My Perception Of The American Dream

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.

The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and determination. However, ideas of the dream have evolved throughout time from the 18th century up to present day. The general population’s view and my view of the American Dream both have altered throughout time. My idea of the American Dream has developed from not only today’s views on The Dream, but also from the evolutionary process the meaning has been through.

“The American dream is more about opportunity than anything else.”- (Parker). This quote states what seems to be true about the American dream and how opportunity is how you achieve it. To me the American dream is being able to do what you want and achieving your end goal in life. Although this means something different for everyone but, to historians, it means that the government protects the rights of people to to do what makes them happy. In this paper I will discuss what the American dream is and if it is even still possible to achieve. Another thing about the American dream; it could mean the same thing in modern society as it did a long time ago because it is still a person's ability to do what they want and what makes them happy. However it has changed a little bit.

We, as humans, are meant for “something more than mere survival” (FDR Economic Bill of Rights). We are meant for complex ideas, groundbreaking inventions and technological advances, a sense of community, and a place where freedom and opportunity run rampant throughout the streets. We are meant for the American Dream. I fear, however, that as time has passed, America has lost sight of the true ideals entrenched in the idea of the American Dream. Americans seem to believe that because of their mere presence in America they should be clothed in the finest silk and own a house the size of Texas. We seem to believe that our freedom of speech inherently grants us the right to degrade others. We seem to believe that because we live in America, everything should be handed to us on a silver platter. We, as a nation, seem to have forgotten the men who “[pledged their] Lives, [their] Fortunes, and [their] Sacred Honor” in exchange for this dream, and the responsibility we have, as Americans, to respect and appreciate the opportunities that have been given to us; namely the right to freedom, opportunity, and the pursuit of happiness (Declaration of Independence).

The American Dream is an idea that most people have heard of, but there are a lot of different views on it. Everyone has different thoughts on the Dream because everyone has a different dream. Even though everybody has a different dream, most of those dreams can be narrowed down to one thing; success. To me The American Dream is the idea that lets everyone has the chance to follow their dreams; whether that be a career or a lifestyle. It also allows people to have push through the hard times and it gives them something good to look towards and work for in their everyday lives.

We are a nation of imaginative thinking. A concept I realized living through the past presidential election. It’s not a bad quality in a nation to have hope, in fact Bell Hooks once said “Hope is essential to any political struggle for radical change when the overall social climate promotes disillusionment and despair.”. But, for a country to be so do delusionally focused on a distant American Dream can cause poor judgment. The American Dream is no longer alive because we are told unless we live a certain lifestyle we are not entitled to go towards the progression of this dream, we are conditioned to stay at this low level in life and be content, and the term equal opportunity has taken a different definition. The American Dream to me is the

The American Dream means something different to everyone. The true definition of the American dream is, “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” People have gone through and have suffered more than others. Freedom might mean more to someone than it might to their neighbor. Although each idea is different, everyone, in the end, wants success. To me, the American Dream means hard work. In my generation, we expect for everything to be handed to us. That is not the case for me. My parents have made me pay for most of my belongings. They made me pay for part of my car, clothes, and gas. I work for what I want, while most of my friends

America, land of dreams, is home to the world’s largest immigrant population. Why do so many want to come to America? It may be because of the employment opportunities, or reunification with family members, or the many rights and freedoms that Americans have. But a large part of immigration to America is due to the American Dream, the belief that every US citizen has an equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and determination. The concept of the American Dream was recognized as early as the 18th and 19th centuries, and the phrase was popularized in the 20th century by James Truslow Adams in his book Epic of America, in which he states, “there has been also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be

The American dream is defined as the idea that every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve their goal in life through hard work, determination, and initiative. The novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck explores this idea throughout his story. Through the characters in the story, it shows the many different hardships of each character trying to pursue their dream. John Steinbeck believes that the American Dream is a goal that every American has in life, but it is impossible to achieve.

