The American Dream: The Value Of Education

848 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The American Dream: A Dream or Reality

From the son of a meager African goat farmer to the most powerful man in the free world. Despite backgrounds and the disparities that accompany them, all Americans have one thing in common. Perseverance allows all of them access to the same nationally desired goal. The American dream is the opportunity to live up to one’s full potential through hard work and persistence, regardless of background. Americans that are willing to take advantage of the opportunity that they are presented with will reap the rewards of the American dream, but it is a goal that takes commitment to obtain. For those who are willing to strive for it, the American dream is welcoming and attainable for all. It is not a dream of becoming wealthy and influential overnight, but one that requires dedication, and having a substantial education is the first place to start. Education is the foundation of society and advancements, and free public schools allows for equal opportunity to all children who make use of it. Even the children of illegal immigrants have access to free education in America. High schools nationwide that provide college credit classes along …show more content…

Regardless of how many advantages Americans are handed, having self responsibility and self determination are the leading factors in being successful. Without having a desire and a reason to prosper independently, people will blame others for their failures. In reality, the person who is responsible for their own success is themselves and no one else. In the article, “Is the American Dream Still Possible?” by David Wallechinsky, Shelly explains that there is no one else responsible for the success of her family, “...Our parents did everything for us, and I hope to do the same for my kids. I don’t count on anyone else to help us get where we want to go. It’s all up to me and my family. And I trust in God to help

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Serving In Florida By Ehrenreich

    1247 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States has always been viewed as a land of opportunity, where one could achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are. Freedom and economic stability are the factors that make our country appealing. People are hopeful that the opportunities the country holds will help them achieve the American dream. This dream consists of achieving financial success, but time has proven that the American dream is a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, ambition, hard work, nor perseverance are enough to be successful in America. No individual is guaranteed success or destined for failure, but it is apparent that women, people of color, and those born into poverty will face greater obstacles than others,

    Read More

  • Summary Of American Dream By Brandon King

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The American Dream Martin Jischke

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    The power to grow emotionally and reach specific life goals lies in mindset of each person. Truslow was a marvelous historian who initially came up with the infamous term “The American Dream” (91). It is because of him that thousands of people seek and question what that dream truly means. To Adam the simple relationship between an employee and boss was sacred. In America looking at each person with equality is highly expected. This is why America leaves such high expectations for the rest of the world. The United States is known to be the land of the free where each person has the same opportunity as the next guy. The simple fact that people in America have room to choose what they want from life is extraordinary (Adams 91). According to Adams, “The American Dream opens all sorts of questions” ( 92). The true meaning of succeeding and being financially set will forever vary on the

    Read More

  • The Increase in Crimes to Achieve the American Dream

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Dream Essay: The American Dream

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Having access to a good education is a big part of achieving the American Dream because if there is a really good job opportunity out there people are likely to get the job if they are highly educated. JD Vance talked about how his life growing up was not the best. He faced everyday challenges, however, they were not excuses that could stop him from getting an education and surely did not stop him from achieving the American Dream. In the article “The American Dream: ‘Education is the Key’” the writer states “ My parents grew up poor, put themselves through school...They were very clear that just as it was for them, education would be a critical bridge to opportunity for my brothers and me” (Golston). This comes to show that there really is not an excuse for people to say they cannot achieve the American Dream because they cannot afford to get an education. It takes hard work, dedication, and

    Read More

  • Immigrants Do NOT Provide Access To The American Dream

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people do not think that they are able to live out their American dream, but it is possible. America still provides access but it may be difficult to achieve. In order to live out an American dream, it requires hard work and determination, so it is possible. If people want to live out their American dreams, they need to be willing to work hard and fight for their rights. They need to not settle for less than what they deserve. If they need to, they need to get a higher level of education, and not settle on what they

    Read More

  • The American Dream: It's Not All About Money

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    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?

    Read More

  • Is the American Dream Still Possible?

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Education: The Key to the American Dream

    2032 Words  | 5 Pages

    I was raised by different parents than my older siblings. They weren’t different parents biologically, they were different parents economically. For years they struggled to get by with very little education. But once their children were all in school, they decided to make a change. A few years before I was born, my parents earned their college degrees. What this meant for me was a world of security, provision, and opportunity that far surpassed that of my brother and sisters. My story is very similar to that of Angela Whitiker, a former single mother who effectively pulled herself and her family out of poverty by achieving her nursing degree. Her movement from the projects to the middle class is a feat to be admired. But what gave her such upward mobility? And why is it that in our society so many seem to lack it?

    Read More

  • Prejudice Destroyed the American Dream

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been accepted as possible by the majority of citizens in this country. This “dream” cannot be true, as there are multiple discriminations in this country, which make it impossible for everyone to have the same chance to succeed. Biases against racial minorities, women, and citizens from lower social classes are examples of just a few reasons that everyone does not have the same chance to succeed in our current economic and social system in America, resulting in unequal chances to achieve “the American Dream.”

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: The American Dream

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life in America is sweet and it is easy to succeed. America has ample resources to support the growth of its citizens especially young people. This enviable country, The United States, rewards hard work and high achievers are encouraged to chase their dreams. I thought that being here was a big opportunity, that I should take advantage of it. In my family, education comes first, without an education, your chances of succeeding are slim. My mom always told me, "Work hard now and enjoy later," meaning if I put in the work now I will reap the benefits later. Through my upbringing, I gained my own understanding of what the American dream is. To me, the American dream means that one can succeed and reach the highest level of achievement if one puts one’s mind to it. No one is in your way but yourself; you either do what you need to do to be successful or you stay dormant and not accomplish anything in life. Not only do you have to make the first step but you have to be able to stay to hang in there when the going gets tough. Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" (Churchill By Himself, 2011). Churchill (2011) also

    Read More

  • The Impossible American Dream

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Reality Of The American Dream

    1827 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mostly anything you want to achieve requires time and perseverance it doesn 't just come to you easily. In America we all have dreams we want to achieve, a set of goals for the future. The American dream is in your perception, what you want it to mean for you. It’s what you want to consummate in America where you can 't anywhere else. How you can succeed in life enough to survive and be happy. The reality of the American dream is the essence of any person living in America, immigrant or not. Trying to achieve in life more than their parents did and to be successful with a prosperous life, but many people believe it can’t be achieved, but with assiduous work and determination you can make your

    Read More

  • The American Dream: Making a Better Life

    389 Words  | 1 Pages

    The American Dream is a personal thing. Every person’s belief or thought on what the American Dream is different than anybody else’s. There is one noticeable common thread between every conceivable Dream though: the dream is to live a better life socially, monetarily, or contentedly than your parents did. The conflicts at the time helps determine what aspect of life you wish to improve upon, but it will always be the same principal as long as America stands free.

    Read More

  • The American Dream: The Challenges Of The American Dream

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is the American Dream? As James Truslow coined in 1931 " A dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper class to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, able be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position"(Truslow). Most believe that it 's a place and a system where everyone have an equal

    Read More

More about The American Dream: The Value Of Education

Open Document