Standards Of The American Dream

    The American Dream is a lifelong objective that many Americans aim for. This Dream is not the same for every person in the United States, and throughout the course of American history, it has changed gradually. From the beginning of time, the dream was to own land and to live off of it, but now it has branched out into so much more.  According to Google Dictionary the American Dream is “the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” This is not always the case because though Americans work for what they have and to be where they are, the American Dream is not always attainable. Some believe that the American Dream is just a dream and sometimes it is, but it can also be a reality. To attain the reality of the “dream” there are obstacles that differ for everyone. Of these challenges are wealth, gender, inequality, race, and social class. The American Dream can remain a dream or become a lifestyle depending on the hard work one is willing to put in.

With the current state of affairs in America, many wonder whether the American dream has become just that: a dream. Gone are the days of mass immigration, when millions left their home countries in search of a better life in the United States. Today, many Americans struggle just to stay afloat while those at the top continue to prosper. This is particularly true for women, who despite having more freedom than ever before, are still subject to discrimination and inequality. Racial minorities are also at a disadvantage, with systematic discrimination making it more difficult for them to obtain jobs and climb the economic ladder. In addition to this, the wealth gap prevents many, regardless of gender or race, from achieving a middle-class life, or anything more than that. Americans cannot still achieve the American Dream because of gender and race inequality, as well as economic inequality.

What is the American dream? The simplest version of the American dream is a nice house and family, with the white picket fence in the front yard. For many families this dream came true, but for others, it was not quite possible to achieve. In Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, Nick gives his thoughts on Gatsby after things between him and Daisy fall through. He says “He must have felt he had lost the old warm

Anyone coming or currently living in the United States has a dream, or better yet known as the American Dream. What is the American Dream? Well, Brandon King, author of “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” quoted James Truslow Adams, who wrote that the American Dream “is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement, regardless of coral class or circumstances of birth”(610). Everyone’s American Dreams are all different, but a majority of them all have a few things in common, that is becoming financially fit, acquiring a good education, and pursuing the opportunities that were not available. Brandon King expresses that the ideals and values of the American Dream are very much alive. However, Paul Krugman author of “Confronting Inequalities” bring up several excellent points as well, regarding that not all Americans can pursue the American Dream because of all the inequalities Americans currently possesses. Achieving the American Dream is not impossible, but it is harder to attain now than how it used to be with social, income, and racial inequalities being the primary cause. As of now individuals has to overcome many of bias barriers to reach the American Dream which used to be a lot easier to gain back in the 1940s-50s.

The American Dream is pivotal to America's upbringing and culture. It has existed before America has. Its is the belief that a person could achieve success in America through hard work. The American Dream is somethings everyone wished to accomplish, and for good reason. However, the dream is increasingly getting harder to achieve than ever before. Be it for prejudice, persecution, social constructs, or even sexism. For some people, the American Dream is still a reality, but for others it will always be a 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.

People have always asked what really is the American Dream, and there is no right answer. The Dream changes along with our society and economy. The older version of the Dream varies greatly from that of now. It is no longer about maleristic things and trying to one up your neighbor. Many today see the Dream as a much simpler task than they used to. No longer must one sweat and break their back climbing up the ladder of success. The Dream is much easier to achieve and keep a hold of. Today, a simple middle class family is what is considered as the American Dream. After the Great Recession, which had a large impact on the American Dream, families started to save back all of their money instead of wasting it

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.

The American Dream is tougher for people to achieve because of their gender, where they live, or their race. Different perspectives of The American Dream include having a family, a supporting job with good pay, or just straight up success. But to achieve that success may be harder for women because it is clear that they make 80 cents for every dollar made by men. Also where you live may determine your success because there is a stigma for going to school in an urban area rather than a suburban area. Our society contains to many unnecessary roadblocks to The American Dream and leads to individuals who work really hard for something but cant get to the next step because of their gender, where they live or racism.

"The American Dream is "a dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, fuller and with opportunity for each. It is a dream of social order in which each man and woman should be able to achieve the fullest stature of which they are capable of, and be recognized for what they are, regardless of the circumstances of birth or position."

In general, the idea of the American Dream is to achieve prosperity and everlasting success through hard work and dedication. Although this is the norm, many people have their own unique idea of what the American Dream is based on how they were raised and what they believe success is. For one person success could be to live in a mansion, while for others it may be to live in a cardboard box. An example of the general idea is in the novel Spare Parts by Joshua Davis, where four teens are out to chase after the American Dream. While the example in the novel is very general, I have my own vision of what the American Dream is.

In this world, there are many people who believe that the American Dream is no longer attainable. Different views play a part in the American Dream. It is very common amongst people. Whether it is attainable or not depends on the person. My feelings on the issue are that I do support Kathy’s position on how America is filled with opportunities but I find the text in the Crucible to be equally persuasive as well.

How well do people, american citizens or soon to be citizens, understand or realize the American dream? Some suggest it is freedom. Is that all it is? Has America lived up to its standards? The land of opportunities, is what America has been called, and while this is true in some ways, there are downsides to this country that you may not know about.

The American Dream is a concept that is essentially older than the United States, dating back to the seventeenth century. It was then when people began to come up with hopes and aspirations for the newly discovered, unexplored continent. The “American Dream” is in essence the idea in that puts forward the notion that all people can succeed through hard work, that all people have the right to the pursuit of happiness, and be successful. The definition of the American Dream has been expanded upon and redefined over time. The concept of the American Dream has always been debated and put under criticism. There are many that believe the structure of American Society belies the idealistic goal of the American Dream. It points out examples of

What is the “American Dream”? The American Dream has always been characterized by a thriving job market, opportunities for advancement, stability, etc. It is “the pursuit of individual achievement without consideration for moral or legal restrictions” (Angulski, 2013). This idea dates back as far as 1630 to the puritan colonists. It was first established within a sermon given by John Winthrop while sailing to Massachusetts. This sermon set into motion the ideals that we have adapted today enveloping the “American Dream”. From then on Americans put their faith in the theory that if you work hard and do the right thing you will manifest your goals and eventually attain success and comfortability. The dream of the time was to live in a land where there existed a right to religious freedom and opportunity. This ideal has stuck to this day, however the validity may is no longer intact. The American Dream is a mere afterthought within today’s society, overtaken by massive debt and loss of opportunity. The American Dream is the greatest asset we as a country possess, “the fact that people from across the world still want to come to America to fulfill their dreams, to join a society that they see as dynamic, exciting, and full of potential, is a testament to the great potential of America to improve lives and offer opportunity for all” (Ross, 2016).