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“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.” ― (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). We can not change the weather, but we can change how we look at it. I believe the American Dream is very alive in today's society. It is all about your perspective on life. It may mean having all the money in the world to one person, or it may mean being surrounded by loved ones to another. The two have similar properties but are different at the same time. First, Money supposedly can not buy anyone happiness. A miraculous amount of people will defend their ideology to their last breath to prove this fact wrong. Most of these people have been as low as living in the slums to to as high as living in the rich part of the
Is the American Dream dead or alive? To many the American Dream is the ability to work hard enough to fulfill their dream and unlock opportunities for success. In the article “Is the American Dream Still Possible”, David Wallechinsky demonstrates the many problems in Americans way. He provides family and individuals stories that explain the reason they don’t believe in the American Dream like prices going up and citizens not getting paid enough. He makes his claim convincing to make individuals believe that his perspective is correct.
In the article "Is The American Dream Still Possible?" By David Wallechinsky explains personal stories and statistics in regards if the American Dream is still possible to achieve. As for Oden from Georgia "has since started his own business, a 'leadership and personal development' consulting firm. His wife, Josett, works as a representative in the health-care field "I do believe I will recover But the traditional American Dream? For most Americans, it is still a dream—a pipedream”(56). Principally, there's different interpretations of what the American Dream consists of.
“Living the American Dream” If you look up the meaning of the American Dream, you will keep finding definitions similar to this one: “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The real meaning of the American Dream, however, varies from whom you ask. Many people argue that the American Dream is alive and well, whereas others might argue that the dream is pretty much dead. If you ask me what I think, I personally believe that the American Dream was once a farfetched goal of the people of America, where people dreamed of going from rags to riches. Though the dream might still be alive, it is no longer what it used to be.
Some say the American dream is completely dead in today’s society. No. The American dream is alive and well for those who will go the extra mile for it. People may believe it is dead due to factors that may “hinder” a person from achieving it. These factors include, but are not limited to, discrimination, lack of job opportunities, debt, natural disasters, etc. These theories may be proven wrong in most cases, with the exception of some. The American dream is the idea that anyone, no matter the situation they are currently in, can eventually live a happy and stable life in America. The dream is attainable for a willing individual, who will work hard for what they want. This does not mean it will be easy, nor does it mean
The American Dream according to the collaborative efforts of the Oxford Dictionary and Bing Translator is "the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative". The American Dream was originally made as the idea that anyone can be successful in America, that regardless of your background you can go from rags to riches almost overnight with the proper effort. It seems to me however, that the modern idea of the American Dream is different. To me, the American Dream is the idea that one can live life as they choose without any individual having the right to belittle their ideal life. That is not to say you can live the life of a criminal and no one would care, but you can choose what and who you want in your life without being supressed. In America today, you can be almost any religion you desire, love someone of any gender, and choose a career path for yourself that you want without others forcing religion, opinions, or ideas upon you. This idea to me is the modern ideal of the American Dream, but regardless of which view of the dream you believe in it thrives within America, and both ideas of the dream still pertain
The American Dream is the most basic tenant of American life. It is the belief that through hard work and American exceptionalism that anyone can move themselves up to a better economic standing, which leads to a better life. An ideal that almost seemed to be a reality for quite some time in America however, the last few decades have shown a decline of the American Dream. Which leads to the question, what the hell happen to the American Dream?
The idea of the American Dream still has truth in today's time, even if it is wealth, love, or
The American Dream was created at the beginning of The Great Depression in the early 1930’s. It was used to influence people to work harder to try and make more money. The Dream was used as a sign of hope. The Dream is what every American wanted. The American Dream back then was having a big house (pic of the house) with a white picket fence, and a family of four (the perfect family), the family had two children, a boy and a girl and a stay at home wife/mother who cooked and cleaned all day while the father worked all day. That was the Dream then, but now in 2015 it has altered completely. The dream now is not about having a flawless family, but about having
The American Dream, recognized as being the earning of a college degree, the owning of one 's own home, taking vacations and experiencing upward social mobility, is a very important belief that helped create the success that America is today. Many people believe that anyone who works hard and has determination can achieve this American Dream. In this day and age, experiencing the American Dream is believed to no longer be as available to Americans as it once was. The economy and corporate America have had a strong impact on the availability to reach this state of success. Everyone wants to live the American Dream, whether they know it or not. I have never met a person who did not want to become successful. Even I had a strong belief that the
The American dream is the very foundation this country was built on. The belief that an individual can take their dreams and make them into reality . By actually taking the cards you've been dealt and changing your life with enough perseverance, self sacrifice and dedication and not relying on luck or chance. Initially, the dream is based on the concept of being able to achieve upward mobility in society regardless of your race, gender, economical and social background. It relies solely on the belief that everyone is considered equal. Unfortunately, it was an extremely long time before this country was able to succeed in providing those rights to all individuals. "Inequality, then, is less an inevitability than a choice… we can alter the course of inequality" (Leonhardt 543). What makes one person achieve and obtain the American dream over someone else or is it just one huge hoax?
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
Everything changed in August 1963. America was mesmerized with the famous speech “I Have a Dream” delivered by Martin Luther King. People from all over the nation gathered for one single motive, social justice, and with that citizens of the United States yearned hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow in which they could see a breaking dawn to a day full up roaring opportunities for everyone disregarding their ethnic background, gender, sexual preference, or economic standing. This soon led to what is now known as “The American Dream.” America’s reputation for being the land of endless possibilities has captured both foreign attention as well as native patriotism. Success here in America is defined as having a good social position and a plethora of
A writer, George Monbiot, once said, “If wealth was the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire”. John Steinbeck’s views on the American Dream in his novella Of Mice and Men agrees with Monbiot because Steinbeck expresses the American Dream as obtainable, but not for everyone. In his novella, the characters George Milton and Lennie Small acquire a job at a ranch in the Salinas Valley during the Great Depression. These men have their own American Dream that they work towards, yet don’t achieve. Through these characters, Curley’s wife, and Crooks, Steinbeck illustrates that even through hard work and the drive to succeed, people may not always achieve their own American Dream.
Despite this, the American Dream is just as relevant to American culture today as it was in the 19th century and in many ways still attainable. The American dream for some people is measured based on what someone has and can afford; for others it’s simply about family. In fact, The American Dream is very personal. The idea that this country offers so much opportunity that can be obtained by anyone provides people with the ability to dream their own dreams.
What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy.