In the summer of 2009, on June 29 the legendary Michael Jackson was announced dead. Michael Jackson was a music genius and prodigy. The King of Pop was the most successful entertainer of all time. For four decades, Michael Jackson changed the way artists all over the world looked at dance, music and fashion, making him a global icon in pop culture. He truly changed the world. Most people would look at him and say he lived the American Dream to the fullest. From the talent to the fame, he had it all. He was successful, rich, famous, and admired all over the world but do these aspects of his life really relate to those of someone who has lived the American Dream? Many people when talking about the idea of the “American Dream” primarily thinking of the romantic aspects of this idea. People think of the key elements of the American Dream such as equality, liberty, independence, hard work and success.These romantic elements of the American Dream are then emphasised in the world. People much like Walt Disney built an empire off of these romantic ideals such as “You can be who you want”, “ If you can dream it, you can do it”, and “Hard work equal success”. These parts of the american dream are the very appealing parts of the american dream characterize. This side talks about the reverse of the romantic ideals. For example, how hard work does not always result in success, there are many other factors that contribute to those that are highly successful. Every American wants to live out the american dream of equality, liberty,hard work equals success but in reality is it very rarely obtained. These ideals from both the romantic and the realistic side of the american dream are strongly expressed in books such as Great Gatsby, The Outlier... ... middle of paper ... ...ese, the person doesn’t have to work for anything for they were already born into riches therefore their lives up until they are old will continue to be filled with riches. A prime example of Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton is an American heiress due to her great grandfather being the founder of the Hilton Hotels, which are now a bombing corporation. Being born into such a wealthy family, she found it apropos to take up the opportunity to become anything she wanted such as television personality, businesswoman, fashion designer, model, actress, producer, DJ, author and singer. Not everyone is given the opportunity to become successful heiresses such as Paris Hilton. That is what make the idea of “hard work equals success” very dependent upon natural born talent and opportunity which in turn makes this aspect of the American Dream more realistic rather than romantic.
For centuries, the American Dream has motivated citizens of the United States to go above and beyond in their efforts through life, yet not everyone is hoping to reach the same outcome. The stereotypical prosperous dream was for the average individual to have a successful job with a supportive and wealthy family. However, for some, their idealized version of the American Dream is different. Although the American Dream came in variations, a commonality within all of them was the pursuit of happiness. In the epilogue of The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams argues his idea that the American Dream cannot be defined by one type of accomplishment or triumph. He claims that the American Dream cannot be defined by one type of achievement or particular success, reiterating the fact that the dream is not about tangible goods creating a sense of artificial happiness, but every individual seeking to fulfill their utmost potential. Adams saw that the American Dream was eroding into a need for material possessions, causing him to combat the shift and attempt to preserve the original idea. This theory is echoed in Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle. Despite being hindered by
In the United States there is an idea many pursue called the American dream, which differs from person to person. The American dream according to americanradioworks.publicradio.org is “a revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition”. Yet it has been said there is no real definition of American dream, instead it merely proves that it has an unconscious influence in American mentality (Ştiuliuc 1). The American dream is different for each person because everyone yearns for things that will they hope will in return make them happy. Whatever that may be, each person goes through different struggles to obtain what they want. According to Frederic Carpenter, the American dream “has never been defined exactly, and probably never can be. It is both too various and too vague” (3). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse depicts the different interpretations on what the American dream actually is through the opinions and actions of Hector Esperanza, Efren Mendoza and Mrs. Calhoun.
We were raised considering the jobs we could do in the future and the universities we may attend; we heard that hard work and dedication was the only essential to fly in this world. Everyone was aware of the standard of living that was expected and few hesitated to buy into the legendary dream. The American Dream itself is what we all grew up desiring. Suburban homes, multiple cars, hefty paychecks and fantasy vacations are its elements. The American Dream is exclusive and unsatisfying at its core.
The Founding Fathers once preached that the American Dream entailed the right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” nothing more, nothing less (Declaration of Independence). For centuries, the American Dream meant having a good job, owning a house, having a nice family, and generally enjoying life the best way possible. As history progressed however, people started working toward achieving individualistic success by any means necessary. Go back to the 1930s in New York City one fine spring morning. A boy, Moss Hart, remembers that back then “wealth, rank, or an imposing name counted for nothing. The dream of the wonderful American consisted of having a decent chance to scale the walls and achieve what they wished” (Kamp 1). Now flash-forward a century into the year 2014. Today in America, success does not reflect how muc...
