Preview

The Pros And Cons Of The American Dream

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
275 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Pros And Cons Of The American Dream
The “American Dream” is an important cultural landmark for the country and the inhabitants of the United States of America. Many people preach that the US is the land of equal opportunity. Yet many of the population completely ignores the fact that not everyone has the same equal start as others do. They negate the suffering of those who are at a lesser position than them by using things such as the “Affirmative Action Act”, “Cash Assistance”, and the “Food Stamps” against the groups of people who use these— that is women, minorities, and working class families. That is why it is important to address these issues as a whole and side-to-side, because this will lessen the disadvantages that these groups of people face. That is not to say that

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    A life with no worries and without the curse of responsibility is known to be the “American Dream.” Everyone might have their own opinions on this concept but to me I see it as a person’s perfect ideal lifestyle, a life of happiness and success to an extent one feels fits those standards. Today many don’t grasp the right concept of this dream and feel as if it’s dead and unattainable when in theory it can be achieved in many ways depending on how one sees it.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The promises of the “American dream” are no longer fulfilled. One does not simply work diligently and expect to achieve success. A number of factors must be taken into consideration: natural talent, class, and most importantly, the ability to assimilate. The American economy today does not allow every citizen to be satisfied with his position. There is a clear distinction between the classes in America. The pursuit of happiness is limited to those who adapt and conform, as well as requiring a set of skills in order to remain competitive in the job market.…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The American Dream” was thought of as having financial security, a family, and to have a home. Although most people believe that “The American Dream” is attainable for all, but some people have to work harder than others. Which I believe is true because in this day and age some people can be born into a family that will make it easier for a them to achieve the dream. and others can be born with nothing, or just enough to get by. And they both will be looked at as if they had the same odds to attain the ultimate goal of achieving the american dream.…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Attaining the American Dream has been the aspiration for many, it is something that is promised to all yet unattainable to many because of Influential factors of culture, social class, language, and even sexual preference, I will focus on the factor of Race. Although we have made many advances that have led to many changes that make it easier for more people to attain the “American Dream”, we still have ways to go to guarantee it for all the people. Some or most of these changes are due to the many contributions of individuals whom have been negated the right of more opportunities, liberty and equality, who seek change or improvement in their treatment and opportunities presented to them.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream

    • 2108 Words
    • 9 Pages

    To people all around the world, America is known as the land of endless opportunity. However, what society does not know about America is that it enables a greedy, corrupt and overachieving way of life. Both F.Scott Fitzgerald and Arthur Miller saw this side of America when writing The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, respectively. Both men expose an underhanded America that is driven by the pursuit of power, happiness and wealth, as well as disloyalty, and misrepresentation. Therefore, in the novel, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s vision of America is that it is depicted as unattainable and corrupt. Similarly, in Death of a Salesman, Miller’s vision of America is that it is depicted as unattainable and dishonest.…

    • 2108 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American dream is something every person, either in America or entering America, has. It is the idea that a person can reach the cliche “white picket fence, wife, two kids, and golden retriever”, but it can differ for everybody. Though it is portrayed as easy and simple, reaching it is impeccably hard. The American dream is especially hard to reach when money, education, and shame become involved.…

    • 68 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The concept of “The American Dream” is said to be the living dream, the individual’s concept of aiming to achieve prosperity and happiness. The American Dream is something that an individual wants to accomplish a dream. It means a dream of social order in which each person would be able to attain a better and richer life. Most people pursuit the American Dream as a chance to become a real dream, their dream to have better jobs and better homes. The living of upper social life and having a good career, because it will make life easier, and it will make nothing to worry about. A big question: is the American Dream really possible? It was originated in the early days in which immigrants came to America searching for their dreams.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream

    • 1539 Words
    • 7 Pages

    1,537 Summer Cumin Pryor English 1A 1 July 2013 8 American Dream: Myth or Fact? What is the American Dream? The American Dream is freedom, success, opportunity, perseverance, equality, justice, and safety for all people. However, this is not the case at all in America, which therefor states the American Dream as a myth. It is a fantasy, that has not come true for the millions of people that are hoping to get a piece of the wealth, which America seems to only share with its rich upper class. Mansions, expensive cars, a happy family and of course lots of money, are images that are being embedded in the minds of the less privileged in America. These images and way of life that are being portrayed throughout America, are only giving fair and equal opportunities to the wealthy, separating and alienating ethnic races from the rest of society, and not giving everyone the same equal rights that everyone deserves. Success is what the American Dream is all about. Many people are motivated by the promise of a better life, which is why most people’s main focus in life is money, and hopes of living out the American Dream (a fantasy which only money can buy). When we imagine a successful person, we see a person, who is working on some company and is busy working all the time. This person has a nice car and beautiful apartment or house, where he does not spend much time because he is so busy. We get this impression since we were born from movies, magazines, and news. People come to live in America to live this way of life, not really thinking about reality. Immigrants come to America, and tend to think that hard work will make them…

