...The American Dream is a concept that is constantly changing and it’s meaning varies depending on who is asked. As well as everyone having their own definition of the American Dream, there is a also a global understanding of what the American Dream is. There are multiple factors that go into figuring out what the American Dream actually is, so how can one come up with a single universal definition? Although it may be impossible to create one definition that satisfies everyone’s idea of the American Dream, one can look at the different parts that go into defining it to come up with a general understanding of what the American Dream actually is. As stated, this all depends on who you are. One’s race, class, economic status, and personality can...
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...The idea of the American Dream has been around for as long as literature in America has been.The American Dream; an idea that an individual can come to the United States, from anywhere on the planet. People coming to the United States with nothing but his or her name, and the clothes on their back, can become successful and wealthy through hard work and determination, over the course of time. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is a classic example of a rags to riches man, but learns the hard way that money and materialistic things cannot fill one’s need for happiness. Not only that, but F. Scott Fitzgerald also portrays the corruption of an individual's American Dream through their foolish pursuit of wealth and physical...
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...The American Dream is the hope that an individual can be able to use their God given talents, and be able to find success through their ability to better themselves and their family. However, as success is a subjective term, therefore the American Dream must also be determined on an individual basis, and cannot be accurately generalized. Due to success being tied to personal beliefs and desires, success for one person is greatly different from success to another. This can be seen in the anecdote, "America and I", where the author, Anzia has a view of success where she can do what she enjoys, and become a strong member in creating society. This can be seen in the quote, "Here I was to be free from the dead drudgery for bread that held me down...
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...The American Dream 1. In text no. 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger has written a comment in the U.S. News & World Report. The American dream is interpreted as something you make yourself worthy for. Schwarzenegger came from Austria to the States in 1983, hoping to fulfill his dreams, instead of becoming a police officer like his father. Schwarzenegger succeeded, especially in his acting-career, but also in his political career. Today he is the governor of California. But there wasn’t anything given to him for free. According to this text, he had to work very hard to accomplish these achievements. In line 13 he writes that “Hard work and determination” was what it took for him to be successful. Schwarzenegger is very humble, when it comes to moving and adjusting to a new country, and he claims that it’s important that immigrants give something back, when they receive so much. Text no. 3 is an article from Yahoo! Finance. It has a much more negative/pessimistic point of view about the American Dream and the time we live in. Anya Kamenetz, the author of this article, supports her opinions on surveys and studies. For instance she found out that once people earn more than $50,000 a year, their level of happiness does not rise with the money they earn, as it should, according to the general idea of the American Dream (page 7, line 17). The last text is called “Is the American Dream still possible?”, and as the name of it indicates, it’s written with doubtfulness. David Wallechinsky...
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...Washington 1 Jalyn Washington English 101 Professor Macy 12 April 2015 The Dream The American Dream has many definitions. There are many different answers to describe Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The American Dream in the late 1940s was to have the “perfect American household”(The American Dream). This was to have a house in the suburbs, a steady job, being married, having a few kids, and keeping up with the Jones’. Death of a Salesman is a harsh criticism of the American Dream. The American Dream in Miller’s play is depicted as the ability to become prosperous by being well liked, the ability to start from nothing to something, and pursuing others dream. It also depends on which character is asked: Willy Loman, Ben, and Biff’s American Dream. Willy Loman’s American Dream is the ability to become prosperous by popularity. Willy believes that personality, not hard work and innovation, is the key to success. Time and again, he wants to make sure his boys are well-liked and popular. For example, when his son Biff confesses to making fun of his math teacher’s lisp, Willy is more concerned with how Biff’s classmates react. Biff says he crossed his eyes and talked with a lisp (Miller 1770). Willy giggles and asked him did the kids like it and Biff responds with “They nearly died laughing!”(Miller). They all make fun of Bernard at the beginning of the movie. Willy marks Mr. Bernard for getting his stuff together and says “Oh well he won’t ever amount to anything...
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...The American Dream' is based on the 'Declaration of Independence': 'We believe that all men are born with these inalienable rights - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' (Thomas Jefferson, 1776). This 'dream' consists of a genuine and determined belief that in America, all things are possible to all men, regardless of birth or wealth; if you work hard enough you will achieve anything. However, Miller believes that people have been 'ultimately misguided' and Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, is a moving destruction of the whole myth. The origins of the American Dream seem to have been rooted in the pioneering mentality of the 18th and 19th century immigrants, most of whom came to America because of a promise of a new and better life. In particular, the opportunity to own one's land. But land 'ran out' and so cities developed and massive variations arose in wealth, which meant that this 'American Dream' changed from being a potential reality, into being a dream, like the name implies. Most of Miller's plays are directly or indirectly about the American Dream, because ultimately this dream wasn't going to succeed as lots of people wished. Death of a Salesman written in 1949, is a moving destruction of the whole myth. To be hard working, honest and have ambition were the ways of the American Dream. This lead to success, wealth and in due time - power. But this dream for everyone developed, and encouraged greed, selfish behavior, pride and rivalry between one another...
