The American Dream Research Paper

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

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.

We have come a long way from the publication of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In hopes of change, colonies came together to declare independence against the British King for his indictments. The Declaration of Independence was made entirely opposing the Kings unfair motives, injustice of systems, and the absence of public services. For which these opposing actions towards the king, was the general idea to become the American Dream. That dream consists of equality, justice, and freedom. The dream of freedom is for everyone to say and do as they please regardless of sexual preference, religious believes, race and body image. Freedom is opportunities to educate oneself, to better them and their children’s future. But after

To achieve higher expectations of success than the previous generations, and accomplishing what hasn't already been accomplished, can be considered the overall American Dream. Generally, every child wants to surpass the achievements of their parents as a natural act of competition and personal satisfaction. Throughout The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and Death of a Salesman, there is a constant yearning desire to achieve the “American Dream;” whether it be reality or illusion. Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller, all portray the ideas of the American Dream relating to the time period that they are referring to. The strive to achieve a goal whether it be to be the wealthiest or achieve a great life by hard work seems to be the template

The American Dream. Three words that give hope to those who never imagined having it. Immigration isn’t something that can be understood by those who never went through it; it’s more than a term, more than some citizenship papers, more than a new country, it’s a completely new life.

The American Dream has historically been defined as upward social mobility through hard work and determination regardless of circumstances at birth. However, it seems that this dream has died. Those in the lower and middle class find themselves working multiple jobs just to survive. They live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to save money to allow them to buy a house and escape from their economic perils. I believe the American dream is dead because people are no longer capable of upward social mobility without getting lucky at birth due to wage inequality, rising housing costs, and retirement insecurity.

The American Dream is, in many ways, aptly named. Like dreams of sleep, it is not very grounded in reality, generally hard to replicate, and when remembered, it's a bit fuzzy around the edges. Still, it is ever present in American life. Every goal post set up seems to point along this path. The American education system is oriented to enable its students to succeed in America, and, ideally, succeed in reaching this ethereal American dream. After all, there is a reason it’s considered a dream and not a fantasy. Fantasies are impossible and improbable. Surely, something as attainable as the American Dream could never be called a fantasy. And yet the school bell still resembles factory chimes, as if to prepare children for such a job. Of course, we cannot fully blame the school system for attempting to equip its pupils for success in American life. But it must be asked, regarding schools or simply the nature of our society: is the American Dream taught? Or is it based in some

The American Dream has influenced the hopes and future of many Americans. One person’s dream will not be the same as another, because dreams are like snowflakes, there’s never two that are exactly alike. “... each person has the right to pursue happiness- not a self-indulgence, but as fair ambition and creative drive” (American RadioWorks- A Better Life). Many people may have a harder path to achieve their dream, but with hard work and their ability to freely pursue opportunity they will make a better life for themselves. In previous years there has been economic problems that may have impacted many people lives, for example the civil rights act, women’s rights, and gender equality. Many people still question if this concept is still available for everybody, if it was even real, and if it is will it exist for future generations. In this paper, it will help you understand the history and how it originated, American Dream in literature, complications and the interference that it may have, and the recurring question, is the American Dream dead or alive?

What is the American Dream? The American Dream is the ideal that every American citizen will have an equal opportunity to achieve success depending on how much hard work and effort they are willing to put into their individual dreams. The American Dream takes each individual dream a citizen could have and gives the inspiration a person needs to achieve their dream. The American Dream started when American was first founded and has continued on into today's society. America has changed drastically from when the pilgrims first came and with these changes, the ideas of the American Dream have mostly stayed the same.

The American Dream is a broadly known philosophical idea which thrives around the moral that all individuals have an equal opportunity to thrive and become successful in America. My parents, born and raised in India, decided to move to the United States in search of an enhanced quality of life, where the economic opportunities were endless and a brighter future was essentially guaranteed. In my paper, I will discuss how the new, changed, and promising immigration policies caused me to grow up in an upper-middle class community, which has directly impacted the number and quality of opportunities I have in life.

The American Dream was an idea made by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It stated that it is the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. However for many that hasn’t been the case. The american dream unfolds in a way that only suits certain people, many aren’t apart of this group. Many people struggle to not just reach, but actually have a difficult time finding an American dream to believe in.

Before looking at what American dream is today, we need to look at its roots. It has always said that the government will protect your opportunity to improve your life, no matter who you are. While some believe the American Dream can be obtained because America provides access and materials to be successful, others question the concept of the American Dream because it is different for each person.

There are certain ideals and values, rooted in the American country’s history, some of these are Liberty, Equality, Freedom, Individualism, Volunteerism, Mobility, Unity, Patriotism, Progress and The American Dream. James Truslow Adams quote, "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 or achievement." Many people combine Liberty with Freedom, it can have different meaning to different people, to me liberty is having the Freedom from all the society’s restrictions, being able to do what you wish without harming others, being able to chose what you want to do or participate without being forced to do so. We have so many individual

“Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people? Do you know? When he died- and by the way he died the death of a salesman, in his green velvet slippers in the smoker of New York, New Haven and Hartford, going into Boston- when he died, hundreds of salesman and buyers were at his funeral. Things were sad on alotta trains for months after that. In those days there was personality in it, Howard. There was respect, and comradeship and gratitude in it. Today it’s all cut and dried, and there's no chance for bringing friendship to bear- or personality. You see what i mean? They don't know me anymore”(Act 2). Willy was upset that he couldn't be just like death of a salesman. He knew no one would remember

As a situation that Willy was involved in, his relentless pursuit of the American Dream causes him to lose his job with his boss because he was trying to discuss possible business ideas that he thinks he truly deserved for. [“WILLY: Pull myself together! What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I? (Willy breaks off, staring at the light, which occupies the chair, animating it. He approaches this chair, standing across the desk from it.) Frank, Frank, don’t you remember what you told me that time? How you put your hand on my shoulder, and Frank... (He leans on the desk and as he speaks the dead man’s name he accidentally switches on the recorder, and instantly)”] (Page 59, Miller) Willy did indeed get worse as his pursuit of his perfect career of a salesman gradually makes him lose everything. Not only that he tried to lie to others, he deceives even his own family because he was obsessed of being the perfect salesman that he doesn’t realize his actions were horribly immoral to begin with. The idea of perfection conveys a strong ideal force within Willy. Everything must be perfect for Willy. So everything that he says or acts upon is considered “perfect”. He tries to portray this status to others but it horribly fails. Willy can’t