For 2017, just about 43.1 million people lived in poverty that year, and “...the pay gap between college graduates and everyone else was $17,500 a year and one million over a lifetime” (Rugaber). In past years, the inability to even achieve the middle-class status has become increasingly difficult, due to rising cost of key goods, such as health care, college, housing and retirement. The problem is that the prices of these necessities are rising and the income can’t keep up with these rising costs. The American dream does not exist in America because there are several personal and societal obstacles that can overthrow the attainment of the American dream. The American Dream is unattainable due to the inability to achieve higher education, …show more content…
According to the Federal Reserve Bank's latest survey on Americans' economic well-being , it found that 31% of American adults, or 76 million people, say they are struggling to get by or just barely making it. What that means is that these people are living from paycheck to paycheck and do not have any additional money to spend. Another survey provided by the Federal Reserve Bank, asked Americans if an $400 emergency expense were to occur, would their savings account be able to cover it. The results were 46% would not be able to cover the expense and remain financially stable. The problem is with nearly every necessity the prices are rising and our income cannot keep up with these rising costs. Paying a mortgage, the multiple insurance coverages a month, food, utilities, college funds, debt, and even retirement to name a few are the many expenses Americans worry about each month. These are factors that do not change every month, but for some people the source of income that has to cover these expenses do. The Federal Reserve Bank found that, “...About one-third of Americans also say that their income varies month-to-month, mainly because they have an irregular work schedule. Some 45% say their expenses shift each month. Some 42% of those with these volatile income streams or expenses say they struggled to pay the bills at least once in the past year” …show more content…
One cannot deny that through hard work and dedication it is possible to become successful. There are numerous examples of people that believe they have attained the American dream. An example of someone who achieved the American dream is Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber’s dream was to become a successful music artist. When he was growing up this dream didn’t look too bright, he was raised in single parent household that was living paycheck to paycheck and had very small opportunities for exposure. But through hard work, he got his chance and with some help and training from a significant recording artist, he was able to achieve his dream. Justin Bieber is a great example that through hard work one can achieve the American dream. However, this isn’t the case for most people as not everyone has the talents of Justin Bieber. Therefore people need to obtain a post-secondary education and become financially stable to avoid
There's definitely ways to gain access to the American Dream even though it seems like a fantasy to others. Yet, it is only attainable to those who actually want it. For Oden, he can find ways to improve his personal business because he has the freedom and access to do it. He is already provided access to the American Dream because he was capable to own a business that he can live off of financially. Furthermore, "Michelle, 19, is a freshman at the University of California at Merced.
In a country where 45 million people struggle to survive below the poverty line, inflation continues to rise as wages remain the same. What happened to the American Dream? As the rich continue to get richer, even those in the middle class can’t seem to catch a break. The structure of American society makes it nearly impossible for those in poverty to rise above, and there are other factors, including race and gender, which play a role.
Wallechinsky demonstrates the many hardships that families and individuals go through. “Almost two-thirds say they live from paycheck to paycheck, and 47% say that no matter how hard they work, they cannot get
In David Wallenchinsky’s Article “Is the American Dream still possible?” he surveyed more than 2,200 Americans and 84% of them described themselves as middle class citizens. Wallenchinsky states,“ But many average Americans are struggling- squeezed by rising costs, declining wages, credit card debt and diminished benefits.” For some the American Dream is just being happy and being able to live comfortably but, now who would want to live their life struggling to pay their bills and be stressful? Most of the middle class citizens are living like this. Back then living in America wasn’t as difficult as it is now, everything was affordable, but now with the rise in minimum wages everything else goes up. Taxes go up, prices for things go up, it is a never ending cycle. Now trying to get a job even with a college degree is very hard to
The American Dream. What is it exactly? Well, it is the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. However, can everyone really achieve it? Yes, anyone can achieve the American Dream with enough hard work and dedication to pursue a good life. In order to maintain the American Dream there are some important ways to achieve it. Such as: a strong work ethic, a good education, and being determined.
Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal for people living in the United States for decades. People believed that the way to get there was through hard work, also known as the “Protestant work ethic”. The American Dream can vary depending on the person. Some people think that owning a house with a white picket-fence is the American Dream while others think that it is becoming a celebrity with a lot of money.
In America many Americans face struggles with money, which makes it harder to achieve the American dream. In the story “Is The American Dream Still Possible” by David Wallechinsky is about the financial problems Americans face. In Wallechinsky story, he stated “many Americans are struggling squeezed by rising cost, declining wages, credit card debt and diminished benefits with little left to save for retirement.” This quote supports that money is a major problem in the average American’s life. Also in the article “Is the American dream a Myth?” by Ronald Brownstein, talks about how income is a crucial to the American dream. In paragraph 10 Brownstein says “ That less progress has been made in developing programs that effectively prepare lower-income students to apply for college.” In this quote it helps to see that if you have a lower income it’s harder to get into a college and if that dream has to come with education money is a big problem. The American dream is harder to achieve if money gets you through life,
In Bryant’s article, he describes all of the issues that prohibits American citizens from reaching the American dream and says that it is nearly impossible. However, Jim Motavalli writes in his article “The American Dream Is Alive – These People Prove It”, that the American dream is not dead and that you can still get to that point in your
Firstly, the American Dream is only achievable to those who make the sacrifices and have what it takes to achieve the American Dream. In “Europe and America” by, David Ignatow he explains that his father had to make a lot of sacrifices for him to become successful. In lines 7-9 he
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
America is in a Great Recession, and the American Dream seems to be dying (if not already dead) for many Americans. I don’t think that the American Dream is dead; it just needs rehabilitation due to the injuries it sustained at the hands of an unregulated government. Though we are in a Great Recession, every American can progress their lives for the betterment of themselves and future generations. Brandon King (2011) in The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold? : “.the most worrisome problem is inequality: that wealth is concentrated into the hands of a rich minority.” Because of this, many Americans and politicians are arguing about either “raising the taxes on the rich” or “supporting the richest sectors in America” (Thomas, 2011) to stimulate the economy.
People will journey far and wide, traverse the entire continent, suffer all manner of pain and suffering, if they believe that, in the end, they will be rewarded. That is why it comes as no surprise when people from other countries struggle to get to America, believing the ancient tale of "the American Dream", convinced that they will finally make it big in this land of riches. But they find out it is not like that.
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck illustrates the dreams of George,Lennie, and other characters and how these dreams are unrealistic and unattainable .Their dreams were the reason that these characters kept moving forward but because of difficult circumstances the dreams of George,Lennie,Candy and Curley's wife are shattered , they knew that their dream was never really attainable but they still had hope but because they were so greatly impacted by Lennies actions their dreams are never accomplished.
Today, living the American Dream is not just a matter of working hard. A higher education is becoming a necessity to have if one wishes to rise above his or her station. Egan mentions that years prior, a degree was not necessary to having a comfortable life, but nowadays without a degree, it is nearly impossible to earn a wage that can support all the ideals of the American Dream (106). Because of this, a person born into a family with money has a much better chance of continuing to live a comfortable life, while a person who is born into poverty or the lower class might not have the means to receive an education and is therefore left out of the American
The American Dream can be a motivational fire, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, one must focus on building a balanced life for themselves, participate in honest work and practice their craft to have marketable skills that just stick out from the competition. People work their whole lives making money so they can satisfy their desires. The idea of being able to purchase the items people have always dreamed of is an achievement in itself. Having a great family, owning a home and having beautiful things to fill it with is a common dream amongst people. Many people take pride in what they possess.