The American Dream The American Dream is indefinable. There is no one set of words or characteristics that the entire population assigns directly to its definition. With the American population consisting of people of various races, ethnicities, ages, classes, and genders, it seems trivial to even attempt to attribute a single definition to the concept of the American Dream. It is this inability however, to be confined within one single meaning, that allows for the American Dream to govern the desires and goals of the large and diverse American population. And, regardless of all of the heterogeneity within society, the American Dream is generally a goal of all American peoples. In examining this idea, I began to think about the specific meanings attributed to the American Dream for different types of individuals. I broadly outlined the American Dream for myself, to represent the belief in hard work as a pathway to success and raising oneself in society. Consequently, this higher position in society allows for the possession of increased amounts of power. My definition however, neglects to take into account the certain other societal constructs that could possibly have a decisive role in how to both define and achieve the American Dream for the wide variety of people who pursue it.
Into the wild by Jon Krakauer is a true journey of a man named Chris McCandless who wanted to escape from the norms of the modern tendency of social comformandy, although his journey eventually came up short. Christopher McCandless engulfed the philosophy from American poet Henry David Thoreau
Is the american dream still possible and was it always possible for everyone the american dream was this great idea that everyone can retire at a certain age always have a job. And not matter what race or country you come from or what you looked like but it
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.
Into the Wild Chris McCandless was a man who had everything to have a successful life. However, Chris McCandless decided to leave it all behind. Chris thought that he was going to go leave all society behind to go live in the wild. Chris thought that it was going to be very hard. Krakauer He was arrogant and ignorance toward the nature and society. In Into the Wild Chris leaves his life behind to live a life alone in the wild. In Into the Wild Krakauer’s message from Chris’s journey is for people to never get too ignorant or too confident because anything can go wrong at anytime.
Understanding oneself is one of the most important factors in living a free life, and living on the road can be a big part of this process. In the novel, Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer writes about a boy who ventures into the wilderness and inevitably learns more about himself on a journey right before he dies. In order to avoid his problematic family, Chris McCandless journeys into danger where he meets people who help him learn more about the world. Although he does eventually meet his end in Alaska, he leaves the world without worries or regrets. By living on the road and in nature, Mccandless is able to live the life that he wants and be free from the clutches of society. While living on the road can prove fatal, it allows a person to find themselves and avoid the problems of society; therefore, people should look to nature in order to better understand themselves.
Jon Krakauer found Christopher McCandless’ story while he was a writer for If in need of money, McCandless found a job. If in need of food, McCandless found something to eat on his own. Selfish men are greedy, however, Chris McCandless embodied love, and compassion and for that he cannot be seen as self-centered. Although McCandless was often reserved, he always shared his plans with other nomads and anyone who was willing to listen. His captivating personality drew people towards him. McCandless’ story caused people to follow their own dreams.
The "American Dream" is an idea that has always been different throughouttime. It changes in diverse forms and in the end involves success. The "American Dream" was a phrase used by the American people and peoplewanting to become American. It was always the idea that you can become a success. This is true in a partial way, but the true "American Dream" is that with somework and determination anyone can build themselves up in the economic classsystem.
"The American Dream is that any man or woman, despite of his or her background, can change their circumstances and rise as high as they are willing to work” (Fabrizio Moreira). For many years, men and women struggled to achieve the idealistic life of living on independent terms. Many characters in Of Mice and Men work in order to pursue and achieve the American Dream that consisted of having their own house and income. Characters in the book may use that dream to help the overcome their life struggles and personal problems. Of Mice and Men tells the story of two friends, George and Lennie, who find themselves on a ranch in pursuit of their dreams. Unfortunately for them, circumstances beyond their control cost Lennie and George their dream and much more. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck portrays how dreams create a false sense of hope in order to cover up the realities of life through George, Curley’s wife, and Candy.
The "American Dream" is marked as unattainable in John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men. This is mostly shown in the case of George, Lennie, Candy, Crooks, and Curley's wife. These characters all have admitted to thinking about the "American dream" concept, and the freedom to pursue happiness
American Dream? American Dream: Noun, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. That is the definition of the American dream according to Dictionary.com, but the American Dream is more than a definition, but a way of life for many. Millions of immigrants come
McCandless exhibits his idealistic views when Krakauer states, “He had spent the previous four years, as he saw it, preparing to fulfill an absurd and onerous duty: to graduate from college. At long last he was unencumbered, emancipated from the stifling world of his parents and peers, a world of abstraction and security and material excess, a world in which he felt grievously cut off from the raw throb of existence” (22). McCandless portrays how he graduated college just to be free from the entanglement he was experiencing with his parents. This demonstrates how he merely completed college to pursue his dream of living of the land in Alaska. He continues to display his moral beliefs when he says, “No, I want to hitch north. Flying would be cheating. It would wreck the whole trip” (67). Chris denies the opportunity to fly north because it goes directly against his idealistic views. This exemplifies that he follows a strict ethical code similar to that of idealism that controls his way of living. Chris McCandless is a “man who has given away a small fortune, forsaken a loving family, abandoned his car, watch, and map, and burned the last of his money before traipsing off into the wilderness” (71). He displays what appears to be great stupidity for leaving everything he has behind, but based on McCandless’s mindset it indicates it to be a motion of bravery.
To understand the reasons why Chris McCandless proceeded with his actions, one must know his personal background. Chris grew up in a wealthy family, raised by his highly educated parents. He became very passionate about his schoolwork and read several novels from Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau. While attending Emory University, McCandless was seen by others as a man with a promising future. Even though he was wealthy and successful, however, he was still unhappy with his personal life. Chris’s family was constantly fighting, which motivated Chris
At first, Chris McCandless attempted to return to a life of normality. In Bullhead City, Arizona, McCandless found a job working at McDonald’s. With this job, Chris almost deserted his original plans and stayed in Bullhead City, but the job required socks and a clean manner. Chris did not believe in these things, and the bearing normality forced Chris to quit his job and return to his plans of going into the Alaskan Wilderness (Krakauer, 38-41). When Chris McCandless was about to leave into the Alaskan Wilderness, he encountered Jim Gallien. Jim Gallien was a man who knew the dangers of the bush and how treacherous the land can be. McCandless didn’t want any supplies or help Gallien had to offer, but Gallien was pleading for McCandless to take the supplies that would help him. Chris McCandless did not know how far he should push his judgement on how life should be lived, further worsening his circumstances in the wilderness without many supplies (Krakauer, 4-8, 164-166 and 189). Chris McCandless did not know when to turn back home and mentally, could not overcome a dangerous task. McCandless, “Satisfied, apparently, with what he had learned during his two months of solitary life in the wild, McCandless decided to return to civilization…” (Krakauer, 168). This thought came with an over challenging obstacle, the Teklanika River was a raging water source that was difficult to pass, and McCandless was stuck on what to do. With a weak swimming ability, McCandless decided to turn back rather than crossing the dangerous waters, thus isolating him in the wilderness, leading to his death (Krakauer, 168-170). In addition to constant internal conflicts, McCandless had numerous conflicts with nature along his journey that lead to his
The American Dream Is Killing Us The American Dream can be defined as achieving the highest level of economic success for an individual and their family. Americans are brought up in a culture where they are told that if they start from the bottom and put in the maximum amount of hard work they too will achieve The American Dream. The dream itself is subjective to an individual's needs but most often includes homeownership, financial stability, job stability, and a better future for the next generation. The Washington Post article by Robert J. Samuelson discussed how the death rates of non Hispanic middle aged whites has gotten significantly worse throughout the years, and as a result men were dying even younger. The causes of death are most often suicide, overdose, or alcohol related. Researchers have attributed these deaths to be a direct result of income inequality and the social crisis. Therefore, I believe the American Dream is killing us. The American Dream is killing those who do not know how to appropriately seek help when faced with unemployment and mental health concerns. The American Dream is responsible for the death of the middle class, the social crisis, and the internal upset when the dream is not achieved.