Napoleon Hill's Dilemma

A chance to re-establish oneself, an opportunity to earn one’s fair share of wealth, a vision waiting to be created into a reality: The original American dream. Over time these myths surrounding the American dream have altered due to constantly evolving cultures within the United States resulting in newer cultures that are less concerned with one’s “fair share” and more with pure gain. Sadly, today the American dream more closely represents one’s ability to attain materialistic items rather then its previous connotation of equal opportunities for everyone. One example of contemporary use of the American dream includes advertisers incorporating a sense of national entitlement into their sales campaigns in hopes

Dreams, the aspiration and goal of everyone. That is why everyone is wasting their lives. Throughout this unit, we have looked at examples from both sides of this argument and in the end, it was obvious, it is not worth it to dream. While you can achieve your dream despite immense odds, it's not worth it to dream because if you blindly follow a dream you can't accomplish you can waste your life. Circumstances beyond your control can derail your dream and even if you work hard it doesn't always pay off consequently.

There are many different dreams to be had: daydreams, dreams of the future, dreams of, well, practically anything imaginable. Perhaps one of the most infamous types of dreams that has been heard of is the American Dream. Defined as “the ideal that every American should have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative”, the American Dream is one of equality and desire and those who strive to achieve it are ambition-filled, driven individuals. It is hard to define what exactly is required to have achieved the American Dream because, in truth, everyone has a different idea of success and prosperity. Success means something different to every ear that hears the word. This exact truth about the American Dream is prominently seen in the novel In Cold Blood by Truman Capote; a book composed of the many characters, all who possess very different ideas of what the American Dream is.

As children, we grow up believing that we can do anything, be anything. The world is our playground, and we were free to imagine our future. Consequently, this imagination and boundless opportunities is what draws so many to the ideals of the American Dream. The unwavering hope that anything can be achieved through determination and a tireless work-ethic. The common misconception is once we have attained the dream, the luxuries will come soon after.

The American Dream is the idea that financial success, upward social mobility, and overall prosperity can be achieved with perseverance and hard work. It’s the idea that anyone, even the very poor, can make a better life for themselves if they are willing to work for it. It’s an idea that has become integral to American society, encouraging us to put in an effort to see our dreams come to fruition. However, when it comes down to individual experiences, it turns out that accomplishing the traditionally agreed-upon American Dream gets a lot messier than it’s made out to be. Using the books Nickel and Dimed and The Color of Water, as well as the movie Enron- The Smartest Guys in the Room, both similarities and differences can be found when it comes to what achieving the American Dream really means.

Today the “Dream” is more of a struggle for success. For some it’s a fantasy while for others, it is a long term goal. The media defines society today, thus it’s only natural that it defines the American Dream, one which is no longer focused on freedoms or liberty, but rather money and success. The American Dream not only calls for financial success but also emotional success.

Most believe that the American Dream is the perfect life, with a house and white picket fence. While this type of life may be an attainable plan, human nature causes us to always want more, so even with the “perfect” life, there is still always a goal left to be reached. Many famous celebrities who seem to have anything and everything right at their fingertips often end up committing suicide. proving that on the outside it may seem as though they achieved the American Dream, but there was still something more that they didn’t have. There is a common saying that goes “you only want what you can’t have.” So while people may dream their way into getting things that they desire, the grass remains greener on the other side.

A desired goal or purpose that you have wanted very much to do, to be, or to have for a long time defines the word dream. But what does the American Dream mean to you? Franklin D. Roosevelt, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and President Barack Obama are just a handful of people who have written pieces of literature of which either defend, challenge, or qualify the access of the American Dream given by the United States of America. Whether it is coming to this country for the first time, leaving your home in search of new opportunities, or coming together to pursue our greatest aspirations, for some people the American Dream is in far reach, but for others it is right in their grasp.

Centered in the northwestern state of Idaho, Napoleon Dynamite follows the chronicles and mishaps of our hero, Napoleon Dynamite, as he tackles the world; his tragic flaw being, well, everything. While the film solely focuses on the character of Napoleon, the setting also dictates the events which ensue him on his quests. The culture the characters live in tends to be satirical and humorous because the majority of the intended audience does not reside in this particular culture. While the culture of the film and of the viewer may share basic similarities such as rudimentary aspects of a teenage life, generally, the cultures vastly differ in terms of industrialization, pop culture, and agriculture.

However, one can use past events and the immutable laws of human nature to look ahead and see if present events meet the standard of an historic turning point. In the case of present events one can make an educated guess as to the consequences of the two choices before you.

“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” - Thomas Jefferson.

As time has went on the meaning of the American Dream has altered. When Adams trademarked the term the American Dream, the idea of it was for people to become “better and richer and fuller,” (Adams 412), but now as 20th century inventions have been introduced to society the dream has changed. People want what others have and what is portrayed as glamorous and prestigious. A prime example is Gary Soto’s recollection of his childhood obsession with wanting to be like the families he saw on the television saying, “I very much wanted to imitate [the families from Leave It to Beaver and Father

Nowadays, many Americans wonder if the American Dream is still alive. At one point in our country, people felt that they could achieve success by working hard. However, after the economic hardships and recession of the 21st century, a number of Americans not only lost income, but some also lost their jobs. Although there has been slow progression to improve the economy, there are those who question whether or not the dream of Americans can ever be achieved again. With unemployment levels still high and salaries failing to increase, there certainly is doubt in most of Americans. In his essay, Brandon King formulates ways to redefine and change the way to look at the American dream. After analyzing King’s essay, one can see his view as believing that the dream is still very much intact. As he points out, the American economy is a very complex system that has had downfalls, but there is always a way to get back up from it. Regardless of your economic status (poor or middle class), if one has a working job, it is possible to succeed based on how much someone is willing to work to achieve their goals. As King would agree, the American dream is not only still alive and well, but anyone can reach success.

Success: Accomplishing Your Dream Completing the "American Dream" is a controversial issue. The American Dream can be defined as having a nice car, maybe two or three of them, having a beautiful, healthy family, making an impact on the world, or even just having extra spending money when the bills are paid. In the play "Death Of A Salesman," by Arthur Miller, the "American Dream" deals with prosperity, status, and being immortalized.

The American Dream is one of the most sought-after things in the United States, even though it is rarely, if ever, achieved. According to historian Matthew Warshauer, the vision of the American Dream has changed dramatically over time. In his 2003 essay “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Changing Conceptions of the American Dream”, Warshauer claims that the American Dream had gone from becoming wealthy by working hard and earning money, to getting rich quickly and easily. He attributes this change to television game shows, state lotteries, and compensation lawsuits. He also argues that most Americans are more concerned with easy money than hard-earned money, and that Americans care mostly about material goods such as consumer products, big