The American Dream By James Madison

The idea of the American dream revolves around attaining happiness, success and equality. For higher wealth classes obtaining these components aren't a concern; but for many, the American Dream has become a nightmare. For the poor being able to obtain simple necessities such as food, clothing and shelter is a daily struggle. The price of being poor is a lot costlier then those in the realm of the wealthy. Based on the current economic and social systems in America it does not provide everyone with a fair chance to achieve the “American Dream”. In todays society many Americans believe money is the only way to happiness. True or not true, money certainly isn't a hindrance to obtaining the necessary components for survival. But if the American Dream is no longer about happiness and freedom it becomes solely about wealth and possession. "Money cannot buy happiness." (Anonymous, Spring Board pg.81) represents the concept that money doesn't necessarily play apart in your emotional well-being. Today, materialism is more important than character. Money isn't everything; you don't need it to be happy and certainly not to achieve "The American Dream". In addition to that, although money can jump-start your future it can also drive you into the ground. Dana Gioia, the author of "Money", says "...Money holds heads above water..." Implying money plays a crucial part in keeping your dreams alive while America demands so much. Although finances are a building block to ones version of the

Through everybody’s eyes is their own version of the American Dream. Whether it’s the stereotypical dream with a good job, a family, and a house with a white picket fence, or it could be just getting by at the end of the month financially. The American Dream doesn’t have a specific image but rather a particular mindset. Lots of people have a goal in their life that they have to work hard to be successful towards that goal, but in most cases that goal may be unrealistic.

The United States was founded on a dream. A dream where we would could find our own land and be free from the tyranny of the British government. This dream was freedom. The freedom to become a Fortune 500 CEO that was born in the Southside of Chicago. The freedom to escape. The freedom to be who you wanted to be without anyone holding you back. Even the freedom to escape society and never turn back. The American Dream is basically just freedom. The ability to do whatever or achieve whatever you desire. This American Dream is not the same for everyone. It is unique to each person just as it was for Chris McCandless. In the book, Into the Wild, Chris McCandless goes on a journey to escape society and survive alone

The definition of the American Dream varies from person to person, however, its basic components include a healthy, happy family, a sense of safety and security, and a sufficient amount of money. People from all backgrounds strive to achieve their specific American Dream, however, actually achieving this proves extremely difficult since the nature of the American Dream is often unrealistic, fragile, or elusive. Many artists, authors, and poets use their art to explore or comment on this heavy, complex topic. Specifically, Truman Capote investigates the American Dream through his work of creative nonfiction, In Cold Blood, which centers on the violent murder of a Kansas family in the 1950’s. After interviewing law enforcement officers,

Interpreted in multiple ways and forms, a quintessential aspiration has been the blueprint for Americans when engaging in perfection in politics, economics, and society. This “American Dream”, depicted by Jim Cullen, is a Puritan-inspired strive for opportunity presenting itself as an universal standard that constitutes to ultimate success. The reality of this Dream is a flawed repetition of a continuous pursuit of happiness, where one bleeds and sacrifices to be “happy”, and the constant modification of a new value and faith that resonates within each society introduced. The variation of this dream is communicated through the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, where wealth, faith, and happiness is never satisfied in the three core locations of the plot. With the longevity of this dream continuing to create insecurities and unease today, the two elements from Cullen’s interpretation of the American Dream that resonates within the dynamic setting of the Fitzgerald classic are the incompatible rendering of new faith/worship in different environments and the unstoppable pursuit of happiness, revealing a dissatisfaction with the dream.

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.

In the early 1800s, Americans and immigrants moved to the west for various reasons. These reasons includes rumors of gold and silver,the transcontinental railroad, and the Homestead Act. A tremendous reason is push-pull factors. Soon after moving to the west, settlers soon figure out moving was a not so good decision. In the west, there were prairie fires and unfarmable land. Disputes rang out between Plain Indians and settlers that were violent. Federal agents to make agreements/treaties that were considered misunderstanding and fraud. Native Americans forced onto reservations. The natural world of the American of the West was destroyed by new coming settlers. There were many hardships and motivations for moving West.