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...Death of a Salesman As all Americans can attest to, the American Dream is a benchmark that is strived for one’s entire life, as one is constantly trying to find their purpose and figure out how best to achieve prosperity. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman spends his entire life identifying how he can achieve his personal American Dream. Willy strongly believes that fame is accomplished by being attractive and well-liked, and that it depends very little on one’s work ethic. This is precisely what Miller warned against when he stated that “it’s a mistake to ever look for hope outside of one’s self”, as Willy carries the false conception that if he is well-liked by others, he will realize his American Dream. In Death of a Salesman, Miller uses flashbacks like these as alterations of time that allow the reader to understand why the characters actions led to tragedy, and how Willy’s fate can be avoided if one uses hard work and dedication, rather than popularity, to attain their individual American Dream. Willy’s deranged perception of success is mainly shaped by Ben’s influence, because Ben had the opportunity of becoming rich through his personality and presence, which is exactly what Willy is striving for. Willy frequently immerses himself in flashbacks, in which he converses with Ben, and allows Ben to convince him to the point where he even tells himself “that a man can end up with diamonds on the basis of being liked.” In contrast, Charley attempts to break...
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...The American Dream is the ability to access basic human freedoms like justice and free speech. I wouldn’t go as far as saying meritocracy exists as I see in reality that is not the way it works. For the most part, I think the stereotypical definition of the American Dream is an idea people cling to like the last ember on the fire after you have run out of wood to heat the house in the winter. You need it to go on. It helps validate that those crappy jobs you worked for 15 years meant something other than getting screamed at by your boss. It helps us believe that we can have material possessions and higher social status than those before us. I define it as the ability to access basic human freedoms. In America, we have The Constitution of Amendments,...
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...Death of the American Dream What is the “American Dream”? Does everybody have the same dream; does everybody want the same thing? Does everyone who tries for his or her dream achieve it? This unit we have read and discussed different literature that has dealt with aspects of the “American Dream”. Two of those texts that have had the most impact on me personally and my vision of my dream were “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. These two pieces of literature deal with aspects of each of the main characters pursuit of what they feel is their “American Dream”. It’s safe to say that both of these depictions end in a sorrowful way; with both of the main characters realizing that their dream won’t be fulfilled. Both of these authors show how the typical American Dream of having wealth and glory won’t bring one true contentment; it is this aspect of the “American Dream” that both of the main characters of the stories strive to attain. It seems that with every greedy aspiration for the “American Dream” comes unfulfilled lives and missed experiences; for this is what happens to Dexter Green in “Winter Dreams” and Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman”. The two texts portray the false determinations and unrealistic visions that can plague a man or woman with a strong thirst for the “American Dream” and end up leading a person to the edge of destruction. This thirst for the “American Dream” can blind someone from recognizing...
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...The American Dream For generations, the American dream has floated around society in different forms. In the 19th century, it was viewed as an independent and cowboy-worthy lifestyle, whereas in the early 20th century, it corresponded to nationalism and unity. In today’s society, young generations often fantasize the lavish lifestyle of Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake while declaring it their American dream. The origin of the term dates back to 1931, where it was first coined in James Truslow Adams’ The Epic of America. Adams claims that the egalitarian nature of this dream began to take shape when the early Puritan colonists settled in America with the hopes of living in freedom from governmental persecution. Like the Puritans, millions of immigrants leave their country every year with the hopes of building a better life. Because of different generations’ perspective and individual values, it is difficult to assign a certain definition to the American dream. For example, to some people, the dream is often associated with success, while to others, it corresponds to future family stability. Whatever the version may be, America’s countless prospects guarantee every American the opportunity to achieve their dream through hard work and dedication. While every American has heard the phrase, “American Dream” at least once in their lifetime, every non-American has heard it at least a 100 times. The opportunity to live in America was, and still is, a privilege that most American-born...
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...moment in your life that you cannot handle things anymore? Feeling powerless and you want to give up everything you have done so far? In the films The Pursuit of Happyness and Hustle & Flow it is noticeable a very important ideology that a lot of people have at some point in their lives, this is The American Dream. It is also significant to talk about the Mise en scene, the costumes and the angle of the camera in both films. In the film The Pursuit of Happyness shows how hard it is to be a single father with minimum resources to survive and all the struggles that he passes through to create a better life for him and for his son. Christopher is a black man and he does not have a lot of money, looking for ways to get money with different ideas but things did not get any better when he was kicked out of his apartment where Christopher and his son were living because he could not pay it anymore. Things kind of looked better when Christopher got an internship in an important brokerage firm but sadly that position does not pay him until he gets hired for a full-time position in the company and earn much more money than he thought he would have. The ideology in this film of The American Dream is very clear, it began with the fact that Christopher might be considered a failure dad to a lot of people at the beginning of the film because he does not have any properties, luxury things or anything for his own use, no job and problems with his partner. Christopher is a very good example of...