    • 1539 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The American Dream

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Most people think of the American dream as the white picket fence, the nice house, an average family. My American dream is much different than the kids of today. My dream consists of serving my country in the United States Air Force, and after that becoming a pediatric oncologist. Most kids my age don’t even think about the military as an option they just think they are going to graduate high school and go straight to college because, I’ll admit it the thought of going to the military is a little scary. If you think about it, the thought of getting shot at is probably what scares kids the most, but I have so much pride for this country that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect the citizens that live here and make sure another 9/11 NEVER happens. This has been my dream ever since I can remember. I always knew that this was going to make me happy in the long run and it’s the dream I want to go after. I think everyone should go after their dream, no matter what it is or what other people think of it. If something makes you happy, then by all means you should go for it. You don’t need tons of money to make you happy as stated in “Do We Need $75,000 a Year to Be Happy?” by Luscombe it states that having at least $75,000 a year makes the average person happier, but I think that money is a material thing and you don’t need that to make a person happy. All that matters is having people around you that you like to be around and that make you happy.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The American dream. The exact definition of this term has changed greatly over the coarse of American history, but the desire to obtain it has not. This idea in its most basic form is the wish to be happy, the desire to better oneself and to achieve the ideal life. The thought of the American dream is deeply rooted in our history and many different groups of people through time have struggled to achieve their version of the American dream. Although many people have struggled to achieve this goal, when most people think of a struggle for equality and opportunity in American history, the African American community is the usually first group to come to mind. After slaves were officially emancipated they were finally free to pursue their American dream. This eventually led to the Great Migration and the conflict that followed. The Great Migration was a mass movement of blacks from the South to the North in the early 1900’s. They moved with the intention of escaping persecution and finding greater economic opportunity. The Great Migration had an impact on everybody. Three of the most affected groups were migrating blacks, the already established blacks, and Southern whites dealing with a labor shortage. The conflicting views during this time caused increased violence and race clashes.…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The American Dream

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The American Dream, by Edward Albee, demonstrates that through generations the idea of the American dream has changed over time. Its center is not around family, but rather image and material objects. Although everyone has his or her own vision of the dream, it seems that money plays an important role in everyone’s dream. It seems that money has changed the dream and become the driving force behind the materialism and social status that many Americans strive for. The mommy in the play shows how the dream has become more self- centered and discusses how she just married daddy for his money. On the other hand, the grandmother exemplifies the older version of the dream when family was the primary focus. As modeled in the play, the American Dream, mommy portrays how the dream has changed over time and has become materialistic, indicating that American culture has become more superficial thus leading people to be more selfish.…

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The editors of Forbes called on these writers: James Q. Wilson, Katherine Newman, Robert Reich, Gertrude Himmelfarb, Natwar M. Gandhi, and Charles Derber. To answer this following question: If things are so good, why do we feel so bad? The American Dream has both positive and negative effects on the country, but in the end people will ultimately create their own fates.…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is the American Dream? Is a question that will be answered differently every time it's asked to a different individual. Everyone has a different opinion regarding what is the American Dream and what it takes to make the dream a reality there's a simply explanation to this: People come from different places, and everyone has a different story to tell. No two lives are just alike, there are going to be people who have experienced different trials and tribulations, people who have seen what you haven't, people who's struggle has been a little rougher than yours, people who's dreams have been shattered, people who haven't lost hope, people who believe all hope is gone, and people who feel that what was lost is finally found. The American Dream is a dream viewed in a different perspective of everyone.…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    What is the American Dream? Is it even attainable for the average citizen? Everyone has their own opinions on how they view the American dream. It can be different for almost everyone when you take into consideration their gender, age, nationality, and the transition of this idea between each generation. Can we obtain this dream by having a big house, luxury items, a non dysfunctional family, and the perfect job one would never complain about? Or is it simply what our nation is told by authorities such as parent figures and the media? Most people would consider this fantasy as the "perfect life" which, most comprehend as going to college, getting a good job, making a family, and having more money than needed. This idea of the so called perfect life is thought of as the universal dream for Americans. This dream is thought of as the pursuit of happiness, but this idea is no longer a selfless goal. Instead, the pursuit of happiness has transitioned into a self-serving fantasy for most Americans. This transition of the American dream has caused most people in this nation to lose focus on what is really important in our lives and brainwashed us to believe the allusion that possessing material items will bring us happiness. Many immigrants who reside in America have the idea that the American dream is escaping poverty and simply living a better life, while other immigrants and main stream American society view America as a place of opportunity to become more successful financially.…

    • 2495 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Everyone has a different mindset of their American Dream. They all have different ways of how they’re going to reach their goal. Some people think they’ve reached the American Dream when they’re rich and famous but others it’s just having a house and a family to share it with. People may think a high education instantly leads to success, but there are countless examples where that has not been the case. For example, Steve Jobs finished all four years of high school and achieved two years of college. He became one of the wealthiest people on the planet for the American Information Technology Entrepreneur and for being co-founder of Apple.…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays