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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.
First, racism still plays a big factor in today’s society as it did fifty years ago. Some might say that everyone has equal opportunity, but some people in America will never see that blacks and whites are equal. Humans have the tendency to judge what is on the outside before seeing who the person really is. The South is the main area where the darker colors mean there is less opportunity and lighter colors mean that there’s more. In today’s society the ability to attain the American Dream is heavily influenced by race. While it is still p...
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...ucture shouldn’t determine how successful you are going to be in life but it is within yourself to determine if you will reach your American Dream.
The American Dream is achievable through hard work and dedication. Yes, some people have to deal with racial issues that can stop them from reaching their goal. Others are practically born into their dream. Why is the middle class so important? If there were no middle class, then it would be impossible for the poor to reach the goals they set for themselves.
Works Cited
O'Brien, Matthew. "Why is the American Dream Dead in the South?" The Atlantic (Jan. 26, 2014). . Web
Wayne Reynolds. Oprah Winfrey Biography. The Academy of Achievement (Nov. 11, 2011). . Web
The American Dream has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. It has become a foundation of ideals and hopes for any American or immigrant. Specifically, one of the ideals that always exist is the dream of America free of class distinction. Every American hopes for a society where every person has the opportunity to be whomever he or she desire. Another ideal in the American dream is the drive to improve the quality of life. As one’s idea of the American Dream gets closer and closer, often times political and social ideals of America cause their American Dream to take a turn for the worst.
People who work hard enough become successful and build a good life for themselves and their family. Millions of Americans and others who admire America have believed this for generations. However, is this still true? Brandon King debates his interpretation of the American Dream in his published work, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” During his essay, the speaker highlights how important the American Dream is to the economy and providing a distance from inequality. The speaker emphasizes his belief that the American Dream is still alive within America and that people must work hard to achieve it. When discussing the American Dream, King will agree that the idea is alive and thriving in the minds of Americans; yet, I argue that the idea is on hold within American society due to lack of upward social independence and economic mobility.
The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold? written by Brandon King discusses what the American Dream is, how it has evolved, and how to live it to the fullest. He writes that the American Dream in the past meant to live a wealthy, materialistic life, however the American Dream today is to live in stability. The American Dream also has the potential to be viewed from multiple perspectives as everyone is different and have their own opinion as to how live the American Dream. King also addresses that inequality is the main problem according to many; the government is only making the rich minority wealthier, ignoring funds for the lowers classes. The American Dream will never die as long as planning ahead and proposing policies to sustain economic growth are tirelessly acted upon.
The second meaning of the American dream is that of social justice, and the inclusion of all in the social and political aspects of American life. This is the American dream that is best illustrated in Frederick Douglass’ narrative. This is the dream that was sought by the civil rights movement, which was focused on widening opportunities for all Americans, regardless of their race or social status. This American dream is however more tightly intertwined with race, than with social status. Douglass’ narrative demonstrates the challenges faced by members of minority races in America in their pursuit of the American dream of equal opportunity, upward mobility, and inclusion in other social and political aspects of American life.
The American Dream has been the ideal way of life to every citizen. Equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and persistence allows people to strive for The American Dream. For others, The Dream might have a different meaning to what the think is achievable. In the essay, “Is the American Dream even possible” John Steinbeck makes accusations about the American Dream and the credibility of it. The American Dream in Steinbeck's perspective is that in reality, The Dream is there to believe but not there to its full potential.
The phrase “The American Dream” is an incredible thing. The promise of that dream has convinced hundreds of millions of people that, as a citizen of this country, you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. Whether you want to be a doctor, athlete, or even a president, those things should all be within your reach, regardless of your class or race! America is the nation where dreams can come true. Unfortunately, for a large number of people that believe this, this is a concept that does not apply to them. Many Americans find opportunities are denied to them because of their race. Others can be found living in poverty and far from anything that would be considered desirable. Statistics show that the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans earned 9 percent of all U.S. income in 1979. Did you know that the same 1 percent earns 24 percent of all U.S. income today? That is a staggering example of the income inequality in America. The American Dream is that if you work hard and have the ability you will succeed, but that has become an impossibility for millions of disadvantaged Americans because the income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and racism and poverty are constant barriers to their success and financial security.
