Clark Alludess To The Declaration Of Independence

448 Words1 Page

According to paragraph one, the American Dream is when people have good lives and opportunity. It is when people can live up to their full potential no matter the social status. In paragraph one it is said that “It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely…” (Audra Clark). The American Dream should not be about materialistic happiness, it should not depend on how much you own, but on how you succeeded at making a life for yourself and being able to provide yourself with what you have.

In paragraph two Clark alludes to the Declaration of Independence. This supports Clark’s thesis because it is stated that all men are created equal and are born with unalienable rights. These rights include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rights the Declaration of Independence says we are born with are an essential to the American Dream. Without these rights how would anyone be able to achieve their happiness and what they believe they …show more content…

The reality is that those people are limiting themselves. The American Dream should be available to anyone. A person can come from any background and be able to achieve the American Dream, because it is achieved by hard work and determination. If someone has the will to do it, they can achieve whatever they want.

In paragraph four Clark gives three examples of the American Dream. “Some say, that the American Dream has become the pursuit of material prosperity… Others say that the American Dream is beyond the grasp of the working poor… yet others look toward a new American Dream with less focus on financial gain and more emphasis on living a simple fulfilling life“. There are many different views of the American Dream, this is because everyone has their own perspective of the American Dream. Not everyone has the same thoughts and ideas. Some people think one thing and others think something

Show More
Related

  • Puerto Rican Obituary by Pedro Pietri

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    the “American Dream” a dream that is unreal. The American dream was intended for people of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of 'American Dream: In Creating America'

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Perhaps the closest we can come is to say that the American dream represents both what Americans believe themselves entitled to and what we believe themselves capable of. In other words, it is the promise inherent in the idea of America itself. (147)”

    Read More

  • Joyce Moser And Ann Watters's American Dream

    1743 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Creating America, Joyce Moser and Ann Watters say, “Perhaps the closest we can come is to say that the American dream represents both what Americans believe themselves entitled to and what they believed themselves capable of. In other words, it is the promise inherited in the idea of America itself.” Here Moser and Watters say there is no clear definition of an “American Dream”, but their interpretation could be the closest there is to one. We feel ourselves entitled to things like life of prosperity. We also measure what we have with how much we are capable of achieving. Moser’s and Watters article relates to the secondary texts in the form of Expectation vs Reality. The following texts will have their own personal way they fit into the

    Read More

  • The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and its Illustrations of the American Dream

    1462 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American dream can be defined as the promise of living in America with opportunities for all, regardless of social class, and according to their ability and effort (Schnell, 2010). Proponents of the American dream believe that there is equal opportunity for all in the American society to achieve success. Success is not pegged on social status, race, or creed, but rather on an individual’s own efforts. The definition of the American dream has unique interpretations to different people. The most common meaning is that of a life of abundance and prosperity, characterized by economic rewards that enable one to live a middle class life of comfort. Here, success is measured by material possessions such as beautiful homes, cars, a high income, and the ability to spend on luxury items. America is considered a land of plenty, and as such, many who come to the United States in search of the American dream have this form of success in mind.

    Read More

  • Declaration Of Independence

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    It was the 4th of July in 1776 when delegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full significance of what was about to take place that day,the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people.

    Read More

  • The Declaration of Independence

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence for the American colonists to proclaim freedom from Great Britain's oppressor, King George III. American colonists had been suffering for many years when this important document was drafted. King George III had pushed the colonists into a state of tyranny and most decided it was time to start an independent nation under a different type of government. Jefferson focused his piece toward many audiences. He wanted not only King George III and the British Parliament to know the American's feelings, but also the entire world. The time had come for an immense change amongst the American colonists and Jefferson made sure everyone was aware of it by using his superior strategies of persuasion.

    Read More

  • Declaration of Independence

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Declaration of Independence was brought forth in a unanimous act to Declare the thirteen United States of America to become Independent. This was taken place on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress for the citizens of the United States. It was then published on January 18, 1777. At this time in history, the values, attitudes, and beliefs held within the country are introduced to us the same as our present day because we as a country still base our freedom and ways of life through political terms within the Declaration of Independence. This quote simply portrays how the people at this time felt and today what we follow, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”.

    Read More

  • The Argument Of The Declaration Of Independence

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main argument of the Declaration of Independence was "All men were created equal" and there were certain unalienable rights that government should not violate which included that people have rights and freedom of life, liberty, and happiness. But if the government violates these rights then the people have the right to form their own society protecting their rights. Similarly, some of the people agreed with this point and some did not. When we read or hear the phrase by Jefferson, " All men are created equal", we tend to think that all the men and women, whites and blacks, all the races and colors are equal and are the creation of the god. But actually, this phrase disagreed because "All men are created equal" was written by Thomas Jefferson who owned 200 slaves and never set them free. Thus, we can predict that Jefferson phrase did not include any of the black people when he wrote this phrase. As a matter of fact, for Jefferson, the phrase meant all free men who owned property are created equal. As a result, the definition of equality was hard to find. In addition, the narrow definition created distinctions between free men vs slaves, women vs men, property owner vs debtors and much more. The phrase by Thomas Jefferson, "We hold this truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal", but its conclusion is morally wrong. It is not true that black people are inferior to whites. This

    Read More

  • Declaration Of Independence

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    Harriet Tubman was a black woman born into slavery. Harriet was an abolitionist and strongly believed that all slaves should be free. Harriet learned that her master had died and that she would be sold if she did not run away. At the age of twenty-five, Harriet left her plantation and was on the run to a free state (Harriet par 1).

    Read More

  • The American Dream in The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Importance Of The American Dream

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Dream is the belief that anybody can achieve anything in life. America is known as the country of opportunity regardless of race, gender or nationality. The land of opportunity and equality rights and liberty. The American Dream is to be successful no matter what social class an individual belongs to. The opportunity for upward mobility through hard work leads to a successful life. Individuals in society often strive to obtain many resources that are important. The structure of the economy is typically related to education, occupation, housing, and health care which are not distributed equally to enable an individual to achieve equal opportunity some will have to go through hardship in order to obtain it. The lack of social mobility makes the

    Read More

  • Declaration Of Independence Relevant

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, the most important and relevant idea from the Declaration of Independence is that all men deserve equal rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The belief that all men have equal rights is something that has shaped America into the country it is today because, it played a major part in abolishing slavery, and in giving women the right to vote. Consequently, all people in America now have equal rights, no matter their race, gender, or religion.

    Read More

  • Influence of European Philosophers on American Independence

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jefferson’s justification for independence rested heavily on John Locke’s theory of natural rights because he believed that the British government was depriving the colonists of natural equality and liberty. He claimed, “All men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence); this idea is based on Locke’s belief that the state of nature is “a state also of equality” (Locke 287). Furthermore, Jefferson claims that people are

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    "The American Dream" is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.

    Read More

  • American Dream Is Very Alive In Today's Society

    432 Words  | 1 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

More about Clark Alludess To The Declaration Of Independence

Open Document