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Comparing The American Dream In Into The Wild, By Jon Krakauer

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The American Dream
Why is the American dream a prominent sought out ambition between the individuals living within America? The question of the American dream has always been long debated and has a flexible topic structure. A consistent belief of this dream can be irregular and vary between people. The creation of the American dream is derived from the Declaration of Independence which states that each individual has the right to, “life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness.” A fundamental aspect of the American dream is perseverance that will lead to financial prosperity in any case irregardless of social class or additional factors. The bare bones of this dream consist of freedom and happiness while further implements vary from duration of …show more content…

Nevertheless the author does still believe in this dream and the different definitions it holds. In the nonfiction story Into the Wild, the author displays dissimilar elements while also displaying related ideas of the American dream such as the possibility of this dream and changing the narrative to what the dream is considered. The American dream can be however you perceive it to be; provided that it embodies freedom and happiness. While taking that into consideration, it can seem to have endless possibilities of completion ranging from nonviable to within reach. The author imposes that the achievability to this dream can be nearly impossible depending on the version of the dream you look at. Krakauer talks about the parents of Chris McCandless and their version of fulfillment, which is working, owning a home, as well as …show more content…

This can mean exploring the enchanting sights of nature or beginning a family of your own. Chris, one of the many characters with the idea of seeing the surrounding world in the pursuit of contentment, vacated his own life to seek the thrill he was looking for. The author includes quotes from passages such as, “It should not be denied… that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations,with absolute freedom… Wallace Stegner,The American West Living Space,” (krakauer 15). This quote expresses the craving for freedom people get when reminiscing about the American dream and the allure that attracts them to it. The author incorporates quotes such as that and others to show other ideologies of the American dream other than starting a family and working for success. While also showing the American dream most people think of isn't achievable for everyone, such as the character Chris McCandless who felt limited by living to work and settling down. Krakauer expresses the desire for something more than a pleasant home and coming home to a happy family, the feeling of absolute freedom and a nomadic life. Regardless of the difficulty of the steps it takes to achieve the goal, the strive to obtain appeasement lives

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