Reagan Brooke Fisher English 101 09 November 2014 Essay #3 The “American Dream” is a set of ideals that betray freedom, including the opportunity to be successful and prosperous. It's a belief that United States citizen’s have opportunities to make a better life for themselves and their family. If you ask 10 people about the American Dream, you will get 10 different variations of the theme. (Ellis, Guettler 1) Most have the same ideas, just word it differently.The Dream gave you hope for a better life. People from other countries looked to America for freedom and a road to a successful life. It powered aspirations and goals for Americans for years. Unfortunately the American Dream has altered dramatically in the past eighty …show more content…
The ideals of the American Dream were founded early in the nations history. The phrase “American Dream” was coined during the Great Depression by James Truslow Adams. He was a famous writer at the time and wanted to betray the history of the United States for the general reader. In Adams book, The Epic of America, he said, “It is a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement … It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” (Adams) The original American Dream was to work hard for your money. You worked to support your family and provide their needs. You created a job for yourself. Many opened businesses or found a job that you learned skills and stuck with for the rest of your life. Your dream included a job! You didn't wish for money to be handed to you so you didn't have to work. Eighty years ago, the man worked and the woman stayed home and took care of the house and the kids. The kids went to school, and when they were old enough, they worked. The American Dream was to be financially stable. It was not necessary or wanted for everyone to be …show more content…
Some now live strictly off of the government. They do not think a job is necessary. They have no problem with living off of checks and financial aids from the government. They have numerous benefits, loans, and grants available for citizens. Some of these are necessary. Like those for veterans, handicapped, and senior citizens. But there are millions of people getting an unemployment check and food stamps every month that do not have a job. The goal in their life is to live with a comfortable amount of money coming in every month and not having to provide any work. It is not fair for those who do work to be taxed and those who are just too lazy to work get that money. This is the American Dream for some people, living off of the government without a job or any ambition in their