Since Columbus made land, people have been searching for the “American Dream”. Many people have their own idea and ideas that have changed over a period of time, but what exactly is the “American Dream” defined as .Origins of the dream have been rooted in the pioneering mentality of the eighteenth and nineteenth century immigrants, most who came to America because of a promise for a new and better life. The American Dream was sought through hard work and determination. After the time of the World Wars, society changed and so did the view of the “American Dream”, it changed from a potential reality into being a dream. People were striving to reach their definition of the American Dream. Beliefs and values took a turn. The American Dream was put up on a pedestal, corrupted by false values and society was pressured by their desires and greed. “The avarice of mankind is insatiable”, was stated twenty-three centuries prior by Aristotle, so this was nothing new. Success and fortune have been a downfall in the search for the American Dream. It has corrupted society’s ethics in all, family values and morals, and psychological well-being. In part to the fact that “The American Dream” and the way Americans wish to live can be unreachable by the average person. Society once was based on truth, passion, and liberty for all but now is a mere illusion, focusing on money, power and how to reach it; portraying materialism and wealth as the “American Dream” and self-actualization, as portrayed by Miller in Death of a Salesman.
The American Dream is known to be a hope for a better, richer, happier life for all citizens of every class. For almost all Americans, this entails earning a college degree, gaining a good job, buying a house, and starting a family. Although this seems wonderful, a large amount of the American population believes that the Dream has changed immensely because of increased prices in today’s society, the price of tuition being highly unaffordable, as well as the unemployment rate skyrocketing and weaker job growth. While some American citizens believe it has changed, others believe that the American Dream has not changed, but point out it is harder to obtain.
The lower middle class no longer has the capability of moving up into the upper middle class of American society. On top of that, it is seeing its own class diminish slowly. Social mobility, the main component of the American Dream, has been all but eliminated at this point. It has been skewed as to the upper tier of society remaining the only people capable of stability and mobility within society. Income and property have both been skewed towards the upper tier of society. Hence, the American dream is one that is slowly becoming one that must be afforded and not
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?
One of the reasons that the American Dream is still alive is that there are so many opportunities everyday. Most public schools provide students the necessities they need to succeed, so it is up to them whether or not one decides to use those necessities to achieve a goal. Most students in high school have an idea or dream of what they want their future to be like after high school. College is an example of an American Dream, where as student loans, scholarships, graduation coaches, and the ability to re-take the ACT are many opportunities to help one reach that goal. Some may choose to study abroad, which can be obtained affordably with getting a job or one c...
Thesis: “Even American’s can’t afford the American dream” and “Is the American dream dead?” both convey that the American dream is dead since people cannot afford the dream therefore a poor society emerges.
The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.
In modern society, the American Dream has become all about making money and less about doing what makes you happy (Gathright). Although the American Dream was built on the foundations that anyone, no matter who they are or where they came from, could achieve it, the truth is that there are several factors that determine someone 's chances of obtaining the dream, including race, gender, and social status. Your backgrounds play a big role in determining whether you will be able to achieve the "American Dream".
Since its existence, the American dream has turned out not to be for everyone. An individual's race and background played a vital role in economic and social class mobility. This comes from the routine cycle of oppression that has stripped the joys of life from people of color. The societal hatred towards certain ethnicities is so evident in America, the wounds from America's slavery days are still fresh. This hate towards those of color has been passed down from generation to generation and has built a culture of persecution and hate. While there has been great advancement for minorities since 1865, black success and development has faced a constant struggle against white supremacist, a struggle that still looms.