The American dream has been a tangible idea, greatly sought after by many over the course of American History. The dream has eluded many, to strive for achieving in America’s open markets, and become a self-made man from the sweat of one’s brow. The idea of become self-sufficient, and have limitless dreams that take one as far as they are willing to imagine is captured very differently from The Great Gatsby to A Raisin in the Sun. Both novels seem to have the American dream as their subject, but both end up having very different outcomes to how one achieves it, and if the dream is truly in existence, namely with the characters of Jay Gatsby and Walter Younger. The books mainly brushes upon the idea of what the American dream truly is, how one achieves the dream, and what the real fulfillment the dream encompasses.
Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal for people living in the United States for decades. People believed that the way to get there was through hard work, also known as the “Protestant work ethic”. The American Dream can vary depending on the person. Some people think that owning a house with a white picket-fence is the American Dream while others think that it is becoming a celebrity with a lot of money.
As individuals, we have our own ideas of what the American Dream consists of. To some it may be the realm of possibilities, while to others it may be fame and fortune. America is the only country in which the idea of a national dream has been continually upheld, and we have been a model for other nations to follow. Foreigners have come here to live the dream, and all the while Americans are still struggling to find it. As we continue to search high and low for how to find or how we can buy the dream and make it a reality, Americans have promiscuously thrown their money around in hopes of obtaining the dream and consequently are broke and more miserable than ever. Does the American Dream actually exist, and if so, is there really a way to achieve or acquire it after all these years of unrelenting pursuit?
... shining, his golden opportunity…the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him…”(qtd.in The American Dream). A person who “manages” to achieve his or her version of the American Dream is often said to be “living the dream”. However this concept has been subjected to great criticism because some people that the social structure of the U.S. prevents such an idealistic goal for everyone. May critics often allude to various examples of inequality rooted in class, race, ethnicity, and religion, which suggests that the American Dream is not attainable to everyone. The principles of the American Dream are too idealistic. Everyone has dreams and goals, but the American Dream is one that is infinite and endless. It is very difficult to live the dream when so much of it is obscured by the government.
In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...
... his aspirations. His dream symbolizes the larger American Dream in which all have the equal opportunity to get what they want. Nonetheless, the failure of his personal dream also typifies the collapse of the American Dream as a whole.
America is in a Great Recession, and the American Dream seems to be dying (if not already dead) to many Americans. I don’t think that the American Dream is dead; it just needs rehabilitation due to the injuries it sustained from the hands of an unregulated government. Though we are in a Great Recession, every American can progress their lives for the betterment of themselves and future generations. According to Brandon King (2011) in The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?: “…the most worrisome problem is inequality: that wealth is concentrated into the hands of a rich minority.” Because of this, many Americans and politicians are arguing about either “raising the taxes on the rich” or “supporting the richest sectors in America” (Thomas, 2011) to stimulate the economy. In the articles I have read in They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, both Cal Thomas and Brandon King seem to believe that the government should not tax the rich minority more than the poor majority. I disagree with both Cal and Brandon and believe that the rich should be taxed more than the poor. However, the income from the taxes should be put to use for the betterment of the poor majority of America.
Wealth, material possessions, and power are the core principles of The American Dream. Pursuit of a better life led countless numbers of foreign immigrants to America desiring their chance at the vast opportunity. Reaching the American Dream is not always reaching true happiness. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby achieves the American Dream, but his unrealistic faiths in money and life’s possibilities twist his dreams and life into useless life based on lies.
With America actually being seen as the land of assurance, the American dream is usually associated with the freedom and opportunity of gaining prosperity, recognition, power, triumph, and contentment. On the surface, this dream appears virtually delighted, offering individuals the exceptional hope of accomplishing success despite of one’s race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is accurately what it seems to be the chance of perfect lying nearby the corner. However, the actual nature of this dream prohibit the pleasure of the victory one has earned, as the desire is always demanding one to work a slight harder and gain a slightly more.
Becoming rich and famous is the most common and what most people think of when asked what the American Dream means to them. However, as mentioned before there are many definitions or individualistic ideas as to what the American dream means. For example, in Jillson’s chapter, he mentions how Benjamin Franklin and him assuring immigrants that even though they may arrive in America poor, that if they work hard that would soon become masters and establish themselves in business, marry, raise families, and become respectable citizens. That is what the many immigrants coming to America viewed as their American Dream being completed. Cullen discussed several different American Dream. One of them he mentioned was the dream of upward mobility. In this
Michael Lewis portrays the American Dream as pursuit for a better life and it requires a