...American Dream As a Myth Erica Rideout HUMN240-F1WW Professor Deborah Rosenstock July 7, 2012 The myth of the American Dream does not have to be taught or learned. Growing up in America, it is imbedded in our minds at a young age that America has it all. American is the land of opportunity and allows its citizens to work hard and gain an uncapped amount of success. However, it is more apparent that this “dream” has transformed into a myth over the several years since its creation. Once upon a time, America was seen as the place to gain opportunity and success. However, as times continue to change, this vision of the dream continues to slip out of American’s hands and more into the mind as a myth. The major component of the myth of the American Dream is a simple one. America is the land of the free and home of the brave. Our American ancestors have fought for freedom and gained it allowing fellow Americans endless opportunities that can lead to great success. These opportunities do not just end with Americans; they are extended to all nationalities that come to America with hopes of living the so called American Dream. Although the American Dream may just be a myth, it definitely gives people hope. Most times, that hope is enough to lead to the drive and determination necessary to reach some level of the American Dream. There are several artifacts that help display the myth of the American Dream. Two artifacts that I have chosen are relevant to views...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...Most people don’t understand the meaning of dream catchers or even what they are, but they should learn because they are very powerful and important in Native American culture, particularly the Ojibwe people. In order to better understand dream catchers we need to know the origins of them, the proper way to use them, and the sacred materials used to make them. The dream catcher has been a part of the Native American culture for many generations but it wasn't always important until the Anishnabe people were being tormented by nightmares and couldn't handle it anymore. The medicine people and elders tried to find different ways to get rid of the nightmares but nothing seemed to work. After getting so tired of the nightmares they decided to have a meeting with all the people of the tribe to get everyone's ideas on how to fix...
Words: 689 - Pages: 3
...Analysis American culture value through the film The Pursuit of Happiness The reason why the Hollywood films are popular, besides its wonderful plots, the characters in the films could always reflect the special American cultural values to audiences. The American spirit such as individualism, heroism, religious and pursuit of freedom are all reflect in the Hollywood films. However, the American dream is a unique American culture and has inspired many Americans to rely on personal struggle to make their dreams come true. Films from different culture have their different cultural values, in turn, the different cultures have reflect and strengthen their own culture values in their films, so that audiences could get to know the mainstream American culture values from Hollywood films. Hollywood as the largest American film media has created many motivation films to express the importance values of American dreams to the world. The film The Pursuit of Happiness (2006) by Gabriele Muccino is a very classical Hollywood biographical film which is based on Chris Gardner’s life story. The film talks about how a homeless man success from the hardship and finally became a famous investment expert through his struggle step by step. The narrative of the main character Chris’s story refers to the key aspect of American Dream which is the equity opportunity of everyone in the society. It has showed the thought that happiness will come to everyone as long as we do not give up and make unremitting...
Words: 1615 - Pages: 7
...My Definition of American Culture Each individual has his own definition of American culture. While some may focus on freedom and liberty others might identify more with technology, sports, or music. The United States is composed of a multitude of diverse individuals each from a different background. With all these human beings coming together each brings his own traditions and customs to further mold American culture. As an immigrant, the American dream is synonymous with American culture. For generations many immigrants have been talking of this particular dream and how it is achieved. Foreigners as well as Americans all have the mentality that they can make their dreams come true. For this reason, America is often called the Land of Opportunity. Many immigrants are aware of this concept and in result they decide to pack up their lives, leave their families behind, and move to the United States in search of a better life. The concept that one can achieve anything he puts his mind to is extremely alluring to many individuals. As an outsider looking in, I see firsthand how great of an advantage it is to be living in the U.S. While living in Romania I knew I had to fight for a better life and even then I might not succeed. Seeing everyone struggle around me has motivated me to get an education and excel in my future. My parents made the decision to move to the States for one purpose. That purpose was the American Dream. Back home we kept hearing about this place...
Words: 456 - Pages: 2
...disillusion society from conforming with the problematic status quo, two of which were famous writers Zora Neale Hurston and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The two had their own respective grievances about the nation, but both used their writings to bring awareness about the follies of society. Hurston and Fitzgerald challenge the preconceived status quo of a perfect and progressive American society—set with values such as separate but equal, social classes, consumer culture, and so on—through their respective essay and novel, the former dealing with the erasure of African American culture due...
