The Meaning Of The American Dream

My interpretation of what it means to be an American includes the “American Dream”, freedom, and racism.

The topic of The American Dream has been brought up on many occasions. The arising issue that still ascends is whether or not The American Dream is alive or dead in the United States. The American Dream has come to the generalization of the personal perspective of any individual. The history of The American Dream has always gone back to the common man thinking of their future generations to come and how he will implant a positive outcome throughout it. Many now believe that the ideal plan of The American Dream cannot even be met anymore. Values and beliefs are now being questioned towards the aspect of upward mobility, the cost of education, jobs, and even affordable housing. Referring to an executive editor and vice president of Time Reporting, he states, “combined with a formidable American work ethic, made the pursuit of happiness more than a full-time proposition” (Meacham, Keeping The Dream Alive). This statement is targeted towards the actual definition of what The American Dream actually meant in various societies in the past. Happiness and a full-time of gratitude were critical aspects towards being met because it was the initial reason for this ideal. Some of the key causes and components that affect the way The American Dream is supposed upon today is the basic principles of economics, education, and a downward spiral. These reasons lead to The American Dream being considered in a diverse way with much complexity. The American Dream was different from the past and

Across the economically, ethnically, and socially diverse United States, millions of unlike Americans share the same desire to overcome the vast array of obstacles the modern day era presents in the hopes of becoming the ideal member of society. Looking back at multiple generations, evidence of this drive to succeed can be found in the roots of society’s progression. This omnipresent goal that motivates the population to build sustainable lives has become known as the American Dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and Barbara Ehrenreich’s nonfiction piece Nickel and Dimed, the protagonists define the American Dream in contrasting yet similar ways in response to the time periods in

Do you ever wonder at what specific age or phase in an immigrants' life do they start to develop their American Dream compared to a natural born American? Do both dreamers have the same exact dream for themselves? Dreamers often must go through devastating and life-threatening situations to get through the small and big obstacles to achieve The Dream. Eventually, over some period, immigrants and U.S citizens are able to overcome these obstacles and achieve their American Dream. With so many immigrants emigrating to the United States it is safe to say that not everyone holds the same exact American Dream. When an immigrant starts to develop the American Dream, it is often way different than what a natural born citizen's dream may be,

Ever wondered what it is like to be truly free, safe, or have a true friendship? In the 1930s, people constantly asked themselves this question, as they traveled the country in search for work. In the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George Milton and Lennie Small are in search of a new job to provide a steady income. An inspiration that always keeps them on track, and something to look forward to is the American Dream where they will own land, and have truly achieved freedom. In the real and cruel world, can one especially as unfortunate as George and Lennie really accomplish the freedom, safety and friendship of the American Dream? Throughout the story the reader sees many people who want

The American Dream is the number one goal in America. It is believed that anybody in America can become famous or successful, own a large house and fancy cars, and have equal freedom and justice. The biggest wrecker to this Dream is consumerism. Consumerism creates a dyadic relationship between buyers and business owners. Business owners use advertisements, strategic planning, and focus on a particular audience in order to get closer to the American Dream. This causes the buyers to be pushed even further from the American Dream, and simultaneously the business owners get even closer.

The things we wish to see, reach, and experience in this life never really come into full motion. That is why life can be classified as a sad carapace on our exteriors as people. Realistically we attempt to better ourselves, looking for new opportunities to advance in job market; with aspirations to move up in the social hierarchy. Thought realities continue to show how frail we are as individuals. However, should this be the premise our break-point, to give up, throw in the towel? If so than I am quite sure humanity and this ideal notion of the American dream is a thing of the past. Why should individuals even brother attending school, starting a family, and obtaining a job? Has this really become the norm? Without a job and without money from said job it would practically be impossible to survive. Unless you are being supported by family member or your family is wealthy, but unlike wealthy families working class families still struggle. As human beings, with the knowledge we possess today how can we allow for that burden to be placed on our loved ones. The thing is we can’t, but the question we have to ask ourselves: are we to become drones working two to three jobs to make ends meet? This is also unacceptable, but this is the only choice that’s viable, sometimes in life its do or die: a concept life has delved onto individuals since the beginning of time. Still the optimist in me believes we can become more than just working drones in a society that favors the rich. Unity

