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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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He reinforces his theory that the American dream is changing by the statistics on housing. “More and more people now rent their homes instead of buying; a recent study showed a decrease in home ownership from 69% in 2005 to about 66.5% in 2010 and an increase in renter household of 1.1 million”

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The delusion of the American dream is a major theme explored throughout the novella, ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck in 1938. In the novel, the American Dream is a belief that nearly every character has which embodies everything great in life. It means hope that happiness and security are truly possible. George and Lennie have a dream to one day have their own land. Curley’s wife has a dream of being an actress and Crooks wishes he could be treated as an equal.

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In “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?”, Brandon King boldly decides to redefine the concept of “the American Dream” and claims that it is “the key to climbing out of the Great Recession, overcoming inequality, and achieving true prosperity.” (573) In his essay, his new definition of the American Dream is “the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future,” (573) which contrasts against the original idea that it “is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth,” as proposed by James Truslow Adams. While this is an impressive redefinition of the

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Using the novel Of Mice and Men created by John Steinbeck, I will investigate how the author feels about the idea of “The American Dream.” From the title of this book you could foreshadow how preparation and hard work might not be enough to achieve the dream that you have. Also, the two main characters, George and Lennie, are chasing their dream that always seems to be out of reach. Opposite of the optimists, was Crooks who is more of a realist who believes no matter how much you believe and try that dreams are only in your head. Even though, the characters play a major role in distinguishing Steinbeck’s message about dreams in our life.

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Based on Declaration of Independence, Americans take on the “American Dream”. The idea of the American dream is based on a fantasy that an individual can achieve success regardless of family history, race, or religion just by simply working hard enough. Americans have this belief because they are protected by the above document. They believe that they are entitled to achieve their dreams because they can.

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The picture perfect life that the American Dream promotes is unrealistic and superficial because money is unable to fill the void of happiness or love. Contrary to earlier days, we now life in a time when even a strong work-ethic does not guarantee money, success or opportunities. While many are so ensorcelled by the illusions of the American Dream, we often fail to realize its falsity and constraints. Whether financially or socially, the society coaxes in the unsuspecting American dreamer, only to then spit them out in a wave of despair, failure and hopelessness. As demonstrated by numerous non-conformist individuals, the Dream lies not in the realm of materialism but rather in that of the intangible; often requiring an extreme leap of faith

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The American Dream of wanting less material goods in order to live a more fulfilling life that is indulged in the natural beauty of the world was the American Dream that McCandless was seeking. Christopher McCandless rejected the American Dream, as it’s traditionally defined in pursuit of a more emotionally and spiritually fulfilling existence free from the social pressures of our materialistic society in the Alaskan wilderness. The irony of McCandless's rejection of the traditional American dream is that he lived such a perfect life. a life many would want to live and achieve as a part of their own American Dream and yet he wanted to remove himself from society's standards. An important part of the traditional American dream is the “perfect American family” which is essentially the family that McCandless grew up in.

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The idea of the American Dream is indicated through out the novel, especially through the characters Lennie and George. They talk about their dream so much that it becomes a ritual between them and often they can finish each other’s thoughts and sentences. This is quite amazing, because Lennie is mentally challenged and has trouble thinking for himself. The dream gives both men purpose in a time when life is harsh and cruel.

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