Words: 1156 - Pages: 5
...chance to get richer, while the rich remain rich. America has always been characterized as the land of dreams and opportunities. Immigrants entering America took these characterizations to heart. The dreams and aspirations of stable, wealthy, and happy lives in America became known as the “American Dream”. The basic idea of the American Dream generally has stayed the same throughout time, although the majority of Americans seem to take the Dream for granted. The first settlers arrived to the New World in search of a treasure: life, liberty, and freedom. This treasure was and still is the American Dream. Now people from all over the world come to America in search of the same Dream; some even die trying. People were not as materialistic as people are now; they just wanted happiness. As time passed, people became more materialistic and began to take for granted what they were born with. However, the “American Dream” hardly ever turns out like any individuals have anticipated. America is often considered as the “best country” in the world, but behind this façade, many people struggle daily to earn enough money to survive. America has had its times of despair and advances but through it all we have learned new ways, cultures, and overall advancements in life. Throughout the American Ways book we were given to read and analyze, there were many things about American life that not only related to now but also showed us lessons learned and conflicts repeated through time...
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...What exactly is the American dream? For many individuals the so-called American dream might vary. In “two kind” by Amy Tan the mother whom is a Chinese immigrant wishes that her first generation American daughter accomplish everything she couldn’t and even wishes that her daughter becomes a prodigy. This hope to acquire the American dream bring tension in the mother and daughter relationship and she in between these two kind of dreams her mothers dream for her and her own dreams. Also, this writing emphasizes the relationship of an immigrant mother and her Chinese American daughter and the tension cause of the American culture that clashes with mother Chinese culture and leads into miscommunication. Also, what might seem like the mother want...
Words: 1224 - Pages: 5
...United by Differences “I am an American.” No phrase has held so many meanings and explanations that it requires the context of the world to understand. America has come to be identified as a conglomeration of different ethnicities and cultures from across the world. Almost all Americans emigrated from another nation to form an encompassing society in this nation. America is comprised of a literal and metaphorical “melting pot” of immigrant cultures, customs, religions, and philosophies. Although our flag is not tied together by one culture or ethnicity, certain characteristics are truly woven into a person on this soil. An American is not defined by their religion, customs or place or origin, but by their drive for freedom, equality and the pursuit of the American Dream. Every American has been shaped by the plethora of different cultures that permeate through this unique society. While many other nations divide or separate through differences, Americans can be tied together by these very same disparities. A citizen can be English, Chinese, Polish, Italian, Greek; they can be Catholic, Buddhist, Jewish, or Islamic. No religion, no custom, no ethnicity can truly define every citizen of America because it “is every person’s country” (Crevecoeur 309). Yet, because of this great diversity, many Americans have an appreciation or understanding for the co-existence of lifestyles and beliefs. Since the founding of this country in Jamestown and the Pilgrims of Plymouth, immigrants...
Words: 1379 - Pages: 6
...The Great Gatsby and The American Dream While many countries around the world are working toward equality of social status and avoiding a large gap between rich and poor, there is still a strong desire in people for social freedom through the accumulation of wealth and extravagance. The Great Gatsby’s depiction of the connection between material goods and the American dream is still relevant today. At first glance, the movie may seem to be about the failed relationship of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. However, the major theme of the novel is the accumulation of wealth for social status and the idea of being able to reach a high level of success regardless of family history or lack of money. To understand the connection between the two it will be necessary to have an analysis of the culture values in the 1920’s, what people consider to be the American dream, and finally if there is still a strong desire to achieve the American dream in today’s society. In order to understand the connection between The Great Gatsby and the American dream it is first important to have a good understanding about the movie and motifs of the movie/novel itself. The story takes place in a post war America in the 1920’s when Nick Carraway moves to New York to pursue his career in finance. Nick soon discovers that he is neighbored to the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby, who is known for his loud, lavish parties. Jay and Nick soon become good friends and Nick begins to learn the motifs behind...
Words: 3177 - Pages: 13
...Being American The article being American explaining the culture and the author express feeling how being American is not easy. Being American is melting pot because everyone you meet have different personality, culture, language, religion. For example this explains Spanish teacher explained teen was opposed to pupils the objection was perfectly sensible (king pp 593). Some people from around the world identity America as the most popular place in the world. I believe other countries in the world never say USA because they feel comfortable saying America. When I went to Africa, Mexico, or Holland they could not say the word the United States of America. It consists of many different...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...homeland. She believes that taking these opportunities will give an actual chance to become successful. The Russian immigrant and many other immigrants who migrate over to America believe that it is the land of opportunity, where dreams become reality. She came to America to pursue the so called American dream. Her dream was to be able to do the things she was not able to do in Russia, and to take advantage of opportunities that her family members were not offered. According to the Narrator, “America was a land of living hope, woven dreams, aflame with longing...
