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James Truslow Adams Delusion Of The American Dream

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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. To begin, Lorie Johnson in Source C, highlights the harmful effects of marketing on our overall “delusion” of the “American Dream”. Johnson states, “…parents get trapped into buying the heavily sugared cereal…” and “…places that sell music probably have stock in hearing aid…” Johnson’s commentary on marketing here shows us the significance of the “Almighty Dollar” within our everyday lives. These ruthless marketing systems can invoke a sense of want into the consumer, which can only be fed through the use of the “Almighty Dollar.” As a result material wealth takes precedence over attaining stature, due to extreme marketing techniques. Next, the corrupt and expensive education system we have shows the true power of the “Almighty Dollar.” This is most clearly…show more content…
To explain in Source B, Warshauer exclaims the significance of the “Almighty Dollar” and mentions the ideal, “the one who dies with the most toys wins.” To further this, Warshauer is highlighting the common view of many American individuals. Through the culmination of social media, television, and film, we see how money in many cases truly can buy happiness. As a result, many are put under extreme pressure to either attain that, or fail and feel judged by a relentless society. It seems that in this world, if an individual is poor, no one has time for him/her, but if said individual has wealth, the ones around him/her relinquish all power to the one with the “Almighty
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