The American Dream And Personal Debt

What is your American Dream? For most people, the American Dream involves a quality education, a family, a home, good health, and financial security. Many people all over the world know about the “American Dream,” but what they may not know is how it is being affected by…. With an increasing number of young people going to college and the increased cost of college, many students must take out loans to pay for their education. According to Norris, student loans have historically been a way to pursue a college education for a person who might not otherwise be able to afford it. However, student loans and the accompanying debt are quickly leading to problems financially for those that borrow that will continue for many decades (B1). Dave Ramsey,

The American Dream has held a special place in the hearts of patriots since the very founding of America in 1776. It has been a subject of many authors who grapple with its attainability, and is a beacon of hope gazed upon by victims of circumstance. The Dream has been interpreted by great minds in various ways, and has been deemed both an evil deception and a great promise of a better life. However, the American Dream has morphed from this promise of opportunities and second chances--in fact, it has become viewed as a cause for societal competition and the reason for decreasing happiness among the American people. As Americans attempt to “achieve their goals,” and “keep up with the Joneses,” they subject themselves to the materialistic cycle of greed. Success, and the goal of the American Dream, has been redefined. To be put simply, the American Dream is now to be richer than one’s neighbor, despite the fact that happiness--and thus, the Dream--cannot be achieved solely through wealth and material goods.

The forty-first president of the United States, George W. H. Bush, once said, “The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something…” As the years fly by, so does the American Dream. With busy lives, many Americans tend to forget the purpose of the American Dream. Failing to make ends meet, not being able to afford the new iPhone and the lack of success that is not America’s fault. People create their successes and failures based on what they desire. Through a person creating their own definition, not quitting once things go wrong, and creating opportunities the American Dream still floods the streets of America today.

The American Dream is one of those terms that people refer to when talking about immigration, financial status, and so much more. But what does the term really refer to? People used to think of the American Dream as financial prosperity, religious and financial freedom, and all around success. Now, the term may mean something similar, but people are much less focused on it. If anything, the American Dream today is focused on gaining material goods and proving your bank account is larger than your neighbors. With today’s economy, laws and regulations, immigration customs, and overall attitude towards work, people are seldom focused on achieving the American Dream.

What is the American Dream? For most, it can be summed up in three words: comfort, happiness, and future. It is the term used to describe the 'perfect' lifestyle that most American citizens and immigrants wish to achieve: a loving family, stable financial status, and the opportunity to save for their family's future. It is described as "the belief that hardworking Americans" can live comfortable lives and provide for their children's future "and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire" (Wallechinsky 64). Rising costs of living (including healthcare and insurance costs), an unstable job market, and skyrocketing prices of higher education are making the ideal lifestyle look a lot less achievable. The ideal American life is not still accessible because those who come from a privileged life or are able to get a high-wage job can achieve it, but because of the change in the economy and job market, it may not be accessible to all.

Not everyone is living the American dream. It consists of owning a car, house, having a stable income for a family, and the ability to have leisure time. Through a series of economic downturns, the world has experienced financial instability that has greatly affected the population; notably the Great Depression during the late 1920s. Hit after hit, money becomes an issue and plays a key role in developing a person’s character through financial hardships. Horace’s quote, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,” is very much true and can be demonstrated in society and by well-known personalities.

For years there has been debate over the state of the American Dream. There are many differing opinions over not only its health, but how it is defined. In his essay, The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?, Brandon King adds to the ongoing argument by stating that the American dream is alive, but has changed from what it was originally. He states that the American Dream used to be the ability to become wealthy. However it has now become the ability to earn and honest living and to save for the future. He continues to explain to American’s what this information means in the context of the recession of 2009. He also strives to prove that the American Dream has not been destroyed by the economic hardship. King creates an effective argument

From the time our Founding Fathers introduced the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, many individuals are now craving to achieve their idea of the American Dream. The American Dream has changed dramatically over the few centuries. During the Founding Fathers’ time, many believed the American Dream meant freedom, equality, and mutual respect. Time has changed this ideology of the American Dream, which is now seen as owning a million dollar mansion with multiple luxury cars. This isn’t the case for many immigrants who come to the Americas to have a better life for themselves and their family. To many of them, the American Dream is as simple as living in a house and being able to provide their children with an education and

Although each person has a different perspective of the American Dream, financial security heavily defines what the Dream means to many people. “In Search of the American Dream” examines if the American Dream is

“The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” by Brandon King argues the existence and relevancy of the “American Dream” today. This article is full of rhetorical questions, forcing the reader to form their own opinion. King also includes a good amount of statistics, backing up his logic. These facts are used to strengthen his argument and effectively enhance his writing. Brandon King alludes to James Truslow Adams, the founder of the term the American Dream, and later redefines the American Dream himself as “the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future.” He makes his argument very persuasive by addressing many different sides of our current economic situation. King does an outstanding job with the “they

The American dream is something people, mainly immigrants, strive to reach. People all over see the Americas as a magical place, or a place of unlimited opportunities that everyone wants to have. " The American dream is a dream of "getting ahead..."(the right to fail, William Zinsser). What provides for the American dream in modern day society is the rights given to you when you become an American, and the rights to get a job and earn money. The American Dream is accessible because those who can achieve it, and those who try to, can reach it. but because the focus has shifted to realistic terms, it may or may not be accessible to all. It is still accessible because if you try hard enough, you will be able to achieve the American dream of freedom, a home, a job for money, and anything else you wish to be able to do when being an American. Anything can be achieved if you try hard enough and you want it bad enough to work for it. If you don’t try to work, or try to succeed, then you don’t want to achieve the American dream.

In the past, the American dream was a destined form of living. Today, however, the American dream is what it sounds like, a dream. The American dream is "...based on the belief that hardworking citizens can better their lives..." so they can, "...pay their monthly bills..." and, "...give their children a start to an even better life..."(64). However, the cost of everyday items and taxes puts a restriction on the 'American Dream'. The American Dream is not still accessible because those who work more than one jobs can sometimes achieve it, and those who spend their whole income can sometimes reach it, but because the focus has shifted to monetary value, it may not be accessible to all.

The American Dream is a dream to live in a place where someone’s rights and freedoms can not be taken away from them and where they can achieve their goals without anyone stopping them no matter what their background is. People achieved the American dream through motivation and hard work. Although as time passed, they became too lazy to actually work for it. Somewhere along the way, people began to interpret the American dream as a dream to live in wealth. Because of this, it has made them think that happiness is defined by how much money they have. They also started to find ways to get rich quick without working for it. Many people question whether or not the American dream is attainable or too far fetched. The American

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.

Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.