The American Dream William Zinsser Analysis

The “American Dream,” according to Truslow Adams, is “being able to grow to the fullest development as man and woman.” This ideal is not based on fame or wealth, but on enough to sustain a family and live comfortably, with a steadily rising income and a decent home. It is to be believed that hard work along with the “great equalizer”, education, allows individuals the freedom to determine their own life path, regardless of their background. The idea of the American dream ensures upward social mobility for those dedicated enough to achieve this lifestyle. In spite of that, recent arguments have said that this dream is either dying, or already dead. In his book “Dream Hoarders,” Richard Reeves counters that the American Dream is in fact alive and well, but simply being hoarded by the upper middles class.

America still to this day holds on to the idea of the “American Dream”. This is rather surprising in today’s society and the ups and downs that the nation is facing. The dream in the past was more about freedom and equality. Moving through the decades, this dream has morphed into something quite different. Instead of what America means for all of its inhabitants, the nation has become more individualized. Society has moved to interpret the dream of what America can do for the one. Instead of the unified nation, America has been known for in the past, a shift has started creating an inconsistency in who can realize the dream. The myth of the “American Dream” has been hugely affected by increased materialism, the gap in economic status, and the fantasy of “rags to riches” idea.

The American Dream has held a special place in the hearts of patriots since the very founding of America in 1776. It has been a subject of many authors who grapple with its attainability, and is a beacon of hope gazed upon by victims of circumstance. The Dream has been interpreted by great minds in various ways, and has been deemed both an evil deception and a great promise of a better life. However, the American Dream has morphed from this promise of opportunities and second chances--in fact, it has become viewed as a cause for societal competition and the reason for decreasing happiness among the American people. As Americans attempt to “achieve their goals,” and “keep up with the Joneses,” they subject themselves to the materialistic cycle of greed. Success, and the goal of the American Dream, has been redefined. To be put simply, the American Dream is now to be richer than one’s neighbor, despite the fact that happiness--and thus, the Dream--cannot be achieved solely through wealth and material goods.

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

Many years ago, my grandparents came to the United States in pursue of the American Dream. They came chasing opportunities and in hope of gaining a better life. As the years passed, they achieved their goal and continued their journey as dreamers. The American Dream as seen by many today is that any person, regardless of their background, can achieve great things in America as long as hard work and effort is put in. Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, uses his 1925 novel as an allegory for his interpretation of the American Dream. The American Dream is a never ending dream; those who pursue it thrive for more, and those who achieve it are never satisfied.

A spacious home filled with two kids and a beautiful wife in the middle of a suburban utopia. Two cars sit in the driveway, both less than a few years old. A fully stocked refrigerator and pantry sit quietly in a modernized kitchen. Your bank statements reflect a healthy savings, with more being added to it each month. A secure white collar job provides the benefits and flexibility to take a quarterly vacation. When people are asked to envision the ‘American Dream’ this is what you might expect to hear or imagine yourself. America has become the land of opportunity, where this dream is just a few quick signatures away. For many this dream was once very attainable, but over the past 40 years as cost of living and education has increased and average

The American dream can be defined as the promise of living in America with opportunities for all, regardless of social class, and according to their ability and effort (Schnell, 2010). Proponents of the American dream believe that there is equal opportunity for all in the American society to achieve success. Success is not pegged on social status, race, or creed, but rather on an individual’s own efforts. The definition of the American dream has unique interpretations to different people. The most common meaning is that of a life of abundance and prosperity, characterized by economic rewards that enable one to live a middle class life of comfort. Here, success is measured by material possessions such as beautiful homes, cars, a high

Thomas Edison -- the inventor of the light bulb -- failed 1,000 times before perfecting his design. Why should we raise a young person, a student no less, to a higher standard than America’s greatest inventor? The nation pushes people forward, telling each individual that they are not allowed to be unsuccessful. This causes a multitude of people unnecessary stress; there is no longer a “good enough,” one could always do better. However, one shouldn’t be required to always do better; according to Zinsser, we need to “take a hundred side trips . . . Faltering, drawing back, and starting again” in order to find our purpose. “Failure” isn’t a dreadful word -- it is a valuable one that holds no venom in its

The American Dream has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. It has become a foundation of ideals and hopes for any American or immigrant. Specifically, one of the ideals that always exist is the dream of America free of class distinction. Every American hopes for a society where every person has the opportunity to be whomever he or she desire. Another ideal in the American dream is the drive to improve the quality of life. As one’s idea of the American Dream gets closer and closer, often times political and social ideals of America cause their American Dream to take a turn for the worst.

As time has went on the meaning of the American Dream has altered. When Adams trademarked the term the American Dream, the idea of it was for people to become “better and richer and fuller,” (Adams 412), but now as 20th century inventions have been introduced to society the dream has changed. People want what others have and what is portrayed as glamorous and prestigious. A prime example is Gary Soto’s recollection of his childhood obsession with wanting to be like the families he saw on the television saying, “I very much wanted to imitate [the families from Leave It to Beaver and Father

The United States of America is the most powerful and wealthy country in the world. The varieties of class, individuality, religion, and race are a few of the enrichments within the "melting pot" of our society. The blend of these numerous diversities is the crucial ingredient to our modern nation. Even though America has been formed upon these diversities, its inhabitants- the "average American"- have a single thing in common; a single idea; a single goal; the American Dream. The Dream consists of a seemingly simple concept; success. Americans dream of a successful marriage, family, successful job, and own a Victorian-style home with a white picket fence and an oak tree with a swing tire in the front yard. The

More recently, the American Dream has been skewed and corrupted by people’s craving for money and power. “In the 1920s, the American Dream started morphing into something less about equal opportunity to become the best you can be, and more about the acquisition of material things,” and that shift has had an everlasting effect of the way that Americans live

The American Dream is , according to Clark , an opportunity for anyone to achieve their goal or dream regardless of birth or position (paragraph 1). Throughout the years in our prosperous land of freedom, our forefathers have created a country with hard work and determination so that any man can thrive. Over time an enormous variety of people, who have made their dreams a reality ,are living results of their plight. Clark claims that the American Dream is not a pursuit towards fancy cars and high wages (paragraph 1). The earliest generation of American citizens were humble and had no need for such luxuries

What is an essential attribute to the prominent American Dream idealized across America? Is it, the ability to rise after falling thousands, and thousands of feet under? Perhaps, it’s the capability to make something awe-inspiring out of absolutely nothing! Or better yet, the power to pursue your dreams, and accomplish them. In particular, a well known writer named Wally Lamb stated that,“If you want your prayers answered, get up off your knees and do something about them” (She’s Come Undone, 294). He’s stressing the fact that, in order for an individual to obtain an aspiration, he or she needs to put the effort into achieving it. Likewise, Amy Dunne a character from the spellbinding story Gone Girl mentions, “I have a book deal: I am officially

The American Dream is surely based on the concept of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” but it is above all, a matter of ambition. James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian, in 1931 states: "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”, which not only points towards a better standard of living for Americans but also denounces a degree of greed in the US society. Ambition not only “killed the cat” but killed relationships as well in texts like Sister Carrie and Death of a Salesman. While the American Dream was supposed to be a collective success at its initial stage, ambition, along with a pinch of greed and materialism were perfect ingredients