America historically owns the reputation of being the land of opportunity, and for generations immigrants have fled to the United States to experience the freedom and equality our government lays claim to. At the root of this reputation is the American Dream, the belief that with hard work anyone can succeed based solely on his or her merits. While definitions of success vary, the American Dream defines it as the ability to become a "self-made man," thereby rising to a more-than-comfortable state of living. The American Dream is believed to be blind to race, sex, or socio-economic status and at a first glance, seems to be almost Utopian. Conversely, repeated examples and statistics of the lower-classes, those continually facing the harsh

What is the American Dream? Some describe the American Dream as a two parent family with two kids and a dog living in a home with a white picket fence. Others declare having millions of dollars and a beach home is the ultimate goal. So, what exactly is the American Dream? In the Conservative conference speech “We Will Be a City upon a Hill”, Ronald Reagan demanded that traditional values defined the American Dream while President Obama argued equality was quintessential. In both presidential speeches, they each discussed two vastly drastic interpretations of the American Dream however, their speeches both themed constructs seen in Jim Cullen’s book to support their arguments.

The American Dream is steadily changing as time goes on and some say this is a bad thing. As different generations come about the dream changes with the people. As stated by Dan Kadlec in the article “Millennials Put Their Surprising Stamp on the American Dream” the American dream is now seen as having control over your daily life. Today 's generation has seen some of the main aspects of the original American Dream fail greatly so they have made up a new dream. With the things Millennials have seen change and go wrong they only believe that they can achieve a day to day lifestyle, but should this really be the case? In another article named “The Hourglass Society” it’s stated by Stewart Lansley that the middle class is going backwards. The idea of the ‘hourglass’ is that there are large amounts of people on the top and the bottom, but not many at all in the middle representing the middle class. This article also states that the American Dream is now only a myth and this generation only has a “fear of failing”. Many say the American Dream is dead but is the dream really dead or are people too afraid of failure? Millennials of today have seen so many bad things happen to their parents that they just settle and this shouldn’t be the case. The American Dream is only going to die if we let it happen.

The American Dream rejoices with the stories that begin with humble beginnings and end with prosperity and success; the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a story of upward social success and increased affluence and freedom. Douglass narrates his own life and tells of his failures, thoughts, and accomplishments over the span of his life. He began his life at the bottom of society as a slave. Through hard work, an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and the ability to maintain and fight for his beliefs, Frederick Douglass attained the goal of the American Dream and eventually became a free man. Douglass’s transition from uneducated slave to free citizen was slow, and began when he would pay children in his neighborhood with bread to learn how to read. As a child Douglass recognized the value of education and would sacrifice so much to be able to learn to read, in part to spite his slave owners. With this foundation, he knew he could become accomplished. He used his self-taught education to encourage other slaves to learn and become literate. This foundation and bank of knowledge allowed Douglass to escape from slavery and become a free man. The early scenes in Douglass’s life prove to influence and encourage his success throughout his lifetime, which, in turn, provides further support of the value of the American Dream.

How would one feel if they spent their entire lives working towards an unattainable goal? That goal is the American Dream, a term that can be loosely defined as one’s attempt at what they believe is success, whether it be a family, high-paying career, a beautiful home, or all three. The American Dream can be whatever one makes of it. James Baldwin and William Buckley strongly debated this issue with underlying similarities but ultimately Baldwin had a stronger argument. This House Believes in the American Dream is at the Expense of the American Negro, was a historic 1965 debate about society’s mistreatment of the African American race throughout history. Baldwin highlighted that white Americans innately believe they are still superior to African Americans and their pursuit of the American Dream holds more weight while Buckley attempted to discredit him. Baldwin drew scrutiny to the social injustices faced by blacks in their daily lives especially in their pursuit of the American Dream and attempted to direct white America’s attention to the issues that desperately need a solution.

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 exists in the hearts of all Americans and is a concept that drives many people from all over the world to want to come to America. It holds the promise of infinite possibilities and allows them to escape a society of poverty and racism. This Dream also exists in the hearts of many Americans already living in America. However, this dream primarily exists in the minds of minority populations, such as African Americans, whose past is full of discrimination based on their race. The American Dream not only offers success in the form of economic stability but also acceptance from society regardless of an individual’s race or religion. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, shows how the American Dream is not often available to

Throughout American history, there is a variety of great authors who have brought the many genres of literature we have today. Many hear names like Edgar Allan Poe and automatically think of a dark short story, or two, from his collection of works. But how many authors are there which give strong visualization and experiences that not many individuals may get the chance to examine in their life? Around the early 20th century, African Americans were slowly progressing into being intergraded in society as citizens of America. As there were many complications with this adjustment, African Americans were held back from living what everyone else would call “The American Dream” through the next few decades and still fighting for it. About 1955, the Civil Rights movement began for equal rights of African American citizens to be treated equally as everyone one else. Many activists got involved with the movement to help pave the way for a brighter future. There were powerful leaders like Martin Luther King Jr; Malcom X who was more on the religious side and their voices heard through media around the nation. Then there were leaders like James Baldwin, an author and a Samaritan to African Americans.