The American ________. One could fit several words into that blank: The American Dream, The American Spirit, The American Revolution, and The American System. What are the definitions of these phrases? What does it really mean to be an American anything? If one wants to learn more about a culture the best place to start is by looking at their literature. Literature is the self-expression and exploration of the people who write it. Therefore, if one wants to discover what it means to be an American, they need to look at the American Literature.

The American Dream is different for every person. The term “American Dream” is defined as “a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful, With good jobs, a nice house, two children, and plenty of money, they believed they were living the American dream.” (webster)Now, in the definition you may notice this keyword “anyone”. Anyone? Really? Even those that are homeless and broke? The american dream is not possible becuase of two reasons. One people no longer want to work for the stuff they want, two the cost of a lot of stuff now a days is outrageous. So, is the american dream still

The things we wish to see, reach, and experience in this life never really come into full motion. That is why life can be classified as a sad carapace on our exteriors as people. Realistically we attempt to better ourselves, looking for new opportunities to advance in job market; with aspirations to move up in the social hierarchy. Thought realities continue to show how frail we are as individuals. However, should this be the premise our break-point, to give up, throw in the towel? If so than I am quite sure humanity and this ideal notion of the American dream is a thing of the past. Why should individuals even brother attending school, starting a family, and obtaining a job? Has this really become the norm? Without a job and without money from said job it would practically be impossible to survive. Unless you are being supported by family member or your family is wealthy, but unlike wealthy families working class families still struggle. As human beings, with the knowledge we possess today how can we allow for that burden to be placed on our loved ones. The thing is we can’t, but the question we have to ask ourselves: are we to become drones working two to three jobs to make ends meet? This is also unacceptable, but this is the only choice that’s viable, sometimes in life its do or die: a concept life has delved onto individuals since the beginning of time. Still the optimist in me believes we can become more than just working drones in a society that favors the rich. Unity

The American dream may for the most part mean seeking after a genial esse with a feasible activity, a family, getting riches or accomplishment in life. This vision encompasses the flexibility of having a chance to thrive in life, which is quite consequential. In this manner, individuals have the chance to accomplish their objectives by whatever methods definitely independent of the country one comes, or so they mentally conceived. This fantasy is made conceivable because of equipollent open door for all, contrary to popular credence. For instance, an authentically great many people have been fruitful in America because of their instructive accomplishment, business accomplishment. Nonetheless, accomplishing the American dream isn''\'t a

The American Dream is interpreted differently amongst Americans. Some people have the dream of owning a million dollar home or car and others have dreams of becoming famous. Although there is no definite definition of what the American Dream is, the concept of it has always been the same. That concept is that anything can be achievable for anyone, as long as they put their effort into it. The Declaration of Independence states that every American possesses the equal and natural rights that are given to them from birth, and that these rights ensure that they have “Liberty, Life, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, having these three rights are important to me and any

While the meaning of the American Dream has evolved multiple times between 1865 and 1980, almost every person agreed on as to what the American Dream meant in their respective time periods. The definition of the American Dream in some form has always consisted of freedom, and the ability to advance economically. Also, in more recent times things such as owning a suburban home, moving into the middle-class, being able to spend on consumer goods, and having a perfect family became a part of the American Dream. However, throughout American history there has always been groups who have not had equal access to the American Dream. External factors such as legislation, racism, sexism, and the political environment, resulted in former slaves, blacks, poor Americans, women, and immigrants not having fair access to aspects of the American Dream such as complete freedom, equal opportunity, the ability to advance economically, and the ability to enjoy the luxuries of an affluent society. Between 1865 and 1900 former slaves did not have equal access to aspects of freedom such as, “Self-ownership, family stability, religious liberty, political participation, and economic autonomy.” Later on, between 1900 and 1939 lower-class Americans, women, and immigrants did not have equal opportunity to advance economically. Later on, the American economy shifted after the second World War, and Americans were moving into the middle-class, however blacks, and immigrants did not have equal access to the