William Zinsser The Right To Failure Analysis

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 short story, The Right to Fail by William Zinsser, explains how it is acceptable to fail and learn from one's mistakes and to not go down the path society has made socially acceptable. Zinner has a positive outlook on the concept of failing, he explains, “Success can be dangerous- you feel you know it all. I’ve learned a  great deal from my failures.” As life goes on, everyone may not succeed the same way or even succeed at everything they attempt to do, but it is important to learn from mistakes and continue moving forward and to find the path that works for you. Trying new things and failing or succeeding can open new doors to something better.

The great American dream is about seizing an opportunity when it passes by, in the form of education, or blood, sweat, and tears, otherwise known as hard work. America is an opportunistic society, not egalitarian. One has to forge one’s own way in the path of social mobility versus waiting for an equal and fair

“We talk about the American Dream, and want to tell the world about the American Dream, but what is the dream, in most cases, but the dream of material things? I sometimes think that the United States for this reason is the greatest failure the world has ever seen.”

When the phrase “American Dream” is uttered, it is typically associated with having money or striving to have money. The dream of much of the public is to have money and to be able to purchase anything they desire whenever they want. For some, this dream is not about money, but it is about having the opportunity to better his or herself and his or her loved ones. In either case, there are certain circumstances and obstacles that make this dream increasingly difficult to attain. Some would even be willing to argue, the American dream is unattainable. “American Dream” is defined as the concept of every citizen of the United States having an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work, sacrifices, and risk-taking (Fontinelle);

Before any point can be made, we must ask ourselves, what is the American Dream? According to William Zinsser in his essay, “The Right to Fail”, “The American dream is a dream of getting ahead” (Zinsser 93). To get ahead we have to learn, persevere, and achieve. For most Americans, we live our lives day to day and go through routine after routine.

With that, came the American dream. The dream that each person should achieve prosperity through strenuous work and dedication. There has been several works of literature that denounced the American dream as a false prophecy, as only coming true for a undoubted narrow majority of the nation. That is true that the American dream does not come by often. Although when it does, people cherish this nation and call it “ The land of the free and the home of the brave”. American history showed that in this nation, nothing is impossible, resembling what Einstein said “ Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is

America historically owns the reputation of being the land of opportunity, and for generations immigrants have fled to the United States to experience the freedom and equality our government lays claim to. At the root of this reputation is the American Dream, the belief that with hard work anyone can succeed based solely on his or her merits. While definitions of success vary, the American Dream defines it as the ability to become a "self-made man," thereby rising to a more-than-comfortable state of living. The American Dream is believed to be blind to race, sex, or socio-economic status and at a first glance, seems to be almost Utopian. Conversely, repeated examples and statistics of the lower-classes, those continually facing the harsh

Have you ever heard of the dangers of waking up someone who is sleepwalking or how we all evolved from chimpanzees? Both of those are myths, they are not true but as they are commonly spread, many have started believing that they are indeed factual. Myths range from superstitions, stereotypes, and even random facts that were fabricated but believable. Myths are all around us. America, as one of the most popular and publicized countries in the world, naturally has many myths surrounding it, particularly about how great every citizen’s lives must be because they are living in America. When foreigners think of America, they tend to think liberty, the land of opportunity, being able to live a better life and most commonly, the American dream. The American dream is a myth in and of itself. The chances of people from other countries coming to America and living a better life with opportunities to start work at low wages and become prosperous is ridiculously unlikely. The reality of this myth is harsh and discouraging.

America, a land full of promises that are not granted elsewhere. Recently what many refer to as the " American Dream" is becoming an impossible dream. For the reason that, people now cannot get ahead in life financially, students are having a debt that is holding them back, and medical care is becoming unaffordable.

A place where anyone could make it, a place called the “Land of Opportunity.” (W. Cox & R. Alm. 2000). “during the first thirty years or so after World War II, the American dream of upward mobility was a real experience for many people.” (P. Krugman. 2004). Now America is a place where people go without health care because they cannot afford it.

The American Dream comes directly from this country’s principles that each person is created equal, is promised freedom as well as opportunity, and the right to pursue one’s happiness. America assures that if one works hard and achieves success, they will advance into a life of benefit. Along the way to achieve success, many people experience an abundance of failures. In the essay, “The Right to Fail” by William Zinsser, William speaks of how failure isn’t fatal. Zinsser speaks of these generations by stating that, “…in the fluid years of youth, the only way for boys and girls to find their proper road is often to take a hundred side trips, poking out in different directions, faltering, drawing back, and starting again” (Zinsser 81). Innumerable people have experienced failure and have come out stronger because of it. This quote states that taking opportunities is good and so is failure because they eventually lead one to their rightful path. This is also relatable to the short story, “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper” by Martin Espada while he talks about how hard work led him to be successful. Espada worked after high school hours each night manufacturing legal pads. He states that their job required no gloves and nights where they were, “Sluggish by 9 pm, the hands would slide across sharp paper, and gather slits thinners than crevices of the skin, hidden. Then the glue would sting, hands oozing…” (Espada 73). Espada worked hard every day after school, even when his job put him through physical pain. Later in law school, Espada touched back on what made him so successful. Just like Espada, many people take hard working jobs and opportunities to aid them in making a better life for themselves. Although hard work, opportunity, and failure has led many to a road of success in

To many people across the globe, the United States of America appears to be a place where one can be proud of. America the land where dreams come true and there is always a chance for any person to succeed. People who are not from the United States have been painted a beautiful picture of what life in our country is like. Not only do they think that there is a special place in America for them and the perfect career for each individual, but unfortunately this is not always true. The American dream is not necessarily to get rich quick, it is more along the lines of a hard worker having an opportunity to be financially stable and to live a pleasant life. The dream is that their sons and daughters will not have to suffer the same things that

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.