy had achieved a life that many can only dream. However, because he and others do not recognize love and happiness as

Lonely and afraid. Looking towards the distance to be presented with nothing but despair. The government, the people, all against you in this fight to happiness. It is the American Dream. The dream was successfully followed by the financially struggling citizens for years, leading them to a “richer and fuller land” until recently. This dream has now become a nightmare. To the men and women living below the poverty line, the American Dream is rarely achievable, and as time progresses, the Dream is furthering away from the grasp of the poor. This difficulty in achieving -- “a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” -- is due to one of the growing challenges in America ; income inequality. This suppresses not only a full education, but the ability to climb up the social ladder in society.

Here, in the United States, the “American Dream,” is a popular belief. There is a strong relationship between hard work and success. In this perfect scenario, those who put in multiple hours are on the road to success and can move up the social ladder. Thus stating, one could be thrust into the lowest of the social status, and with some hard work, one can elevate into the world of the social elite. As a demonstration to this global view of the United States, immigrants from all over the globe have made the excursion to the “land of opportunity” in beliefs of better education, employment, government, communities, religious freedom, and lives for not only themselves but the generations that come pursuing behind them. All of this survives based on a game of social stratification – a diagram on how to successfully obtain the American dream. This observation of social class is based on many mechanisms, some of which is bestowed to people at birth, and not rewarded for hard work and dedication. The class system at play in the United States has become incredibly complex – it no longer has the fundamental class values of our forefathers. Those trying to move up in the social ladder of America are often caught replication the actions of the rich and famous, but this alone cannot make them part of the higher social class. Some think that there are simple rules to follow to climb higher into another social class ladder, but there is more to being upper class than just talking the talk or having the right identity.One way to look at class is the model developed by Janny Scott and David Leonhardt's article, “Shadowy Lines That Still Divide,” in The New York Times. They assert that “one way to think of a person’s position in society is to imagine a hand of cards. Everyone is dealt four cards, one from each suit: education, income, occupation and wealth, the four commonly used criteria for gauging class” (Scott and Leonhardt 27). While being sure on these four criteria, a basic understanding of a person’s predicted class can be made. While this model works fine for providing an elementary level of perception, it must be recognized that a person could rate well on this scale and still be in a different class than those

Following the Reconstruction Era, from 1877 to 1920, the United States of America was undergoing industrial, political and social change. The United States industrialized, with sweeping technological developments bringing the country into the “modern era”. During this time, the country faced many challenges due to its “Open Door Policy” that led to the largest influx of immigration the country had ever seen. Also, African-Americans struggled to attain the freedoms brought about by the passage of new laws and amendments and Native Americans faced relocation to reservations. Ultimately during this Gilded Age, the poor grew poorer and faced a life of hardship and drudgery while the rich grew richer and seemingly lived an easier life. As a result, the “American Dream” was unattainable for most. At the heart of the American Dream is the idea that all citizens are born with equal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that all citizens can feel secure in knowing the government, of the people, will work together to protect these rights and secure justice. None of these values were upheld for the citizens of the United States from 1877-1920. African-American citizens were deprived of their human and democratic rights. Furthermore, justice for African Americans was non existent as southern states devised loopholes to keep them serving a life of servitude. Native Americans were deprived of their human rights and security because the government prioritized

Sylvia Plath and Truman Capote throughout their work both create unique individuals with internal and external forces holding them back. In The Bell Jar, we are introduced to Ester who is a young and attractive women in college with a successful path in life but is held back by madness and depression. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, we are introduced to a unique character who makes up most of the story. We are introduced to Holiday Golightly but is refereed to as “Holly” throughout the story, Holly is the main character of the story and the narrator writes about her life. Holly makes a living as a companion to many wealthy and important men, who lavish her with money and expensive beautiful gifts. The narrator meets Holly when she leaves her husband and moves to New York, throughout her life and the story Holly is extremely unstable and irresponsible. In both, The Bell Jar and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, societal norms and the american dream are major themes that help the readers understand the characters lives and behaviors.

Men have a dream to improve their lives and better their social status but each

A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in the period following the Second World War. It is divided into three acts and explores the circumstances of the Younger family, a colored family living in the ghettos of southern Chicago. In particular, the play deals with the efforts of Walter Lee, the scion of the family to bring his family out of poverty and into riches by entering into a business venture. The play highlights the psychological and societal barriers to Walter's goal of becoming rich like the white people he sees around him. In effect, Walter's ambitions typify the American dream and the play discusses how the American dream is only a myth against the reality of financial inequality, racial prejudice and constricted social mobility.

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few obstructions. This dream is based on foundational ideas that there is social equality within the American society, while all people are afforded the same unalienable rights and freedoms. According to Isenberg (2017):

The United States of America is the most powerful and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The