The American Dream: Functional Myth
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Liz Manjarrez
Ms. Rimmer
English 11
February 13, 2015
The American Dream
The American Dream can be defined as a national ethos of the United States in which people strive towards prosperity, success, and up the social ladder through hard work (American
Dream). People who believe in this ideal essentially believe that every American has a potential to build themselves up from nothing and achieve prosperity if they work hard enough towards it.
There are many that believe in this functional myth. On the other hand, there are also many who think the American Dream is unattainable or maybe just very limited to very few people. Truth be told, the American Dream may be very far out reach for many people. But that doesn’t mean …show more content…
Two people’s definitions of the American Dream may not entirely align with one another.
James Truslow Adams, the man behind the coining of the term the “American Dream,” first made its use of the term in his history
The Epic America in 1931. Since then, there have been several adaptations to it (Ford 1). The simple notion first began as the expectation that you could make something out of yourself even if you had started with virtually nothing. However, over the course of time, the definition of the American Dream has become a bit loose and yielded many
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different interpretations. There are still those who believe that the American Dream is merely just about pursuing happiness and freedom, but for many, this term has come to be about materialism rather than the basic necessities for a comfortable lifestyle. Their vision of the
American Dream has come to be that of owning a shiny new car, a big house, and amassing …show more content…
For instance, the economy is not at such a great place right now and minimum wage has not kept up with the increased cost of living. But people still achieve the American Dream. It’s all about how you perceive it. Although the economy
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might be in decline, if your idea of the American Dream is purely to be free, then you can achieve the American dream comparably easier than if you believe the American Dream is all about money.
Achieving the American Dream may mean many things to different people and may prove to be hard. Some people start off with an advantage that others may not have and it makes it more difficult for people to achieve the dream. But through hard work and dedication, you can do it if you believe in yourself, stay committed, and never give up no matter how difficult the path gets. Discrimination might still exist but you just have to be resilient. And despite humble beginnings, there is always the possibility that you can make it.
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Works Cited "American Dream."
Wikipedia
. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
Deutsch, Philip. "The American Dream Is Still."
The Tech
. The Tech, 11 Feb. 2003.
Liz Manjarrez
Ms. Rimmer
English 11
February 13, 2015
The American Dream
The American Dream can be defined as a national ethos of the United States in which people strive towards prosperity, success, and up the social ladder through hard work (American
Dream). People who believe in this ideal essentially believe that every American has a potential to build themselves up from nothing and achieve prosperity if they work hard enough towards it.
There are many that believe in this functional myth. On the other hand, there are also many who think the American Dream is unattainable or maybe just very limited to very few people. Truth be told, the American Dream may be very far out reach for many people. But that doesn’t mean …show more content…
Two people’s definitions of the American Dream may not entirely align with one another.
James Truslow Adams, the man behind the coining of the term the “American Dream,” first made its use of the term in his history
The Epic America in 1931. Since then, there have been several adaptations to it (Ford 1). The simple notion first began as the expectation that you could make something out of yourself even if you had started with virtually nothing. However, over the course of time, the definition of the American Dream has become a bit loose and yielded many
Manjarrez 2
different interpretations. There are still those who believe that the American Dream is merely just about pursuing happiness and freedom, but for many, this term has come to be about materialism rather than the basic necessities for a comfortable lifestyle. Their vision of the
American Dream has come to be that of owning a shiny new car, a big house, and amassing …show more content…
For instance, the economy is not at such a great place right now and minimum wage has not kept up with the increased cost of living. But people still achieve the American Dream. It’s all about how you perceive it. Although the economy
Manjarrez 4
might be in decline, if your idea of the American Dream is purely to be free, then you can achieve the American dream comparably easier than if you believe the American Dream is all about money.
Achieving the American Dream may mean many things to different people and may prove to be hard. Some people start off with an advantage that others may not have and it makes it more difficult for people to achieve the dream. But through hard work and dedication, you can do it if you believe in yourself, stay committed, and never give up no matter how difficult the path gets. Discrimination might still exist but you just have to be resilient. And despite humble beginnings, there is always the possibility that you can make it.
Manjarrez 5
Works Cited "American Dream."
Wikipedia
. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
Deutsch, Philip. "The American Dream Is Still."
The Tech
. The Tech, 11 Feb. 2003.