The American Dream : The Ideas Of The American Dream

The American Dream is an ideology that multitudes strive for; immigrants coming into the United States, whether legally or not, arrive here hoping that they may be the lucky ones that find it. Those born in poverty look upon the American Dream as an opportunity to excel, to have wealth and to live a life different than the one they had growing up. The American Dream symbolizes success. For the three women in American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation’s Drive to End Welfare by Jason DeParle, success represented different ideologies. For these women, and others like them, the success myth held barriers that prevented them from achieving the success that could easily be obtained by others.

Despite working hard to achieve the American Dream and to have a prosperous and successful life in America the rising costs of college and housing as well as lower pay in some states creates debt for many Americans. Although other people around the world come to America to reach the American dream, but are halted by all of the costs that reside to become a part of it.

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" is an idea that has always been different throughouttime. It changes in diverse forms and in the end involves success. The "American Dream" was a phrase used by the American people and peoplewanting to become American. It was always the idea that you can become a success. This is true in a partial way, but the true "American Dream" is that with somework and determination anyone can build themselves up in the economic classsystem.

The American Dream is indefinable. There is no one set of words or characteristics that the entire population assigns directly to its definition. With the American population consisting of people of various races, ethnicities, ages, classes, and genders, it seems trivial to even attempt to attribute a single definition to the concept of the American Dream. It is this inability however, to be confined within one single meaning, that allows for the American Dream to govern the desires and goals of the large and diverse American population. And, regardless of all of the heterogeneity within society, the American Dream is generally a goal of all American peoples. In examining this idea, I began to think about the specific meanings attributed to the American Dream for different types of individuals. I broadly outlined the American Dream for myself, to represent the belief in hard work as a pathway to success and raising oneself in society. Consequently, this higher position in society allows for the possession of increased amounts of power. My definition however, neglects to take into account the certain other societal constructs that could possibly have a decisive role in how to both define and achieve the American Dream for the wide variety of people who pursue it.

American Dream: Noun, the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. That is the definition of the American dream according to Dictionary.com, but the American Dream is more than a definition, but a way of life for many. Millions of immigrants come to our country in search of this “American Dream” including my grandparents but more and more are disappointed. So does the American Dream exist? Has it ever existed or has it all been an illusion?

American poet Archibald Macleish once stated, “There are those who will say that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is the American Dream.”  The concept of the American dream is the potential for hard-working individuals to prosper and conquer one's goal where they weren’t able to in other places. The novel, “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald and the short story, “Negocios by Junot Diaz refer to characters that are dedicated to overcoming poverty and achieving what they believed was the American dream. The main characters in each text, Papi and Gatsby are making their life’s mission to better themselves for love and affluence. Both characters are allied in the idea that they are trying to pursue the American dream, but while Gatsby personifies this desire through Daisy and wealth, Papi epitomizes the aspiration of economic stability by coming to the United States.

Does learning the English Language affect one’s chances at attaining the “American Dream”? In my opinion, I believe that English is a gateway to achieving the American Dream. English is one of the most dominant language in the world. According to the Babel Magazine, it is the third most spoken language by number of native speaker and probably the most commonly spoken language. English language greatly influenced in every field of study and our daily basis that it is inevitable for people to ignore it. By becoming proficient in English, one’s is a step closer to achieving American Dream.

        Over the years immigrants have come to America in hopes of achieving their dreams and finding success. But is America really what it’s thought to be? Can their American  dream become a reality?  Everyone in America has the dream of achieving success and wealth through their own hard work and determination. But due to the vicious cycle of poverty most are unable to achieve their American Dream.  The cycle of poverty in America is affected by many factors including racism, high cost of living,    education, and mental disability/illness.

The American dream, the once great aspiration for all red white and blue ruffians regardless of background- racial or economical- has always existed with a degree of falsehood- at least for the majority of Americans. In times of great crisis it has been rallied behind, serving the communal need to move forward for something, anything . But despite protecting it, from harsh winters and gunfire, from powers foreign and abroad, this faux hope has done little for even the best citizens of this great nation. The American Dream is an almost entirely false promise, whilst some still have a decent shot at this alluring American golden ticket, immigrants, people of color, the poor, to them it seems to have always been out of reach.

When you hear someone say, “that person is living the American Dream,” what is your first initial thought? Growing up in the late 90’s early 2000’s, whenever I heard someone say that they are living the American Dream, I always thought of it as a perfect family. I imagined that the husband was the breadwinner for the family who provided and supported his family, which he had a beautiful wife, along with two well-behaved, and respectful children. I pictured the woman staying at home raising the children, having the house cleaned and having a small part time job if she wanted. When you heard, people speaking about them you heard how close of a family they were and how much they loved being with each other, it would be as though they were living a perfect life. No one put this thought in my mind and no one ever explained this to me, I was always raised that the man should be the man of the house, provide and protect his family, while the wife is the typical wife.

To what extent is the American Dream a reality, a promise, or an illusion? Readers can infer what the American Dream means through extensive reading of American literature. “The Great Gatsby”, “I Hear America Singing”, “Of Mice and Men” and, ” I Have a Dream” all show how the American Dream is either a reality, a promise, or a dream and I will tell you what I think of each.

I think you had this pegged right it was the American Dream The premises of this nation’s wealth and social status have always been desired and worshiped. The non-wealthy white population wanted to be part of the elite. To be a slave owner with power and wealth was a status symbol that many had but strived for. A maneuver form the wealth elite planters was to suppress the few that did have slaves by supporting that strong culture of racism in order to maintain their 5% control.

The american dream what americans all over this country have aspired to be. But over the last decades the American dream has changed. The old American dream was to have a good paying job and a good family with a house and children. But now the American dream has changed to wanting to live the life of movies stars and billionaires no longer is ordinary exceptional. Americans thrive for something greater than their parents had and something greater than they had for their children. But the new american dream is one that can not be obtained by a high school diploma like it was 60 years ago. College is the only way to that goal. so I thought how could anyone who is struggling to make rent or put food on the table able to send their child to college and the truth is that they can't. I thought

The American dream. Something thousands come to this country looking for, and millions already in the country who are still looking. For some, this idea that success and happiness are achievable regardless of your starting point in life is unrealistic, whiles others will insist that it is our duty as Americans, to create our own meaning of the American dream so that our happiness and accomplishments are not compared to other persons. This is why we must quality the American dream. It must be clear what it means to be successful and truly accomplish the American dream, but also, how to do this. We can break down and qualify the American Dream using three things. The first, everyday happiness, next, equality, and finally, the endpoint.