Hannah Runyan. Pellegrino. Block 2/3. 2 March 2017. Evolution

    The American Dream is a vision that has been integrated into American society, one way or another, since America 's founding, and it is necessary to understand the basis and definition of this vision that has a secured place in almost all aspects of American culture. In 1931, James Truslow Adams, author of Epic of America, was the first to coin the phrase "the American Dream". He said that "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and

America still to this day holds on to the idea of the “American Dream”. This is rather surprising in today’s society and the ups and downs that the nation is facing. The dream in the past was more about freedom and equality. Moving through the decades, this dream has morphed into something quite different. Instead of what America means for all of its inhabitants, the nation has become more individualized. Society has moved to interpret the dream of what America can do for the one. Instead of the unified nation, America has been known for in the past, a shift has started creating an inconsistency in who can realize the dream. The myth of the “American Dream” has been hugely affected by increased materialism, the gap in economic status, and the fantasy of “rags to riches” idea.

Similarly, the American Dream in the 1920s went from being ambitious and faithful to all being brainwashed by wealth. The American society started to aim for goals that were heavily influenced by consumerism. In 1931, American writer and historian James Truslow Adams describes the American Dream in his book “The American Epic”, stating that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.” He believes that people started to become competitive with each other, losing their sense of identity and hope. It was about who could throw the biggest party, who will have the most ladies or gents, and the list goes on. *NEXT SLIDE.

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.

The term “American Dream” is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.” Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity.

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.

In his book The Epic of America (1931), James Truslow Adams defined the American Dream as “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”. Adams coined the phrase with the values of respectability, perseverance, and equal opportunity in mind. Contrary to modern distortions, Adams reasoned that the

According to historian James Truslow Adams, in his book The American Epic, the American dream can be defined as the “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.” Adams insists that the American dream can be attainable for anyone with the will to strive for a better life and personal fulfillment. It’s the reason why people across the world left their homes

The American Dream in simple terms is the essence of Americanism; it is the belief that social mobility, prosperity, and financial success are attainable by hard work regardless of social class and nationality. The American Dream exemplifies what every immigrant imagines as they walk through Ellis Island or cross the border from Mexico. It is the ethos of America, the defining image of the average upper-middle class family man. This idea of prosperity begins as far back as the founders of the United States. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most famous Framers in American history, built himself from the ground up. Franklin’s The Autobiography is both his personal regimen for prosperity, but also the

James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book The Epic America highlights his views on the “American Dream.” Within his work Truslow Adams defines the American Dream as “(an individual) able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” However, I argue that due to the prominence of marketing, unreasonable education pricing, and societal pressures, the true “American Dream” is the search for the Almighty Dollar and wealth.

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?”

James Truslow Adams defines the American dream as the: "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. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." (p.214-215) The prominent term “American Dream” has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. The idea of the American dream originated back to the days of American settlement, and was first manifested in the Declaration

The American Dream was first solidified in the 1920s, around the time of the Great Depression. This, of course, is not the provenance of the term, given that “working towards a larger goal” has always been part of human nature, and that it

The American Dream is surely based on the concept of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” but it is above all, a matter of ambition. James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian, in 1931 states: "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”, which not only points towards a better standard of living for Americans but also denounces a degree of greed in the US society. Ambition not only “killed the cat” but killed relationships as well in texts like Sister Carrie and Death of a Salesman. While the American Dream was supposed to be a collective success at its initial stage, ambition, along with a pinch of greed and materialism were perfect ingredients