Is the American Dream possible in the historical context of the novel?
By Rosie Thomas
The term “American dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life. Many people have expanded upon or refined the definition to include things such as freedom, fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Someone who manages to achieve his or her version of the American dream is often said to be “living the dream.” This concept has been subject to criticism, because some people believe that the structure of society in the US prevents such an idealistic goal for everyone. Critics often point to examples of inequality rooted in class, race, religion and ethnicity that suggest that the American dream is not attainable for everyone.
The idea of an American dream is older than the US, dating to the 1600s, when people began to have all sorts of hopes and aspirations for what was a new and largely unexplored continent to European immigrants. Many of these dreams focused on owning land and establishing a prosperous business that — theoretically — would increase one's happiness. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, authors often wrote about the idealistic American dream, somewhat codifying the concept and entrenching it in American society.
The Declaration of Independence protects the American dream. It uses the familiar quote: “We hold these truths to be
The American Dream originated in the early days of the American settlement, with mostly poor immigrants searching for opportunities. It was first manifested in the Declaration of Independence, which describes an attitude of hope. The Declaration of Independence states:
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.
The American dream is about social class mobility; the idea that one can move from a poor family to the middle or even wealthy class. It bears the notion that one’s origins does not determine status but rather with hard work and sacrifice anyone can attain the level of success that they dream off. Whereas many attribute the tenets of this paradigm to the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”, the term, American dream was actually coined by writer and
The American Dream is in favor of a certain group of people.It is structured in that because of many different factors. Many individuals are challenged daily by trying to accomplish the American Dream. They work more than normal to obtain their dream of success.This is a good thing that these other people try to achieve this goal more. Education,money, and housing are the main aspects of the American Dream. If a person does not achieve one of these then they do not achieve the dream persay. Only the white man in America has the ability to achieve the standards of the American Dream due to racism.
The ”American Dream” has been re-defined – in many ways. A spouse with 2.5 children standing in front of a two-story colonial in a quiet neighborhood is not everyone’s dream. Some people make a conscious choice not to bring children into the world. Some millennials want the right to marry whomever they chose – male or female. Some people prefer city living to suburban life. And, in today’s economically stressed times, some millennials have opted for alternative living arrangements to put their money towards actually living life – travelling, volunteering/donating, socializing, and/or advanced learning.
The American Dream is likable to any other living entity in that it will constantly change in order to conform to the environment to which it occupies. To garner a further understanding of the abstract concept that is the “American Dream” I looked to the writings of early American novelists such as Thomas Wolfe and, the original coiner of said term, James Truslow Adams. In their writings, they had described the “American Dream” to be, in essence, the representation of the pursuit of a given individual to reach and attain their respective goal through hard work and determination (Library of Congress, 2017). For many, the American Dream consists of potentially attaining their respective dream career, settling down, owning a home, and starting a family that can thrive in that home. Unfortunately for many Americans, career aspiration do not always play out the way that we intend for them to. In the place of attainment of career goals some settle at buying their own home. Though much has changed since the term was first coined in the early 1930s, the American Dream continues to thrive today, no matter the trials nor tribulations. In this particular day and age, we consider the development of the American millennial generation and their pursuit of said dream. According to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, homeownership among millennials has been on a steady decrease since 2004 falling from roughly less than 45% to less than 35% (Annual Homeownership Rates
One of the main goals of being an American is to live the American dream. There are people who say that the your dream can happen if you work hard enough, but then there are those who have lost hope. What is my dream and how do I obtain it? In simple terms I would graduate college with a degree and find a white collar job and work to support my family and also having enough time to spend with them. The world is not so simple. To give a more defined explanation, I have become a straddler. As described in the book Limbo by Alfred Lubrano, a straddler is someone who is moving from one social class to another. There are four main social classes. Upper, Middle, Working, and Lower class. Me as a straddler, I am making the effort to move from the Working class to the Middle class, and from there to the Upper class. Knowing what straddlers do is one thing but, how you become one is another.
The “American Dream” gives individuals an opportunity to believe that success, happiness, and wealth are attainable, yet their dreams are devalued and diminished into a thought that is unreachable. Unfortunately, not all factors of the American Dream are attainable due to limitations such as illiteracy. Individuals that are illiterate have difficulty contributing to society, which causes them to be invisible amongst other people, these citizens are deprived of essential liberties such as freedom of speech, and freedom of expression. In the text, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” by Jonathan Kozol, he expresses the detrimental effects illiteracy can have on the lives of millions and how it continues to undermine the concept of democracy. Democracy is distinguished as the given rights to humans; however, the knowledge of illiterate citizens are belittled and stripped which is essential in making decisions such as voting, hindering future generations in progressing and threatening constitutional rights that are crucial to living.
Opportunities are all over the place in America, a person can come from nothing and work hard and manage to come out in the end successful, the opportunities are far and wide. American culture revels on individualism: Freedom of speech, liberation, and the value of an individual are some of the things that are associated with America. The American dream where folks in the US have the liberty to follow their dreams, no matter how crazy or unconventional they are. And while the economy might be crumbling and social mobility isn’t exactly easy, a lot of people still manage to achieve what they want through hard work, luck and determination. Unfortunately, the American dream is becoming more and more materialistic. I suppose when you look back at America from 40 to 50 years ago to now, it has always been a bit materialistic, but viewing America today vs back then, it is a nation that has become obsessed with shopping and buying unnecessary products. It seems almost predetermined that our nation would be centered on material goods because when our land was first established, it had immeasurable riches. People from all over the world come into this country in search of the American dream, which involved, above all, freedom. However, the American dream has vastly transformed into a country where cultures united and solidified into a materialistic culture.
The American Dream is alive and well. For many Americans, this dream has become a reality. The American Dream of owning a home is also a nightmare for a lot of other Americans. Although the American Dream is a sense of prosperity and success, it is understandable that many Americans will not be able to reach their goals. It is also safe to say that there are Americans that have a different American Dream. Today, newer generations of Americans have a different view on what happiness means to them. Millennials, although they may have different dreams and aspirations, still seek their true happiness and goals. There are also some factors that may contribute to their hesitation of homeownership. Some factors may include; the 2008 financial market, credit scores, home cost, being tied-down and having a different mindset. I will address these topics throughout my paper.
Some people feel that the American Dream cannot be achieved by all people. They believe that the idea of an American Dream is dead. I on the other hand, disagree. I believe that the American Dream is not dead and is instead achievable to all who aspire and work hard for it.
The American Dream is the idea that everyone is created equal and has the opportunity to achieve success through hard work and dedication. Owning a home is an example of the American Dream. This concept is “alive” with the millennial generation, but I would not classify it as “well”. Millennials seem to be pursuing their own personal visions. Some of those visions do not include home ownership, but some do. Those that desire home ownership simply cannot afford the cost. Because of rising college tuition and the sparse job market, this dream seems out of reach for many. To attend their college of choices, most millennials could not even move out of state because the tuition is so much higher. The students that did manage to finish college are spending several years paying off student loans, making it harder to pay a mortgage. Therefore, there is much hesitation to the decision of owning a home for millennials because of finances. Most of this group chooses to live with their parents and pay off bills before beginning their lives in debt with home ownership. Of course, there is the option to rent, but this is almost like throwing your money down the drain. Most young people do not understand the value in purchasing a home instead of going with an immediate, less expensive option of renting.
The common interpretation of the American dream is the idea that no matter your social class or wealth, you will be able to achieve the life you want through hard work and determination. There are differences in opinion on whether or not the American Dream is real and achievable but I believe the American dream is true to an extent, not everyone is going to be a millionaire. Though I don't believe anything is achievable I do believe that it is possible for anyone to have a better life than your parents in almost all circumstances because of the role entrepreneurship plays in our economy, scholarships for colleges allow education for degrees, and the amount of times people have achieved their american dream.
The American Dream has been affecting the lives of immigrants for many years now. The dream can either make or break your life. A select few rise to the occasion and live the dream while the rest fall into the depths of American society. Some people believe the dream is alive and well while others believe it has slipped through the cracks. The only way that one can achieve the American Dream is by having the drive to either support themselves or their family.
The intention of the American Dream was for people to be able to improve their quality of life, which has many factors. But instead of focusing on the advancement of pleasure and one’s own goals, the original hope of the Dream, people tend to strive for the accumulation of wealth and status. Although the Dream can have different meanings for each person, the misunderstanding of its purpose has led to today's warped view of the idea.