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Argumentative Essay: What Is The American Dream?

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The American Dream Are American’s living, or are they just surviving? The working class of America seems to strive for success by working an unsatisfactory job, rather than fulfilling a career that feeds their own success and passion. They tend to believe they are chasing the “American Dream” when in reality they are chasing the “American’t Dream” by allowing their own dreams to be silenced by another person’s ambitions. American’s continue to “live” a life where they constantly complain about being happy and regretting their decision to allow the countless opportunities to pass them by. So what is the American Dream? The American Dream is an idea that in America, any and every one can achieve their dream or passion if they just work for it. But is that really a fair tactic? Do some people have to work harder than others to achieve said dream? One teacher taught his class about privilege. He asked everyone to pull out a sheet of …show more content…

People who complain that they are unhappy are not doing anything to change that path they are going down. There may be complications, but it is achievable. If an American is truly motivated enough to change their happiness level, they will. There was a small time frame where a lot of immigrants were limited in the amount of things they could succeed in. However, there are several opportunities for the minorities in the US. Colleges and schools have certain programs to help students succeed in their career and educational goals. The new generation has several more doors to open than those in the past, and even some of the older generations can still change for the better. When it comes to the American Dream, most are aiming for the pursuit of happiness. Well the best way to achieve it is not to be content with the present situation but rather to make modifications for the

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It is often said that this country was built upon basic principles that form the American Dream. These principles revolve around life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Maya Lin once said about the American Dream,“To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom.” Though these ideals existed throughout the country, many people still didn’t have nor did they ever get to experience the true american dream.

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What is the American Dream? The American Dream is defined by the ideal that 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. In the article “ American Dream? Or Mirage?” by Michael W. Kraus, Shai Davidai, and A. David Nussbaum, the idea that the lower you are on the wealth/class scale the more you believe in the american dream, whilst on the other hand the higher you are, the more you think it is just luck rather than merit. Professor Kraus et al were wrong in saying that the American Dream is still alive when in truth the American Dream is dying if it is not already dead not only in the upper class but also in the lower class.

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The American dream is not as easy as people say it is. The American Dream is being able to afford the necessities you need, without having to struggle and suffer just to put food on a table for their families. People think it’s easy to live the American Dream, but little do they know that there are people out there struggling to support their family. The American Dream is difficult to achieve but very possible if people could find the opportunity and available to them.

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The American dream is the belief that individuals who work hard will be successful. However not all wealthy individuals worked hard for their money such as inheritance, luck, and illegal means. In contrast there are many hard working americans that are just barely getting by and hardly able to support themselves. Whereas a person doesn't have to have all the wealth or materialistic items to keep themselves happy. The American dream is a false concept and should not be pursued because the pursuit of materialistic things can be consequential.

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The American dream has been passed down from generation to generation in hopes that they can be one of the people to achieve it. If I were to describe what the American dream is, I would say it differs from person to person, but an example that is commonly used is a house with a white picket fence. I would also say that people commonly assume that, with hard work, anyone can obtain the American dream. In the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he expresses his pessimism about the American dream through his writing and characterization of people, mainly Gatsby. This book was written to show the distaste he has toward the 1920s spirit that hard work makes anything possible.

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Bernie Sanders once said, “For many the American dream has become a nightmare.” The American dream has been fantasized by many throughout history. In the stories Kindred, The Great Gatsby, and A Raisin in the Sun the American dream is what the characters strive for. The American dream is a vision of success for individuals in the US. The American dream isn’t achievable for all people, because of racial discrimination, money isn’t the only happiness, and the difficult process of obtaining wealth.

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The American Dream was initially defined by James Truslow Adams as “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.” Up until four months ago, I never would have questioned this definition. I was always a firm believer in American Exceptionalism, the idea that there is something particular about this country that gives every person such endless possibilities. I trusted that every individual had the freedom to pursue success, however, my time at Boston College has changed this.

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The American dream at one point was what drew people to American; the right to life, liberty, and the happiness. The American dream is the hope to acquire currency, large homes, raise a middle-class family, and pursue what brings people joy in life. But in the year 2016, the American dream becomes hard to believe in. The American dream may still exist, but it is not equally accessible to all Americans. This is true because the American dream is not affordable for everyone, it is not available to everyone from different degrees of education, and race and ethnicity creates large social barriers.

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This figment of our imagination is also not fair, it gives false hope. Yes, there are many people who are happy and completely content with their life; even though there are many they are hard to come by. Many people in today’s society are damaged, the society that they have grown up in and have deemed fit and okay for themselves is really not okay. Everyone has different views on the topic of the American Dream but I do not think anyone is really living it. Someone can be happy but not content or content but not happy, they could even be both but that in my eyes is considered reality, not a

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“I would redefine the American Dream today as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future” (King). When it comes to the state of the dream, modesty means saving, and not buying expensive, practical things. People who would be considered modest are those who are preparing for their future with their money. Immodesty is people working for their money and buying items that are important to their life goals. The dream isn’t more modest because people are wanting to buy things such a house, car, and things like furniture for their home.

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(2017)) – This article explores many different aspects of the American Dream and provides evidence that education and determination can still play a significant role in achieving the American Dream. It emphasizes the importance of policies that promote equal access to education and support entrepreneurship. ("The American Dream and the Power of Wealth: Choosing Schools and Inheritance as Paths to Success" by Karolyn Tyson (2015))

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According to a DDB Life Style Study in 2014 majorities reporting that they own a home, had a good education, and work at a decent job. "If you're new to this country, then life seems pretty good here," says Denise Dalahorne, but she states that for someone who lived in America for a great deal of time believes in the “Dream” in a less traditional sense, but more about wealth. Although only forty percent of those surveyed say they live the American Dream, the results show that 66% own homes, 78% had a good education, 74% have decent jobs, and the list keeps on going. They say that the dream is dead, but the vast majority has an overall decent life, having decent jobs, decent health care, it’s just that it is

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Throughout the years the meaning of what the American Dream is has been changed and modified through their personal beliefs and goals in life. Rethinking the American Dream, an essay by David Kamp provides a perfect

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