American Dream Thesis

The American Dream is a concept that can be interpreted in multiple different ways, but the underlying idea is that it is the ideas built around America being the place where anyone can become successful. At one point the American Dream was about reaching dream-like goals such as becoming rich and famous; however, the idea has become more realistic because it is about being able to own a home, have a job, and live economically stable. In the past many believed the American Dream and it is the reason why many immigrants come to America seeking better lives. However, the idea of the American Dream is seen has decreasing and many people believe that this generation is going to be the first to do worst than their parents. An article “The American

Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” by Brandon King, which presents the topic of the current status of the American Dream, has its strengths, yet it could have been more effective in some areas. The article’s greatest strengths are its introduction and the evidence; however, the article would be more effective if it talked about the opposing side less.
The introduction of this article is strong and captivating because of the following reasons: the organization, it mentions the other side, and the thesis statement was mentioned.

The organization of the introduction is strong because it is in a reasonable order of giving background, mentioning the “They Say,” stating the claim, and expressing the three main points. King explains the background of the American Dream concept by explaining how “James Truslow Adams…wrote that the American Dream ‘is that dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth’ (1931).” This background knowledge gives the reader enough information to understand what the American Dream. The introduction also sets up the thesis statement by mentioning the “They Say” of the conversation, which is that “Many liberal economists and activist say that the American Dream is dead” (citation). However, King continues to say he feels the American Dream is “more alive and important than ever,” which is how he clearly states his claim and gives the reader a glimpse of what is going to be discussed. Further, King expresses the following main points to support his claim about the American Dream: “it is the key to climbing out of the Great Recession, overcoming inequality, and achieving true prosperity” (citation). All of these aspects of the introduction aid King in

making sure his audiences knows exactly what this article will be about.
The evidence is also a strong aspect of this paper because it supports the claim and main points, and there is a lot of evidence. The evidence presented within this article supports the claim that the American Dream is “more alive and important than ever” and it does this effectively throughout the article (citation). The article provides evidence that better his argument; for example, the author mentions a study that shows how “Americans have permanently changed their spending habits as a result of the Great Recession” and this information was found from a survey he cited. In addition, there are multiple sources used throughout this article that support the claim and involve the counter argument. The author mentions sources that involve the opposing side in order to remain fair in his argument and refrain from sounding biased; for instance, he mentions an economist, Paul Krugman, who “believes that the American Dream is no longer possible from most Americans,” in other words, he believes that American Dream is dead (citation). The fact that King provides evidence for both sides of the argument—whether the American Dream is still relevant or not—shows his credibility has an author because he doesn’t show any bias or disregard the opposing side completely.
Although providing information about the opposing side is essential to making an effective argumentative essay, King mentions too much information about the opposing side.

Because of the constant mentioning of the opposing side, King appears to be contradicting, which confuses the reader on his position. For example, King provides evidence that suggest that the American Dream is dead: “weak national real estate markets, sluggish job growth, and the slow recovery of liquid assists lost during the recession are obstacles to a full recovery,” but he fails to effectively argue ways to overcome these obstacles and support the initial claim of believing the American Dream is still alive because “it is the key to climbing out of the Great Recession”(citation). This is also evident when King mentions the opposing views of both Robert Reich and Paul Krugman because King gives their opinions but do not rebuttal in order to prove his claim. These aspects of the article make King seem confused on what he actually believes, which takes away from his credibility because he isn’t staying on topic with his original

claim.

To conclude, Brandon King’s article is not ultimately effective in its purpose. The purpose of this article was to show how the American Dream is still alive. Although the article started off strong with it’s introduction and its amount of evidence, the article ended up unorganized and confusing due to the amount of focus on the opposing side. Therefore the ineffective aspects of this article put weighted the effective ones because they caused King to appear implausible and confused with his thoughts. However, if King had addressed the opposing side with his rebuffs the article would have become more successful.