The Achievability Of The American Dream

What is the American Dream? Is it home ownership, gaining fame or wealth, having a great family or is it gaining a peace of mind? Many people have different versions of what the American Dream is, some people believe the dream is lost, and some people are right in the middle and still believe the American Dream is still alive. “The American Dream” by Brandon King debates about what the true state is left in the American Dream now. Throughout the essay, King asks if the American Dream is dead, alive, on hold or just changing due to economic hardship. King believes that the American Dream is still alive even though there are people who believe it's not, and is defined today as the ability to work hard, plan for the forthcoming and have a

We have all heard of this intense rollercoaster ride that we are on called the American Dream. The term was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining it as “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.” Since it’s arrival, the Dream has evolved from a pursuit towards “freedom, mutual respect, and equal opportunity” (Shiller) to later one of greed described by Shiller as being “excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth” beginning in the 1960s. Traditionally, the American Dream included features of a nuclear family, that is one with a breadwinning father, a housewife, and two kids, owning a white picket fence home, thriving without financial worries, and a happy family. There has been a shift in focus for the Dream caused by the Millennial generation and in turn they have included features that place an emphasis on equality in all aspects of their lives from family life to the workplace placing their own twist on the Dream. The American Dream has evolved over time to include equal opportunities, college education, and happy family.

David Kamp's 2009 Vanity Fair article "Rethinking the American Dream" focuses on the general perception of the ‘American Dream’ and how it has evolved throughout our nation’s history. It clearly states that as the average American household's lifestyle has become more and more consumer-oriented, the original spirit that invigorated and united its people from the age of western expansion to the Great Depression has begun to fade. The dream has been dampened as the vision of "success" has become more focused on gaining material/getting rich quick, rather than working hard all throughout one’s life to attain what they want and desire.

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in the period following the Second World War. It is divided into three acts and explores the circumstances of the Younger family, a colored family living in the ghettos of southern Chicago. In particular, the play deals with the efforts of Walter Lee, the scion of the family to bring his family out of poverty and into riches by entering into a business venture. The play highlights the psychological and societal barriers to Walter's goal of becoming rich like the white people he sees around him. In effect, Walter's ambitions typify the American dream and the play discusses how the American dream is only a myth against the reality of financial inequality, racial prejudice and constricted social mobility.

Thesis: Some might say that the American Dream is not attainable because it takes hard work and risk to get there, however motivation to become successful, love for and from family members and the ability to recreate yourself makes the American Dream very much attainable for anyone.

Before I get into why the American dream is achievable, I think it is important to know what the American dream is. The American Dream is a phrase referring to the freedom that allows all citizens and most residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice.The American dream focuses on the success of the individual (not the wellbeing of the whole population).

Many years ago, our founding father’s dream became a reality. They made a country where they could be free from Britain and it’s cruel rulers. Now in two thousand fourteen, the American Dream has diminished . We may have education, women’s rights, and even so many materialistic items we depend on them to live, but one right has depleted. Our Freedom. The government says “We are putting security cameras in more places so we can see what is going on,” when they really mean to say, “We are taking away your privacy.” The government says to the citizens, “You indeed have freedom of press,” but when one article about the government comes out, the government responds badly to that article. My American Dream is to have freedom restored to America.

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 reality of the American Dream is prosperous for those who do not lose their fervent ambition. F. Scott Fitzgerald along with John Steinbeck uncovers the American Dream in the publications of The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men by creating characters who strive to pursue their dreams. Present in both of the books the characters would attempt to achieve their American Dream and fail to acquire their dreams. Americans flourish in the hopes of attaining the American Dream. Many individuals argue that the American Dream has died, while others feed off of the exhilarating thought of having everything they have ever wanted.

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 being able to take part in your own life, being able to take care of yourself, being happy, to educate yourself so you are able to get a good, non degrading job. Money is important because you need to take care of yourself, and when you take care of yourself you will be happy.

Land of Opportunity, Home of the Brave, and Land of the Free often come to mind when envisioning the United States for most individuals around the world. Through media, America and the American Dream are depicted as the salvation for poverty, sorrow, and hardship. The Founding Fathers invented the American Dream, offering life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, an abundance of immigrants fell short of possessing the American Dream and slowly began to realize that these alluring portrayals were merely a facade. Wealthy and influential corporations needed to revitalize the American Dream before it dissolved amongst the masses. In order to keep American deception ongoing, a new American Dream was implemented into society. This

The American dream represents many aspects for people who live in the United States as well as people who aspire to come and build a better life. When the dream was first being popularized, it represented an ideal life filled with freedom, equality and ultimately success (1). When people come to a new country and leave everything they know behind, they don't do it because they expect success immediately, but they do it because they strive for new opportunities (3).The meaning of this dream, however, has drastically changed over the years. In the beginning, this so-called dream consisted of working hard to gradually reach a rich life where opportunities and success were within reach, and those who put in the work would over time see results and an improvement in their lives (4). Today, many people who have come to this country find themselves barely scrapping past their year trying to afford healthcare while they pay off debts and live a somewhat satisfactory lifestyle (4). What really took a toll on this widespread dream was the introduction of credit cards, because in the near future of this dream it is seen that it completely changes the whole meaning of the American Dream (5).

The American dream is based on the idea that, “America where no matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter where you come from, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can make it here if you try.” (97). While United States was built on this idea, it is becoming harder and harder for people to move up in social status because of the inequality. Obtaining success in life used to be considered equal for all regardless of background. If you worked hard enough and did well enough for yourself, only the sky was the limit. Today, success is mostly based on race, where white people are given better opportunities than colored people when it comes to jobs and education. It shouldn’t matter if you are born into a family in the bottom fifth, middle fifth or top fifth, everyone should have the same opportunities to reach whatever they want if they work for it. Unfortunately, what it looks like right now, if you are born into a family in the bottom fifth, you roughly have a 30% chance of reaching middle fifth or higher. However, if you are born into a family in the top fifth, you have 80% chance of ending up at least in the middle fifth. Something else that is unfair, it is when the children becoming adults and when it’s time to get a job. The high-income parents tend to have more contacts in the job world, which will result that they can easily get a good work for their children. While the low-income parents don’t have contacts, which will make