American Dream In The Jungle

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The universal definition of the American dream is: “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” This definition is encouraged to be pursued upon by every American; young and old, rich and poor, black and white, and have and have not. The United States is an immensely diverse country, known as the “melting pot” of the world. Although every single American is endowed with the same basic rights as a citizen, these cultural differences inevitably evoke rifts between societies. Social constructs of inferiority and racism ultimately determine how much more equal some are than others; equal by the means of opportunity and prosperity. Nowadays, …show more content…

Foreign ideas of the American dream call for hard work and sacrifice in order to reap rewards of prosperity and welfare. But with this mentality, the implication is the complete accessibility to these rewards for all classes, almost as if the only variable is willingness. Transparently, this is not what it seems. Many cultural groups who immigrate to the United States bring a zealous doctrine of hard work and accomplishing goals. Hispanic groups are this way, as well as Lithuanian, shown in The Jungle. However, these same groups are subject to social constructs and find themselves inferior to many people, especially Caucasians. It is no secret that a large majority of Hispanics hold remedial jobs such as dishwashers and landscapers. Their language barrier, as well as any other, can have an affect on their credibility, too. Also, while immigrants faced structured social classes in their home countries, the United States also has financial classes. Only about 21.1% of Americans are considered upper-class, while half of Americans are middle class and 29% are lower class, as of 2015 (npr.org). This statistic shows that the majority of America is without the capital to be more than ordinary and just enough to get by. So, the American Dream is difficult for immigrants to come by because of racial discrimination, as well as a wealth distribution in which they could never shift.
Upton Sinclair paints themes of early industrial America in his novel The Jungle; one of the most prevalent throughout being about the accessibility of the American Dream. This book takes place over a course of time in which Jurgis and his family transitions into a whole new world. During the beginning of the book, Jurgis has high hopes for America. He, like other immigrants, envisioned America as

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