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The American Dream
Even though the American Dream meaning may have changed since it was first introduced, the basic principles are still the same. I do believe it can still be achieved by everyone living in America. For some it’s the white picket fence and others it is a having a good paying job, no matter what, everyone in America can live the American dream by working hard and never giving up. According to dictionary.com, The American dream is the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American and also a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the United States.
I believe that the American Dream has a different meaning for everyone. As I was growing up I always heard about the American Dream. It was described as having the big two story house surrounded by a white picket fence, a handful of children, a happy marriage, and of course the family dog. The perfect family. I
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believe today it is based on what each American needs to make them happy. For some it is a family with a house, for others happiness is getting the job of your dreams, and others it is hope that your kids will do better than you financially. I believe each generation can be better than the last. I hope my kids will be more successful than I am. Whatever the dream is every American has the right to live a life full of happiness. As long as you are happy you are living the American Dream. If you are not you have the opportunity to find it. Anyone who is currently living in America has the opportunity to succeed as long as they are willing to put forth the effort it takes to gain it. Reaching the dream is not something that is just handed out to people. I know that it takes a lot of hard work to become successful. The fact that we live in such a wonderful country which gives us the opportunity, no matter what our background, to move up in this world and change our own destiny is truly amazing. People from other countries are not as lucky as we are. They are stuck in whatever class they are born in. I have a co-worker who moved here from another country because he heard of the American Dream and wanted better for his family and today he is living his own version of that dream. It doesn’t matter what background you came from, everyone has the ability to better themselves.
The American Dream was first defined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in his book called Epic of America. Adams famous quote is “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 his ability or achievement.” The American Dream is protected by the Declaration of Independence according to thebalance.com. The declaration states that every American is entitled to the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone has the opportunity to attain this dream. We have the right to make our own choices: to pave our own way to reach the American Dream. We can achieve anything as long as we put our mind to it. If someone’s dream is to be in certain career they can by getting the education they need. If someone’s dream is to own their own business, they can. The opportunities are
there. I believe through hard work and perseverance everyone can reach their own version of the American Dream. Whatever it may be. It won’t be easy but it will be rewarding. We as Americans are lucky we have the freedom to better ourselves. Some countries don’t believe in freedom and do not want their men and women to pursue happiness. Our country gives us the chance to live the American Dream. I hope everyone who wants to live it will put forth the effort to reach the goal of living the American dream. It’s right there available for you, why not go for it and be happy. It won’t be easy but it will be rewarding in the end. My wish is that every American gets to live the American Dream. It’s right there. Go out and grab it.
If you look up the meaning of the American Dream, you will keep finding definitions similar to this one: “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The real meaning of the American Dream however, varies from whom you ask. Many people argue that the American Dream is alive and well, whereas others might argue that the dream is pretty much dead. If you ask me what I think, I personally believe that the American Dream was once a farfetched goal of the people of America, where people dreamed of going from rags to riches. Though the dream might still be alive, it is no longer what is use to be. I believe that the American Dream nowadays, is just a short redefined version of living a middle class lifestyle. But, for others the dream might simply mean to escape poverty and give their children a better life. The American Dream however, is in my opinion not only applicable for natural born citizens but to legal and illegal immigrants as well.
The American Dream There is no set definition to be found anywhere of the true meaning of The American Dream. Any hope, dream, or goal pursued by anyone in the history of America is an American Dream. In modern times the accepted dream seems to be 2.5 children, a house with a white picket fence, and a perfect spouse. However, as it is shown throughout literature from the early days of America to contemporary times, the American Dream is not always so simple a concept. America was originally founded on the dream of freedom.
The American Dream still lives today in society in which people strive to the top and accomplish their goals in life. James Truslow Adams coined the term in 1931 in his book called “American Dream”. He stated in the book "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". The importance of this quote in Adams’ novel is that the American Dream can be achieved by anyone (Warshauer 3). There are no limits and bounds to these emotions and people from any social class can seek their dreams and desires in life. Over the years the definition of the American Dream has changed, but the underlying fundamental meaning had stayed the same. The American mentality is basically participation in the economy and society in order to gain a better social standard and be prosperous. The United States Declaration of Independence also had some influence in the definition of the American Dream. In the Declaration of Independence it states all men are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" includi...
