The Causes And Aspects Of The American Dream

The American Dream is the chance for a person of any gender, race, sexual orientation, or or anyone of diversity to have an equal opportunity to change their and become happy and successful in their own eyes. Three books that explain the American Dream are The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. Each book includes the main character trying to change his or her life by finding what makes them happy. They all leave their hometowns and have a chance to start over.

The “American Dream” is overrated. Let’s just face it, it is dead. Not only is this a dream that is almost lusted after by many Americans, this is a widely desired illusion that is far out of reach for most working class people. The American Dream is more than the lifestyle of white picket fences that hold backyard barbecues with your neighbors. It’s earning a living wage that creates a comfortable quality of life, having the security of retirement, and giving your children the opportunity to live a successful life.

America, known as the nation of chance and flexibility, where any man or lady can come and have a reasonable shot at accomplishing the coveted objective usually alluded to as "The American Dream." To many, effectively getting the American dream implies having a steady 2 parent family, with money related success, and rich in political and social opportunities. This "fantasy" be that as it may, is all the more effectively accomplished by specific individuals over others, and in spite of the fact that America prides itself on being the place where there is the "opportunity" and "correspondence", those words serve all the more unequivocally as a wellspring of false reverence and incongruity. One's race, economic

We must restore what we once called the American Dream, not only for our own sake, but for those that will be citizens of America in the nearer

The American dream has changed drastically thru our history. Back in the 1950 and 1960 the American dream was to have the house with the white picket fence and the 2 ½ kids. Now the dream for a lot of people is to be able to pay their bills and maybe have enough money to go out for a nice little dinner that you did not have to cook yourself. The American dream is dead, it is because the concept has changed from the idea that everyone can improve their life through hard work to the idea that everyone can become a millionaire through virtually no work. The United State at one point used to have everything you needed to make this dream happen. But since jobs have been moving over sees we have lost all of that. The American Dream is so

We have all heard of this intense rollercoaster ride that we are on called the American Dream. The term was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining it as “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Since it’s arrival, the Dream has evolved from a pursuit towards “freedom, mutual respect, and equal opportunity” (Shiller) to later one of greed described by Shiller as being “excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth” beginning in the 1960s. Traditionally, the American Dream included features of a nuclear family, that is one with a breadwinning father, a housewife, and two kids, owning a white picket fence home, thriving without financial worries, and a happy family. There has been a shift in focus for the Dream caused by the Millennial generation and in turn they have included features that place an emphasis on equality in all aspects of their lives from family life to the workplace placing their own twist on the Dream. The American Dream has evolved over time to include equal opportunities, college education, and happy family.

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 forty-first president of the United States, George W. H. Bush, once said, “The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something…” As the years fly by, so does the American Dream. With busy lives, many Americans tend to forget the purpose of the American Dream. Failing to make ends meet, not being able to afford the new iPhone and the lack of success that is not America’s fault. People create their successes and failures based on what they desire. Through a person creating their own definition, not quitting once things go wrong, and creating opportunities the American Dream still floods the streets of America today.

Unkept promises diminish day by day. What once may have given people ambition and zeal has transformed into a superficial and consumerist ideal. In the nation’s youth, the American Dream was a promise to the people which has failed to impart its values to future generations. This promise traces back to the foundation that “all men are created equal” and Dictionary.com’s first definition defines the American Dream as “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.” This is closest to the originally intended meaning of the American Dream which perhaps only a minority of the population still recognizes. Politics and economy have contributed to the significant change in meaning and

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 dream has soured and devolved into a nightmare for most Americans. The United States’ debt is currently in the trillions of dollars. Average American households are also in serious and debilitating debt. The cost of living in American has sky rocketed in recent years, but the minimum wage did not follow suit. The American people were forced to take out loans and credit cards to charge basic living expenses like food and gas. It costs around $250,000 to raise a child from birth until their eighteenth birthday. It does not include the ever-growing college tuition. Unfortunately, a college education does not mean that a person will be successful in a career, let alone find a career within their degree. Graduates are forced to move back in with their parents because they cannot find a job that can support a life on their own. After hard working Americans turn 65, they are not guaranteed a reasonable retirement. Many are forced to stay within the working force to continue being able to afford basic necessities. The opportunity to succeed in life has been squandered for the average American. It is only achievable by the wealthiest of Americans who demand the government, and ultimately the country, into bowing down to their substantial and growing bank account. In conclusion, the majority of Americans are now surrendering to

Many years ago today, the United States of America was the prime example of prosperity and opportunity. It established America with the idea that its citizens would be guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, it is true that people have liberties and are free to pursue happiness. However, in recent years, in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment, growing economy inequality, and medical care have skyrocketed. Despite the odds, the American Dream is still a goal that many people strive for and hope to reach. In fact, an essay written by Brandon King, The American Dream: Dead, Alive or on Hold? He says, “the American dream is a dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with the opportunity for each according to his/her ability and achievement…” (King 610-611). Therefore, the problem with the American Dream lies not within the dream itself, but within the means people pursue to attain this dream.

“The American Dream” is advertised as being the act of a person having an idea, goal, or as the saying suggests, a dream, and then them spending time, energy, and money to make it come true. However, if you haven’t realized it yet, there’s a reason they call it a dream because it hardly becomes a reality. More and more people are realizing this so called “dream” is nothing but a hoax, and that the promises America assures and guarantees such as equal opportunity and equal success are nothing but pure manipulation. Furthermore, the American dream no longer stands by the virtue of discrimination and prejudice, overwhelming debt, and failed establishments.

How does a child from a low income household put an end to the vicious social reproduction cycle he/she has no control over? A higher education cannot guarantee affluence but it does provide an opportunity for growth and economic mobility. College is where people from low income families can break free the social inequality they were born into. The US is a country where people can create something out of nothing. Where people are able to give their children everything they will need to succeed and thrive in college. Which is why the US attracts people from all over the world who are in pursuit of the American Dream. The American Dream, an idea, which states that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. The conceptual idea behind the American dream is not what it was 80 years ago. Although "street smarts" are important set of skills to have, academic and communication skills are far superior if one wishes to succeed in this country. Poor and low income families struggle to put their children on the road to success because of the lack of income, and limited the resources they have available or can offered. Which is why underprivileged students should receive additional financial aid and the necessary academic assistance before they reach a college.

What comes to our mind when we think of the term "The American Dream"? For most of us it has to do with increase in our wealth but it has a lot more into it, The American dream is an idea that any American, with enough resolve and determination, can climb the economic ladder, regardless of where he starts in life. The American dream implies that the greatest economic rewards rightly go to society’s most hard-working and deserving members. But is it completely true or we are just overestimating our chances of moving from lower class to upper class?