How Hard Will You Work For The American Dream

The “American Dream” is overrated. Let’s just face it, it is dead. Not only is this a dream that is almost lusted after by many Americans, this is a widely desired illusion that is far out of reach for most working class people. The American Dream is more than the lifestyle of white picket fences that hold backyard barbecues with your neighbors. It’s earning a living wage that creates a comfortable quality of life, having the security of retirement, and giving your children the opportunity to live a successful life.

The American dream has changed drastically thru our history. Back in the 1950 and 1960 the American dream was to have the house with the white picket fence and the 2 ½ kids. Now the dream for a lot of people is to be able to pay their bills and maybe have enough money to go out for a nice little dinner that you did not have to cook yourself. The American dream is dead, it is because the concept has changed from the idea that everyone can improve their life through hard work to the idea that everyone can become a millionaire through virtually no work. The United State at one point used to have everything you needed to make this dream happen. But since jobs have been moving over sees we have lost all of that. The American Dream is so

The perspective of the person being asked makes all the difference because the american dream isn’t always the same for every person. A study showed that 62% believed their parents achieved the american dream while 57% of parents believe they achieved it. This all depends on the perspective of the person asked. If you ask a minimum wage worker at mcdonalds they may have a different input on what the American dream is compared to a big city businessman. I believe the divide in the different thoughts of what the American dream is makes it a false hope. The belief that anyone can succeed makes the idea to far fetched to be realistic. I believe the American dream is a false hope due to the lack of drive and financial ability of the average american.

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);

The American Dream started as a belief that anyone could come to the U.S. from any background, any economic profile, and find work. They could work hard, earn a living, and achieve happiness and financial security. In The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold by Brandon King, the author quotes a line from a New York Times survey that states “… Americans still believe that it is possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America” (Seelye, 2009). This quote perfectly embodies what the American Dream used to mean to people. The quote is from 2009 as well, so even seven years ago people had this opinion. It also states that when American’s were asked what the American Dream refers to, most of them said something like “financial security” or “being able to retire without struggling”. It

Throughout the essay “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” King conveys a stern argument that the American dream is in fact still alive. He begins the essay by explaining what exactly the American dream is and what position it should hold in our lives today. King states, “I would redefine the American Dream today as the potential

The so-called American Dream is one of the most time-honored and cliché phrases used to describe the conception of the United States. It is commonly used to refer to the notion that anyone can come to this country and, through hard work and sheer will, change his or her fortune and lot in life in a way that other countries simply do not allow people to do. However, it is interesting to see that this popular idea of the American Dream does not necessarily correlate to the perceptions of two authors who wrote about this subject both directly and indirectly, Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have A Dream Speech" and J.B. Priestley in "Wrong Isms". In fact, both of these authors view the American Dream through respective lenses in which they do not believe that the promise of the American Dream is coming to fruition. Still, they both utilize similar rhetorical devices to attempt to change their view of what the American Dream has become, which they believe is negative, to what they hope the American Dream will come to be, which is positive, by using an abundance of metaphors, anaphora, and

The American Dream is a fantasy that has not come true for the millions that are toiling in the system hoping to get a piece of the wealth which America so liberally shares with its rich upper class. Mansions, expensive cars, a happy family and of course lots of money. These images adorn the minds of the less privileged of this nation.

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

Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.

The american dream is something that people are able achieve by working hard and wanting to be better. People like John D. Rockefeller who came from a hard life

As I began to analyze what the American dream truly is it The American Dream can best be described as pursuit of happiness, we are not guaranteed happiness, but we are guaranteed the right to pursue happiness, in whatever way we might be able to (physically, spiritually, and emotionally). founding a model of freedom and democracy and national destiny. As a child, I thought the American dream was all about money. Now as an adult the "American Dream" is to achieve a rewarding career, happy family life, freedom of their faith, and recreation. Hard work, individualism, universalism, wealth, activism, and rationality. The freedom to choose my own path and the security with which to start my walks in greatness. I don't think that the American Dream

Oxford Dictionaries defines “American dream” as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” This statement may be empirically defined, but it is just a simple definition that does not apply to every person. In the eyes of Americans, the up-and-coming key element of the American dream is promoting opportunity for one's children. This achieves a closer view of the public opinion, but again, not everyone can claim this outlook for themselves. To me, the American dream is only applicable in situations where security is involved.

What comes to our mind when we think of the term "The American Dream"? For most of us it has to do with increase in our wealth but it has a lot more into it, The American dream is an idea that any American, with enough resolve and determination, can climb the economic ladder, regardless of where he starts in life. The American dream implies that the greatest economic rewards rightly go to society’s most hard-working and deserving members. But is it completely true or we are just overestimating our chances of moving from lower class to upper class?