Some say the American dream is completely dead in today’s society. No. The American dream is alive and well for those who will go the extra mile for it. People may believe it is dead due to factors that may “hinder” a person from achieving it. These factors include, but are not limited to, discrimination, lack of job opportunities, debt, natural disasters, etc. These theories may be proven wrong in most cases, with the exception of some. The American dream is the idea that anyone, no matter the situation they are currently in, can eventually live a happy and stable life in America. The dream is attainable for a willing individual, who will work hard for what they want. This does not mean it will be easy, nor does it mean
The American Dream, is about becoming something, to the best way to achieve fulfillment of ones life. The dream is and always has been a reality. The more that Americans and immigrants insist on the dream as a right, and pursue it with determination, the more likely it will be to remain a live option accessible to all. The dream does not originate from America; it derives from us, the people. If we exert all our efforts, we at any moment in American history are more likely to be what the country had intended to become. With that predicament already visible, every advance we make may very well lead to another, and every realization of the American Dream will evolve.
People usually do not have a concrete plan for their future, so they do not know what direction they are going to take; it is so difficult for people to set themselves up for success when they have no real support system put in place. They often have negative people around them that will bring them down, too, which will lead to a lack of motivation, and this will set them up for failure, especially when they set goals that are not clear enough or realistic. People are usually not motivated or disciplined enough, use too many excuses, and get overwhelmed by obstacles, causing them to fail.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bills without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1).
The term American Dream was initially set by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of American which was written in 1931. In the book, James Truslow Adams (1931) stated that the American Dream was a dream of having a land to stay; each person had a better, richer and more fulfilling life, and those who had the ability or achievement were always full of opportunities. In the video of the American Dream, it assumes that is also a belief that as long as the American do a hard struggle, they will be able to achieve the idea of a successful life. It’s suitable to say in the 21st century in some specific example but not all situation. (Citation) In addition, American Dream existed long before the words created. In the colonial period, the immigrants
Everyone grows up with the thought of an American dream in mind . Unfortunately that American dream is only limited to the people who are not of color. Sadly the people of color and the american dream don 't match up to well. I feel that this is because it can’t be easily obtained due to improper education and never being given the opportunity to show what they’re made of. Maybe if we weren 't categorized by our living arrangements, or the amount of our wealth, or better yet being presumed as these incompetent animals who aren’t good for nothing. Then we too would be able to achieve our own american dreams ,but as people of color the chances of that are not likely living in a world that feeds us with this improper mindset.
The American dream is a slowly fading dream that seems to be escaping all the lower classes of American society. The American dream still exists if we examine correctly. The dilemma with American dream is that it has become so much harder to fulfill. Social inequality along with a lack of social mobility have negated the ability to accomplish this. As time has passed, the gap between the rich and poor has become larger and larger. Hence social equality has grown overtime. This would not be as consequential of a problem for the American dream if social mobility had stayed the same. Social mobility has decreased with time as well. Social mobility is the ability to move from one social class to another. Sociologically speaking, the American Dream
"I think the American Dream says that anything can happen if you work hard enough at it and are persistent, and have some ability. The sky is the limit to what you can build, and what can happen to you and your family" expressed Sanford I. Weill. The American Dream is still alive and obtainable. Many people have a definition of what the American Dream that is obtainable in their minds. People all have unique individual lives.
The American Dream The American dream has always been a talk amongst the American culture. When people speak of it, they often think back to the 19th century. The American Dream can be thought about when learning information on the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. This was written by Thomas Jefferson.
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.
When the term ‘American Dream’ was first mentioned in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, he described it as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Clark). When Adams mentioned the term, it had much more of an idealistic meaning, rather than the materialistic meaning it has in modern society. At the time of it’s mention, the dream meant that prosperity was available to everyone. In the beginning, the American Dream simply promised a country in which people had the chance to work their way up through their own labor and hard work (Kiger). Throughout history, the basis of the dream has always been the same for each individual person. It
The American Dream according to the collaborative efforts of the Oxford Dictionary and Bing Translator is "the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative". The American Dream was originally made as the idea that anyone can be successful in America, that regardless of your background you can go from rags to riches almost overnight with the proper effort. It seems to me however, that the modern idea of the American Dream is different. To me, the American Dream is the idea that one can live life as they choose without any individual having the right to belittle their ideal life. That is not to say you can live the life of a criminal and no one would care, but you can choose what and who you want in your life without being supressed. In America today, you can be almost any religion you desire, love someone of any gender, and choose a career path for yourself that you want without others forcing religion, opinions, or ideas upon you. This idea to me is the modern ideal of the American Dream, but regardless of which view of the dream you believe in it thrives within America, and both ideas of the dream still pertain