Two Sides Of The American Dream

In a country that is based around the idea that you can be anyone and do anything, one would think that most Americans all want the typical “American Dream.” Many would agree that when we think American Dream, we think fancy yachts, designer clothing, and big buildings, but is that really what the dream is all about? By definition, the American Dream is defined as, “the idea that every U.S. citizen should have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination” (“American Dream”). It is the idea that someone that comes from the very bottom can make their way to the top through determination and persistence. But what is considered to be “the top” is hard to

First, let's define "American Dream". "American Dream" is what you would consider a "perfect life." It can be full of happiness, money, love, food, cars, whatever you desire, everyone has a different opinion. One person’s American Dream may be totally different from someone else’s, that is what makes us all individuals. My American Dream would include a good job and lots of money, spare time for my family and I, and most importantly, healthiness.

Through everybody’s eyes is their own version of the American Dream. Whether it’s the stereotypical dream with a good job, a family, and a house with a white picket fence, or it could be just getting by at the end of the month financially. The American Dream doesn’t have a specific image but rather a particular mindset. Lots of people have a goal in their life that they have to work hard to be successful towards that goal, but in most cases that goal may be unrealistic.

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.

Research conducted by Sandra L. Hanson and John Zogby concerning shifting attitudes toward the American Dream states, “lack of thrift, effort, ability, motivation, and self-control are the most popular explanations for poverty among Americans” (Hanson 571). Such explanations demonstrate the growing issues that help to create the darkness of the American Dream. In placing such an emphasis on achieving success, the American Dream belittles those unable to achieve it and allows no room for failure. Though some individuals may work hard their entire lives, they may never find the material success that others such as Ben or Charley do. Even in the case of characters who have worked their entire life, such as Willy, the lack of tangible, material success creates a false idea that they did not do enough or did not work hard enough. Concerning Willy’s career and life, Ben states, “What are you building? Lay your hand on it. Where is it?” (Miller 1271). This statement pushes the misconstrued idea that whatever success one has achieved needs to be tangible and seen, which is not always the case. It can be argued that by the end of his life, Willy had found success. Linda’s proclamation that they were “free and clear” after having finally paid off the mortgage furthers this argument (Miller 1298). Out of debt, and with the comfort of a devoted wife and loving sons, Willy had achieved a life that many can only dream. However, because he and others do not recognize love and happiness as

Everyone 's idea of The American Dream is to able to be happy and successful through hard work and determination.

Lonely and afraid. Looking towards the distance to be presented with nothing but despair. The government, the people, all against you in this fight to happiness. It is the American Dream. The dream was successfully followed by the financially struggling citizens for years, leading them to a “richer and fuller land” until recently. This dream has now become a nightmare. To the men and women living below the poverty line, the American Dream is rarely achievable, and as time progresses, the Dream is furthering away from the grasp of the poor. This difficulty in achieving -- “a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” -- is due to one of the growing challenges in America ; income inequality. This suppresses not only a full education, but the ability to climb up the social ladder in society.

The American dream is the freedom to do whatever you want. It's the freedom to have the job that you want, and the freedom to express your opinions. The American dream is also happiness. It's through the American dream that we achieve this happiness.

In general, the idea of the American Dream is to achieve prosperity and everlasting success through hard work and dedication. Although this is the norm, many people have their own unique idea of what the American Dream is based on how they were raised and what they believe success is. For one person success could be to live in a mansion, while for others it may be to live in a cardboard box. An example of the general idea is in the novel Spare Parts by Joshua Davis, where four teens are out to chase after the American Dream. While the example in the novel is very general, I have my own vision of what the American Dream is.

In my opinion “the American dream” is just an international, economic belief of what the perfect life looks like that many seem to think can only be achieved here, in America. People say in America, there are countless opportunities because there is so much freedom. The barometer that measures the American dream is “success” and “happiness” and how much of this are you willing to accomplish for yourself. Since success and happiness can mean different things to different people, our ideas of what the ideal life looks like never really seems to match that of someone else’s. What one may think of as the perfect life may not appear so perfect to another. Some people chase joy and happiness while others chase money and success. Which, at times, can be influenced by those closest to us, like family and friends.

The American Dream is a concept that has been wielded in American Literature since its beginnings. The ‘American Dream’ ideal follows the life of an ordinary man wanting to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The original goal of the American dream was to pursue freedom and a greater good, but throughout time the goals have shifted to accumulating wealth and high social status. Deplorable moral and social values have evolved from a materialistic pursuit of happiness. In “Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity”, Roland Marchand describes a man that he believed to be the prime example of a 1920’s man. Marchand writes, “Not only did he flourish in the fast-paced, modern urban milieu of skyscrapers, taxi

A Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry in the period following the Second World War. It is divided into three acts and explores the circumstances of the Younger family, a colored family living in the ghettos of southern Chicago. In particular, the play deals with the efforts of Walter Lee, the scion of the family to bring his family out of poverty and into riches by entering into a business venture. The play highlights the psychological and societal barriers to Walter's goal of becoming rich like the white people he sees around him. In effect, Walter's ambitions typify the American dream and the play discusses how the American dream is only a myth against the reality of financial inequality, racial prejudice and constricted social mobility.

To some the American dream can be making a lot of money or to be really famous or to just find a good job. According to Esther Goosens “the american dream is coming from another country, trying to achieve what you want, there’s not so many boundaries… that’s a lot of freedom and that makes me happy.” Also according Shayla Harris in “Defining the American dream” more people think they achieved their american dream now (2009) than had 4 years ago. Many people outside of America believe they can make their American dream a reality, and majority of them try to make that

The American dream to me is being able to have rights and freedom to become an individual that you want to be. I believe it’s to achieve dreams you may have thought weren’t even possible. America is all about miracles and making things happen, nobody gives up if you really want it bad enough. You have to be a risk taker and know that things may not go exactly your way, but in America you make the best out of it.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This statement of declaration holds the founding ideas of the American Dream that “all men are created equal with certain rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. American culture has implanted the idea that we live in a land of opportunity where the American Dream is possible for all citizens. Millions of people from across the globe travel to the United States with the hopes of gaining a piece of the pie (The American Dream). This declaration sounds convincing and easily obtainable, but it is? In his article, “Master of Desire,” Jack Solomon states “The American dream has two faces: the one communally egalitarian and the other competitively elitist…Even as America’s great myth of equality celebrates the virtues of mom and apple pie, it also lures us to achieve social distinction, to rise above the crowd and bask alone in the glory”. Simply put, the American dream promotes the concept of “one for all and all for one” yet entices its citizens with the idea that to succeed it’s every man for themselves. Jack Solomon was right in his claim that the American dream incites competition, yet competition is necessary to achieve success.