Words: 1404 - Pages: 6
...accepting or not a gift from a client from a non-Western culture. The essay describes the selected ethical dilemma, the cultural factors involved, and the first 14 steps that therapist takes to resolve this dilemma, and to arrive to an ethical decision. The 14 steps taken to obtain the ethical decision identify key aspects of this situation, analyzes the benefits and weaknesses of the options that therapist has. These ethical steps are helping the psychologist to identify the best approach for the ethical dilemma. The decision making process described in this paper applies to the patient’s best interest, influencing the client and therapist. Also the paper explains the importance of the ethical decision in professional psychology. Ethical Decision Making Ethical decision making process refers to the ability to take a decision after an evaluation of a complex and ambiguous ethical situation, and to the capacity to implement that ethical decision effectively. The ethical decision in this paper refers to the ethical dilemma of accepting of not the gift from the patient. In this case the client comes from a non-Western culture, so the ethical dilemma involves cultural considerations. The gift giving aspect must take into account the cultural context. The patient is a Navajo Native American male, and he has offered a dream catcher as a gift to his therapist, after ending the psychological treatment. In many non-Western cultures this type of gift represents an expression of gratitude...
Words: 1915 - Pages: 8
...Does the American dream still exist? Well the phrase” American dream” was invented during the great depression. It comes from a popular 1931 book by the historian James Trus Low Adam, who defined it as “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone. (Leonhard .1) They have constructed a date set that shows the percentage of American Children who earn more money- and less money- than their parents earned at the same age. About 92 percent of 1940 babies had higher pretax inflation- adjusted house hold earnings at age 30 than their parents had at the same age. The few 1940 children who earned less than their parents were also, for the most part, doing just fine living. Inspired by a new book, “Chasing the American Dream”, the American dream approximately costs 130,000 annually, meaning the dream is only within the reach for about 1 in 8 American families. The American dream still exists, yet not everyone can achieve it. immigrants and first generations might be couple of steps behind....
Words: 1317 - Pages: 6
...Instructor: Jiang Xiying 2011.5.29 American Dream At the very beginning of movie "The legend of 1900", several words --" He'd look up for a second. A quick glance out to sea and he'd see her. Then he'd just stand there rooted to the spot, his heart racing. And every time every damn time, I swear, he'd turn to us, towards the ship, towards everybody and scream. America!"-- was said to portray how exciting a man felt when he first saw America. It is the "American Dream", as we all know, that keeps attracting different people from different countries to chase their dreams in America. James Truslow Adams once defined the American Dream in 1931, " life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The meaning of the American Dream, however, does not remain the same over the course of history. Nowadays the American Dream, despite its contribution to building a cohesive American experience, has been blamed for over-inflated expectations, because it has done nothing to improve the situation in which the working class is hard to get ahead. Therefore a issue has been raised: Do we still need American Dream? This issue over whether the American Dream is dead is complex and controversial, and different people may hold different views due to their distinct backgrounds. As far as I am concerned, I believe that the American Dream is as significant as it was before. ...
Words: 901 - Pages: 4
...Studentereksamen The texts in section A focus on the American Dream. Write a paper (700-1000 words) in which your answer the following questions. Answer the questions separately. Give an outline of how the American Dream is interpreted in texts 2, 3 and 4. Text 2: Arnold Schwarzenegger's view on the American Dream is; that it is something you have to make yourself worthy for. This is characterized by three things. To truly succeed as an American citizen you have to learn the English language. This is a necessity to blend in to the American culture. Another factor that weighs in high according to Schwarzenegger about the American Dream is the right to vote. In Austria, you do not have the right to vote, so he exaggerates the fact that the right to vote should not be taken for granted. He also says that 'democracy is not a spectator’s sport', so you should participate as much as possible. Thirdly, he emphasizes that giving back to your country should be important. According to Schwarzenegger you should give back as much and as possible. He ends the text paying tribute to all the great immigrants who have performed service for The United States. Text 3: The third text epitomizes the opinion that the American Dream is money-oriented. Since the economy was at a downfall in 2008, the American Dream had been, metaphorically speaking, been killed or at least wounded. Beyond that, the text is angled in a much more negative way, but maybe a more realistic way. The writer, Anya...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
