...The American Dream The grass is always greener on the other side. Many people have gone to America in search of “The American Dream”. Many have succeeded, but even more have fallen flat on their faces. Apparently the grass is greener on the other side, but you need a lawnmower to handle all the grass. What I mean with my last sentence is that you can’t just go to America and get rich. You have to have a skill, something you are good at. The lawnmower is the skill and the grass is America. I have read about lots of people who wanted to get rich and famous and so they thought that they just could go to America and become rich overnight. What they don’t realize is that you have to have a skill because you need to earn your money and earn your respect. In the text about Arnold Schwarzenegger he tells us about his journey from being a little Austrian boy, to being a big American icon. When Arnold was young he said to himself that he wanted to be the best in the world in something. The dream of being the best stuck with him and now he has won the Mr. Olympia six times, and he is even the governor of California. He moved to America because he wanted people all over the world to know who he was. He wanted “The American Dream”. His dream about being the best is exactly what the American dream is all about. Arnold’s story is a success story. He made it and now he is living the American dream. In the text he says that it’s important to have more than one dream in life. You have to keep...
Words: 613 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...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
...“America! From the other end of the earth where I came, America was a land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire” (Yezierska 16). This quote centers on America’s promise to provide everyone with access to the American Dream. The American Dream is the thoughts, aspirations, visions and hopes associated with one’s future in America, specifically one’s goals, ambitions, and intents. In recent times, the dynamics of the American Dream has changed, and this shift has raised questions as to whether America is keeping its promise pertaining to the American Dream. While many Americans assert that because they have been able to achieve their goals America still provides access to the American Dream, others insist they have no way to achieve their American Dream because the...
Words: 1073 - Pages: 5
...The American Dream 1. Give an outline of how the American Dream is interpreted. Arnold Schwarzenegger writes that with hard work and determination he managed to make his dream come through in America. He says, that he understands the immigrants yearning for freedom and opportunity, but that to get those and to get success you have to work hard and give something back to America. He thinks, that one of the most important things to do to be able to fit in and blend in to the American culture is to learn the language. Not out of duty, but to be able to be a part of the everyday life in America and get the best out the cultural life of America. The second thing, he thinks, is important to get a good life in America is to participate in the democracy and to be involved in how America ended out to be, as it is today. The last thing, that he considers important, is to give something back to the America who has been welcoming you. It doesn’t have to be much; just something that helps people or something that makes a difference, small or big, in other people’s lives. Arnold Schwarzenegger believes, that your dreams can come true in America and that everything can be achieved, but not without hard work. Anya Kamenetz claims that the “old” American Dream is wounded. She is of the belief that the young Americans need a new and edited American dream, where the assumption of the dreams aren’t money and material things but a dream based on a social safety net, more time for the Americans...
Words: 1066 - Pages: 5
...As we all know, America is a country that value freedom so much that people can do whatever they like and whatever they want if they doesn’t destroy others’ rights and interests. In this so free and libertarian country, everyone has his or her American dream since everyone’s wants and desires is different. From my personal perspective, the American dream is different from the past to the present, because what people require is diverse. What’s more, the American dream is different from one person to another. So, it depends. Some may want more freedom, some may want more equality and some may want more personal rights. In my opinion, the basis of the American dream was in the dreams and the ideas of those who wanted to immigrate to America and in their though about what the future of America was and what America would be. America is a country full of immigrants where thousands of people immigrated to America in the past. People who desired to immigrate to America had their own thoughts and dreams of what American would become in the future and what their life would be in the future. Was it better than the situation nowadays or even worse? “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I life my lamp beside the golden door!” (Lazarus,online). As we known, there were lots of wars in Europe which resulted in many people not wanting to suffer from tyranny...
Words: 1228 - Pages: 5
...undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours, it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And still today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important symbol to the American ideology....
Words: 1061 - Pages: 5
...Quarter 1 American Dream Essay Charles B. Rangel once quoted “The promise of the American Dream requires that we are all provided an equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to our nation. 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. The poems “I,Too,Sing America” by Langston Hughes, “America and I” by Anzia Yezierska, and the novel “The Colors of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His Mother” by James McBride all represent how race influences the pursuit of the American Dream. Race influences the pursuit of the American Dream because based on your race determines if you are treated as less than or above others. As stated from the poem “I,Too,Sing America” by Langston Hughes on page 13 in the Springboard book “I,Too,Sing America, I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes, .... Tomorrow I’ll be at the table when company comes, Nobody’ll dare say to me, “Eat in the...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...The American Dream The grass is always greener on the other side. Many people have gone to America in search of “TheAmerican Dream”. Many have succeeded, but even more have fallen flat on their faces. Apparently thegrass is greener on the other side, but you need a lawnmower to handle all the grass.What I mean with my last sentence is that you can’t just go to America and get rich. You have to havea skill, something you are good at. The lawnmower is the skill and the grass is America. I have readabout lots of people who wanted to get rich and famous and so they thought that they just could go toAmerica and become rich overnight. What they don’t realize is that you have to have a skill becauseyou need to earn your money and earn your respect. In the text about Arnold Schwarzenegger he tellsus about his journey from being a little Austrian boy, to being a big American icon. When Arnold wasyoung he said to himself that he wanted to be the best in the world in something. The dream of beingthe best stuck with him and now he has won the Mr. Olympia six times, and he is even the governor ofCalifornia. He moved to America because he wanted people all over the world to know who he was. Hewanted “The American Dream”. His dream about being the best is exactly what the American dream isall about. Arnold’s story is a success story. He made it and now he is living the American dream. In thetext he says that it’s important to have more than one dream in life. You have to keep yourselfoccupied...
Words: 519 - Pages: 3
...The American Dream: An American Constant As a newborn child lies in his mother’s arms in an American hospital following his birth, he doesn’t possess courtesy to be grateful for the gifts bestowed upon him; this baby hasn’t merely been given life. This infant has been given an opportunity that we have come to know as The American Dream. This ideal will be held constant in the mind of this moments old baby as soon as he is mature enough to yearn and desire the concept of gain. America is widely believed to be a land of opportunity, so the concept of The American Dream is an ethos taken to heart in almost every being who respects America. Every day, people set out to achieve their full potential and succeed. Though, in America we are blessed with freedom, I feel the assumption that being free yields success and happiness is a false premise. I believe the only way to define true success of this ideal is unconditional happiness and success. To achieve this dream proves nearly impossible; as humans, we instinctively desire more. Success, like the concept of The American Dream, is truly subjective. We go to different colleges, have different majors, and surround ourselves with different people; how can success truly be defined? To me, The American Dream proves to be more hope and incentive to better yourself and your family for future generations to come. In respect to the subjectivity of the term, The American Dream will always mean different things to different people. As a...
Words: 1054 - Pages: 5
...American Dream Myth Charles Funk Popular Culture Professor Jenifer Garey November 22, 2015 American Dream Myth The American Dream of achieving economic equality among all people and providing equal opportunities to both the rich and poor alike is now no longer a dream but rather a myth. The reason being, the country has been plagued by the problem of an ever-growing inequality. According to Nobel-prize winner, Joseph Stiglitz, it is both a tragedy and irony that determination, work, and vision are no longer the keys to one's success in America (Streight, 2015). Instead, Stiglitz says, “being born to rich, well-educated parents is the best indicator of future earnings” (2015). The situation is now making it harder for Americans born to low-income families to climb the ladder of economic prosperity leaving them stuck in a poverty cycle. The current economic state is such that more than 80% of American resources are now controlled by only 20% of the American population (Domhoff, 2013) The indication is that the American dream of achieving economic equality among all U.S. citizens is indeed not only a myth but also dead (Wyatt-Nichol, 2011). Two different artifacts that illustrate the component of the American Dream Myth are songs and movies. First, songs are providing a revolutionary world in America where only the rich are represented. Gone are the days when the songs were composed with an aim of reflecting the problems in the American society. In America, songs...
Words: 968 - Pages: 4
...The American Dream: Alive and Thriving Everybody is entitled to their own dreams and ambitions no matter their race, color, or gender. When the term “American dream” is heard, most people visualize an enormous house with a stunning car and a beautiful family. Others may think more simplistic, like a simple God given right: freedom. Everyone has their own definition of the American dream, but I have a different perspective. I see it as how I want my life to be in the future, and the steps I will take to get there. The American dream is about opportunity, and there are plenty of opportunities in this nation. To pursue a bright future, one must obtain education and acquire a satisfactory job. This nation provides people with exactly what they need, and as knowledge is obtained; changing, growing, learning and becoming the person that we want to be is taking effect. America is a place where the people are nourished and have the freedom to chase their dreams, which clearly means the American dream is still alive. In 2007, the president of Purdue University, Martin C. Jischke delivered a speech to a graduating class concerning the American dream. Jischke explained how difficult it was way back in the day to get an education and become successful. He also went on to explain the Great Depression. During that time there was hardly any money to afford an education, let alone be sent to college. When Jischke had the opportunity, he took it without hesitation and received scholarships...
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...pursue his American dream as a Pakistani man. He works as hard as the Americans and is employed by one of the prestigious countries in America. While with the outbreak of 9/11 event, people in Islamic world are labelled as terrorists. There is no exception to Changez. He is deeply depressed by such kind of treatment, as well as disappointment from his girlfriend, Erica. His American dream breaks after his returning back to Pakistan. Through the viewpoint of the first person, this novel shows the struggling of Changez, a person from the Islamic state, that they ordinary people are not terrorists. This book report aims at ascertaining the collapsing of his dream. In a series of flashback, Changez tells us his experiences in pursuing his dream and love in America. At the very beginning of his story, he says “I’m a lover of America”. And when it comes to Princeton, he says that “Princeton inspired in me the feeling that my life was a film in which I was the star and everything was possible”. He is, at that time, a typical pursuer of American dream. He could find himself “free, disappear and free of doubts and limits, and free to focus on nothing but the game”. While the rule-dominated country and the indifferent people fail to “make me forget such things as how much I enjoy the tea in the city of my birth”. His adoration towards Erica adds some color to his life, which seems to him sweet and beautiful. While he gradually loses interests even becomes radical towards Americans, in his...
Words: 996 - Pages: 4
...In the short story America and I, the author Anzia Yezierska writes about a Russian girl that comes to America to take advantage of the opportunities that were stripped away from her in her 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
...------------------------------------------------- American Dream We all know the great country of freedom and hopes, called America. America is the country where big dreams can become reality. Throughout the years many immigrants, have travelled to America, in the hope of making their dream come true. We have seen many big personalities’ getting their chance in America, and many has later on become big stars in the whole world. The world-known bodybuilder, actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger is no exception. In the text “Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lessons from 25 years as a U.S. Citizen - Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give back”, Arnold is describing how he came to America for his shot at the America dream. The America Dream is when immigrant’s travel to America, for the hope to live out their dream. Arnold came from Austria and he succeeded his American Dream. He became one of the most well known persons in America, and even in the rest of the world. Not only for his politician career, but also his title as “the greatest bodybuilder ever” and his career as an actor. His main point in the text is, that the immigrants who travel to America to live their dream, has a responsibility as well. They have to give something back. You have to be interested in American culture and history, to learn to speak English and participate in politics. This way you will give something back to America. Arnold himself is mentioning that he had the opportunity to give something back to America, when he was...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
