The Concept of the American Dream - 1331 Words

The American Dream is a concept that in many ways defines the values of American society. There is no one specific version of the dream, but there are certain elements that are almost universally agreed-upon, most especially the link between hard work and success. That success is usually embodied in home ownership, a family and a comfortable retirement. For many Americans, however, the American dream has proven elusive. Large segments of American society face tremendous economic and social barriers to the American Dream. Worse, their failure to achieve their dreams is often not for lack of trying the barriers are simply insurmountable. Several authors have discussed the barriers that many people face to the American dream, and their arguments support the idea that the American Dream is little more than a myth. Barbara Ehrenreich discusses both social and economic barriers in Serving in Florida, where she recounts her experiences working as a waitress in the Keys for $2.15 per hour plus tips. This experience highlights one of the major economic barriers to the American Dream many jobs in America pay very little. People who for one reason or another can only find employment in the low wage sector face significant economic hardship. Most have little money saved, so any unforeseen expense is impossible. This clashes with the American Dream in both housing and health care. Most jobs in the low-wage sector do not offer health care plans, leaving workers in those jobs vulnerableShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream Is A Flawed Concept911 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Dream is a flawed concept, a deceptive motivator, which promotes fantasy and unrealistic capitalist goals (ideals) of success, while disregarding the immense costs. The American Dream, conceptualized among early American frontiersm en deeply impacted societal thinking and motivation. America meant â€Å"more†. More ideas, more possibilities, more space, more land, and finally, more success. This concept is timeless for Americans and aspiring American citizens. The American Dream can be brokenRead MoreThe American Dream : A Concept Known By All1465 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream The American Dream: a concept known by all, but deciphered distinctly throughout time. Coined by historian James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America, the term American Dream was explained as the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone . . . (214). People immigrated to America from all over the world in order to enhance their circumstances and eventually achieve this idealistic vision. However, realism has shatteredRead MoreThe Ways in Which Steinbeck Explores the Concept of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men1384 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ways in Which Steinbeck Explores the Concept of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men The American Dream was a dream that nearly everyone had throughout the twentieth century. It was hope for a better life and people believed strongly that it would come true. The main characters in Of Mice Men have a dream which was to get a plot of land and live on it and become self-sufficient. The American Dream was not an achievable goal for many people. Steinbeck shows thisRead MoreGatsby’s Unrealistic American Dream in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 PagesThe term â€Å"American Dream† is defined as an idea which believes that all people have the possibility of prosperity and success. The idea first came from James Adams, a noted American writer and historian. He claimed, â€Å"Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.† Therefore, the core concepts of the American Dream were closely linked to hard work and opportunity. However, this idea began to lose its value when people startedRead MoreThemes Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby1308 Words   |  6 Pages The American Dream can exist through almost anything, including the disbandment of love. The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald displays the concept of the American Dream through modern Love. In the novel Fitzgerald creates a main portion of characters, Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, and Tom to act as the symbols of this American Dream. Throughout the story Fitzgerald gives his readers a taste of what the chase of an American Dream is mainly seen as, which in the end did not become successful. FitzgeraldRead MoreAmory Blaine : A True American Character1586 Words   |  7 Pages[Course Title] 25 October 2014 Amory Blaine: A True American Character One of the major characteristics of a great novel is its potential to depict characters that are representative of a specific society, its ideology, its conventions, and its worldview. Analyzing from the perspective of characterization, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel â€Å"This Side of Paradise† should be considered as one of the greatest novels ever written in the realm of American literature because emphasizing on the development ofRead MoreSister Carrie and the American Dream1618 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream is surely based on the concept of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness† but it is above all, a matter of ambition. James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian, in 1931 states: life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†, which not only points towards a better standard of living for Americans but also denounces a degree of greed in the US societ y. Ambition not only â€Å"killed the cat† butRead MoreThe American Dream As Defined By F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 Pages Sweet Dreams (An Analysis of the American Dream as Defined by F. Scott Fitzgerald in Winter Dreams) In Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author describes through a love story the idea of the American Dream. When young Dexter falls in love with Judy Jones, she quickly becomes his dream. However, it will become apparent that Dexter is not Judy’s dream. Although their dreams are very different, this somehow embodies the very idea of the American Dream as a concept that cannot be specificallyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby Passage Analysis1289 Words   |  6 Pagesreflecting on the story of Jay Gatsby following his sorrowful passing. He comments on the concept that in chasing a future dream, individuals are only to be mired back into the past. As the novel ends, Fitzgerald displays powerful utilization of eloquent diction and images of the past to highlight his most essential idea of hopes and dreams; ultimately, Fitzgerald delivers a critique of the classical ‘American dream,’ while also relating similar values to that of the element of money within the 1920 sRead MoreThe American Dream in The Death of a Saleman by Arthur Miller809 Words   |  3 PagesDeath of a Salesman† is the concept of the American Dream. After World War II, as the United States produced more consumer goods, numerous people interpreted the American Dream as the concepts of richness and popularity. Although Miller wrote â€Å"The Death of a Salesman† after World War II, he describes Willy Loman as a salesman, who illustrates that wealth and popularity are not the important concepts that the American Dream represents. The four concepts of the American Dream that Willy fails to point