Levittown Research Paper

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.

The American Dream had started after World War II, which is seen as being one of the biggest economic movements within American history. This is largely due to the fact that Americans had just won World War II against the Axis forces, as well as the amount of income that was produced during the war many people were able to a subsequent amount of money within their pockets. The war also helped to introduce the GI bill which promised World War II veterans with benefits which included the payments of their tuition and living expenses for high school and college. This allowed for more educated people to be reintroduced into society, it also gave soldiers a better chance at life after the war.

In the early 1950’s to late 1960’s the American Dream is what everyone strived for.

After World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at their country. The American Dream had been restored upon the atrocities of the war. In the 1930’s the American Dream was primarily focused on working hard, men providing for their families, and trying to rise from the depression. In the 1940’s, post World War II things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and what aspects were influential to it, such as World War II, modernism, new technology and entertainment.

The life of soldiers returning home from the second World War was labeled as the American dream, picturesque family, traditional values. In the 60s, however, minority groups including the black community, the gay community, women, etc. began to revolt against the 1950’s “cookie-cutter” ideal that excluded them and instead tried to broaden the definition of the American dream. Through countless protests, sit-ins, and riots some progress had been achieved. At the end of the 60s and into the 70s, however, the attitude changed caused by the division between the American people brought on primarily by the Vietnam war - utilizing patriotism and nationalism as a way to restore the ideals of the 50s.

Over time, The American Dream has changed in an innumerable amount of ways. Past civilizations have laid the foundation for what we view it to be today. In the 1970s, people looked at a variety of aspects such as culture, political affairs (government), one’s appearance, and entertainment to fit their definition of “The American Dream”. The 1970’s helped shape and influence what people regard as the current American Dream.

The third listing for the definition of sprawl in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is as follows: “to spread or develop irregularly”. Unfortunately, this is the pattern, or lack thereof, with which America’s development is following. Every single day the world population rises, and these new babies have to live somewhere. Due to the fact that the birth rate is larger than that of the death rate in America (http://www.bartleby.com/151/a24.html), new homes and communities must be developed to accommodate all of the incoming people. This fundamental concept is coupled by another very powerful driving force prompting people to live in the suburbs of America, and that is greed. The economy makes

What truly is the “American Dream”? Furthermore, during the Great Depression, even the concept of the “American Dream” was not readily available and was no more than a fallacy at the time. For the 2 protagonists in Of Mice And Men, their dream, like many others, was to “live off the fatta the land” and become independent. However, this was not such an easy task at the time, not just because of the rough economic times, but because people of that era still had World War 2 still very fresh in their minds, with the harbored hatred and untrust that came along with it. Nevertheless, for the millions who died in the course of the war, this “American Dream” was not only something worth living for it was something dying for too. However, in the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author emphasizes that the dreams and hopes were delusions and has a grim outlook on living life in search of a dream.

The American Dream as it is defined cannot simply hold true without preservation of it’s ideals. An ideal is maintained by the people. Enjoying the benefits the American Dream promises requires each person to uphold its ideals among his fellows. If this were the case, the original definition might have been preserved. The problem is that other factors kicked in which prioritized wealth and status among people which interfered with the ability of others to pursue the dream. From there, the American Dream gradually changed from hard work to status.

The American Dream is something many Americans desire. The desire to the mind – set or belief that anyone can be successful if they worked hard for what they’ve been yearning. It is considered to be a ‘perfect life’; it can be full of money, contentedness or even love. There are many divergent opinions given by people. Walter Younger from Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ and Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of the Salesman’ both have their own views on the American Dream and how it can be achieved. Walter Lee Younger, a

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 American Dream is just that, simply an idea. The shortcomings of this preconceived notion are shown through the works of two Great Depression era books, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice

The American dream is easily the greatest of any American tragedy. Once one of the most noble and sought after ideas, now only a simple idea cast aside by differing virtuosos in differing professions.

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?”

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.