The American Dream

    The American Dream is a lifelong objective that many Americans aim for. This Dream is not the same for every person in the United States, and throughout the course of American history, it has changed gradually. From the beginning of time, the dream was to own land and to live off of it, but now it has branched out into so much more.  According to Google Dictionary the American Dream is “the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” This is not always the case because though Americans work for what they have and to be where they are, the American Dream is not always attainable. Some believe that the American Dream is just a dream and sometimes it is, but it can also be a reality. To attain the reality of the “dream” there are obstacles that differ for everyone. Of these challenges are wealth, gender, inequality, race, and social class. The American Dream can remain a dream or become a lifestyle depending on the hard work one is willing to put in.

Many people have come to America for adventure, opportunity, freedom, and the chance to experience the particular qualities of the American landscape. The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen, including immigrants and residents, should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. America somewhat provides access to the American dream, it is more so the citizen who provides access to the dream for themselves. Even though they encountered many trials and tribulations, with persistence, people such as Langston Hughes in “I Too Sing America and Anzia Yezierska in “America and I” they were able to achieve their individual American Dream.

People have always asked what really is the American Dream, and there is no right answer. The Dream changes along with our society and economy. The older version of the Dream varies greatly from that of now. It is no longer about maleristic things and trying to one up your neighbor. Many today see the Dream as a much simpler task than they used to. No longer must one sweat and break their back climbing up the ladder of success. The Dream is much easier to achieve and keep a hold of. Today, a simple middle class family is what is considered as the American Dream. After the Great Recession, which had a large impact on the American Dream, families started to save back all of their money instead of wasting it

When one talks about the American Dream, thoughts go to being happy and self-satisfied as an individual. It doesn’t portray following in others footsteps or becoming like one’s parents or grandparents. It allows a person to step out into world and find out who they are. It allows a person to become more than just another “chip off the block”. It allows a person to grow, succeed and transform into a person full of happiness and content due to the freedoms they are allowed. This is why many immigrants came to America. They wanted the freedom to drop everything that was burdening them in their homeland and become something new and prosperous. The American Dream takes a person’s determination and willingness to work toward their dreams and goals and gives them a chance to achieve it all. The American Dream is about the individual and the desires without these the goals will not be achieved.

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.

Throughout the novella “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck, a number of themes are developed such as the American dream, friendship, and loneliness. The American dream is developed especially well all through the novella. Right from the start, the reader gets a feeling that the American dream will play a large role in the plot of this story when George and Lennie are being chased, “‘I remember the rabbits, George.’” (4), then developed a little as George tells Lennie about the rabbits “‘With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.’” (14). The theme of the american dream is forgotten towards the middle of the book as other themes are developed, but is picked up later after Lennie kills his mutt on accident and tells Curley’s wife; “‘Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes…’” (89). The American dream finally ends for George and Lennie in the end, “‘And i get to tendd the rabbits.’ … And George raised the gun and steadies it … He pulled the trigger.” (105-106).

In the most basic of terms, the American Dream is having “a happy life” (Hart, C). Many people in the 1920’s had to start from nothing, building themselves up to great achievements (Muir). Today’s youngers generations interpret the American Dream as creating a career based on their individual passions. Although the American Dream has transformed over many years, key elements still remain. Being successful, creating a career, and having a beautiful family are all parts of the dream.

I believe that the American Dream is alive and dead. I also believe that humanity will never reach a point where everyone has an equal opportunity in everything as we crave power and not good will. Those who are rich will continue as so and those who are poor will most likely not improve. However, I also believe that one can achieve happiness through any situation they are put in. That being said, it requires gargantuan amounts of strife to put oneself in a certain mindset to see the positive in life. While still being naive and young I have traces of optimism for the future; as a result, I refuse to accept that the American Dream is dead. But as life sets in and I develop a more realistic perspective, it is becoming an ever more

The american dream is defined differently by each person. It could be owning a house, having a family, a nice car, anything. However the american dream is no longer achievable. This is due to two reasons. People don't want to work for what they want and two cost of

The American Dream is originally thought to be about how hard work can lead one person from poorness to richness with the right amount of effort put in. The American Dream can have different meaning to different people but at the end they are all trying to achieve a goal. The American Dream usually requires hard work and dedication. But cheating your way to success can change a person. An example of a distorted American Dream would be F. Scott Fitzgerald 's The Great Gatsby.

To being with the American dream is what everyone is in search for, rather you rich or poor, young or old the American dream is always talked about amongst all of these groups. There are many living this dream right now as we speak and many that are still trying to find and pave the way for newer generations. When you put it into perspective the American dream is still alive and can be achieved, I think if we all make strides we’ll be to obtain and secure the American dream to the best of our abilities.

The American Dream can be described as someone starting at the bottom of the social or economic ladder and working hard towards prosperity, wealth and fame. By having money, a car, a big house, nice clothes and a happy family symbolizes the true American dream. This dream also represents that people, no matter who he or she is, can become successful in life by his or her own work. The majority of people pursue the American Dream for themselves, their families and their legacy. Several years ago the American Dream represented getting ahead and become everything that our parents’ generation were not able to do. Perhaps, because of the great depression, poor economy, wars, and unemployment, as well as older generations working longer hours to

The “American Dream” is much more beyond the materialism. For many it’s about wealth and working hard to get what you want but for others it’s living a simple, happy, fulfilled life with faith and equality being the most important qualities. The “American Dream” has lead many immigrants to seek success in America and be given the opportunity to make something of themselves.

The term “American dream” is used in many ways, but it essentially is an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life. Many people have expanded upon or refined the definition to include things such as freedom, fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Someone who manages to achieve his or her version of the American dream is often said to be “living the dream.” This concept has been subject to criticism, because some people believe that the structure of society in the US prevents such an idealistic goal for everyone. Critics often point to examples of inequality rooted in class, race, religion and ethnicity that suggest that the American dream is not attainable for everyone.

The American dream is the concept of living in a society that values equality and the ability to achieve prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. It means to me that you are not limited and have equal opportunities to conquer your dream career. The American Dream is living purely, happily, and healthy with enough money to live a comfortable lifestyle. However, in my opinion this dream really shouldn’t be about accumulating a plethora of material possessions. I believe the sense of satisfaction you get for giving back to your community is a much greater reward. Before the Civil War, the concept of the American Dream was simply having freedom, rights, a home, and a healthy family. The goal was much simpler and straight-forward back then. Now consider what we all “dream” about today: we not only dream of a steady job, but instead we dream of a career that gives us a great sense of personal satisfaction. Today, it appears most people look to achieve a position that gives them status, independence, and excitement. Many individuals look to collaborate with others who share some of the same ambitions. It seems that society is now filled with those who place an exaggerated importance on living in a place that has all the latest conveniences as a way to show off their money. This is an example of the how the concept of the American Dream has been revised over the generations.