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...English 1520 16 May 2013 American Education In the article “American the Illiterate” by Chris Hedges he argues about the growing concern on the American people. In the argument he states that Americans everyday are less and less dependent on their ability to read and write. He explains how society over all is more dependent on image based information. In his first couple of paragraphs he describes this growing epidemic. How literacy affects us as a country and as a nation over all. He brings evidence and proof about his argument from various different creditable sources. He explains that illiteracy is such a minor priority to most Americans that doing things like their taxes or electing a new president doesn’t require them to be experts in illiteracy. Bringing in emotional story and a good slogan with words like pro-life, hope, maverick, war on terror. The American people are easily manipulated and are reeled in to the fight between truth and lies. He explains that America is so blind when it comes to signing a contract, policy agreement, or a legal document. Most if not all the time they barley even start reading. It’s hard to admit but at the end even I agree with Hedges logic. Every time I download a new software or log into my bank account never have I set there and read the agreement start to end. Just the other day I was reading the fine print in my insurance contract and I was amazed at some of the things that we assume are covered like roadside assistance. I always...
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... A father has a different connection than a mother, (in this case Linda) and relate uniquely. A father should know when to play an active role in his son’s life, or when to stay passive and let him make his own decisions and learn from them. In this case Willy’s parenting style doesn’t allow Biff to grow independent, learn moral lessons, and realize the importance of education. The first theme that their relationship highlights is the ‘American Dream.’ Willy has always had his mind set on the idea that if you are well liked you can succeed. He also saw being a salesman as the best job you could get. ‘Bernard can get the best marks in school… you are going to be five times ahead of him.’ Here we see that Willy is teaches his boys his reading of society that being well liked is more important than a good education. However, later in the play Miller makes it obvious that this is not true. ‘How do you like this kid? Gonna argue a case in front of the Supreme Court.’ Miller through stage directions, makes Willy happy for Bernard’s success, but shocked and pained by the fact that he succeeded, in contrast with what he said in act I. This expression on Willy’s face reminds the audience of Willy’s philosophy. When Willy asks Charley how he did, Willy is even more confused. ‘My salvation is that I never took interest in anything.’ We realize that Willy’s parenting has been poor, as he has failed to wake up from his dream: being well liked will do nothing for you. Biff, the obvious...
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...Critical Response 1. The article "Keeping the Dream Alive" by Jon Meacham main subject is based on the American Dream. In this article, the author is talking about the American Dream. He says back in the post war era (WWII) life was much different than it is today. Back then people were better, richer, and happier. People made more money, the unemployment rate was a lot lower and overall life was a lot better. 2. The purposes the writer has for presenting this argument are pretty simple. He is trying to make a point that the American Dream began centuries ago. Immigrants who migrated to this great country had a dream in order to make their dreams a reality migrating to America would be their goal. It was more easily seen to succeed in America than in their country. 3. The position the writer takes would have to be looking back in history and creating an idea of how it must have been how people struggled to come to this great country. He also must had quite a good amount of research done to make his article approved. 4. The writer mostly supports ideas mainly with facts every piece of information was taken from pieces of history. Every fact he states was very well put together research was his main focus for this article. He had to look back and try to make a comparison of todays history relevant to way back. Seeing the some changes were made but people still kept the goal of the American Dream. 5. The evidence the writer presents to support the position he states would...
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...century, America was looked upon by the world as the superpower and dream continent where people’s visions came true. America became the melting pot of world and all the cultures of the world met here. There was a thirst for fame, power and money. This opened a door of commercialisation of the society. Many people became greedy and inhuman in their pursuit of fame and money. A famous essayist, Bacon is of the view, “Certainly fame is like a river that beareth up things light and swoln, and drowns things weighty and solid.” (Of Praise 133) Instead of a healthy competition and right path towards success, many were blinded by the materialistic aspect of life. American society also saw mushrooming of commercilisation and competition among the section of people, who were ready to sacrifice anything and everything for power and fame. This destroyed their family life and career. One of the most dominant beliefs of American society goes by the name of “the great American dream”. This concept is based on the doctrine of self-help, which assumes that a person having self-confidence and self-initiation can rise from a lower to a higher position. This doctrine is mostly highlighted by referring to famous personalities like Benjamin Franklin and John Garfield, who became role models for the posterity. Though many benefited by aiming high goals in their lives, a section of people attached false notion to the American dream. They became fervent believers of the romantic concept that anyone...
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