Every person in the United States is entitled to free and universal public education to create a collective democratic society of individuals, prepare them to participate as citizens of the democracy and provide students with the tools and knowledge to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is an ideology that if you get an education, work hard and are a good citizen, you will succeed in life. However, with systemic inequity in our education system, specifically disparity in quality of education, the opportunity for education, achievement gaps between race and class, and segregation of schools, many children are not receiving the education they need to achieve so-called American Dream. Due to these systemic inequities in our

People from all over the world migrate to the Unites States of America in hopes of living out the “American Dream.” Most do not realize, however, that the “American Dream” is perhaps only meant to be lived out by stereotypical, hetersosexual, Caucasian Americans. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a scholar, writer and a 25 year member of the American Sociologist Society, would argue that the “American Dream” in and of itself is extremely gendered.

The American dream is what maintains the steady flow of immigrants into America. Overtime the American dream has given a new hope to immigrants. People come to America in hopes to improve their lives in a way that makes them happy to be apart of the country. When people immigrate to this country and contribute to the betterment of society, they become American. When people look at this country and the citizens from the outside, they do not always see what Americans see as being American. Being American has taken on many different meanings over the years. What it means to be an American is a complex definition, however, three words that can best describe what it means to be an American are equal, free, and prosperous.

While the American Dream has a variety of definitions with different emphases, my own American dream in a broad definition consists of being able to look back on my life as an older adult and have no regrets because of a missed opportunity to live outside the usual. Since I was young, joining the military has always been something I wanted to do, and yet I know there are risks (such as being trapped in a job you don’t want, with a low salary, on a terribly boring base, with annoying commanders for a very long time). I also know there are great opportunities in the civilian world that I may like to do as well with the interests that I have. So concerning careers, I want to make the right choice, assuming there even is a right choice. If the

In Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, the theme of the American dream is used to define how Family and the pursuit of Wealth can’t coexist together at the same time. An individual must decide which path they want to pursue, or at the very least which one is of greater importance then the other. It is this struggle to form both a tight-knit family unit while pursuing one’s desire to, not only, be financially stable but also well off as well within Miller’s character Willy Lowman.

Thomas Jefferson, father of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States once said “When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty”(Find Quote:Thomas Jefferson). In this statement, Thomas Jefferson encapsulates the nature of freedom and critical to government sentiment the people have held. People such as Thomas Jefferson have been able to encapsulate the spirit of the American Dream through their writings. Since before the conception of the United States of America, the American Dream has been inside the hearts of many around the world who wish for a new and better life. A life without government tyranny of poverty; for as long as it has been in the minds of every American, it has continued to change as time has progressed. Three primary examples of a change in the American Dream are the Revolutionary Era, The Transcendentalist Era, and the Great Depression Era.

The “American Dream” is a complicated thing. Not only because it’s intangible, but because its realization is based, nowadays more than ever, in the personal happiness of the American individual. What could be more complicated than a dream that must fit every member of a post-modern society that has more choices and independence than any other generation in history as our birthright? The simple dream of our proud, self-sacrificing immigrant forebears- a cozy split level with a beautiful yard, happy pup and healthy kids all guarded by a pristine white picket fence- is often perceived as a prison of unwanted responsibility and limitation to us. To my own millennial mind, there are myriad factors involved when we begin to discuss the home owning aspect of the more traditional “American Dream” of our parents and grandparents. There is absolutely no question that a new American Dream is afoot, especially where the proverbial hearth and homestead are concerned. Over the course of this essay, I will describe this dream and how I believe it came into being.

The American Dream is the idea of equal opportunity for all, with freedom to do what you want with your life. It is the idea that what you can achieve depends on how much work you put in, but with some people today putting in years of hard work and diligence only to never move up in the world the reality of this dream is beginning to be challenged. Believers of the American Dream claim that everyone has the same basic set of rights and opportunities to succeed, but with there being so many varying people with different economic and cultural backgrounds immigrating to US are there enough opportunities to go around? I believe the American Dream is dead because new generations aren't making as much as older generations, the poor are staying poor and the rich are staying rich, and due to discrimination some people are born having less opportunities.