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James Adams: Waking Up From The American Dream

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Waking up from the American dream “The American Dream 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 or achievement” – James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America (Rapton). The American dream is a term first coined by James Adams in 1931 (Rapton). It has come to describe that by working hard for many years you can have a successful life. If you work hard enough you can achieve all the goals you ever had. This is an idea that many people believe is still true today. People spend their whole lives chasing the American dream. Unfortunately, the truth for many is that this dream is becoming a nightmare. Contrast to what the American dream has taught people, …show more content…

Either they cannot afford to purchase one or they have lost their home because they could not afford the payments. There are two big reasons for this. One is that many people live paycheck to paycheck. CNN News reported in 2013, that over 75% of American people are living paycheck to paycheck (Johnson). Living paycheck to paycheck means that with the money people earn they barely have enough to pay their bills and saving any amount of money is nearly impossible. Another reason for many people losing their homes was because in 2008 the values of homes started to rapidly drop. Value of houses dropped by over 18% according to CNN news (Christie). This became known as the “Housing Bubble” bursting. This caused the housing market to become unstable and had many negative effects. During this time over one million people lost their homes because of foreclosure …show more content…

According to the webpage alternet.org, the middle class hasn’t had a big wage raise in over 15 years (works cited). Some experts have even suggested that the middle class is actually shrinking (works cited). Much of this is caused because of job outsourcing. Many companies have begun to outsource their jobs to countries like Mexico, India, and China. Over two million jobs were outsourced in 2015 alone (Job Oversee Outsourcing Statistics). This has increased the competition for the remaining jobs in the United States. Many People are having difficulty finding steady work in unskilled labor positions. Another reason is that unemployment has steadily risen in the past few years. From 2008 to 2013 unemployment rates where at about 10% (U.S. Labor Force Statistics). How can someone live the American dream when it is difficult to even find a

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Hi Miranda, I am sorry to hear about the property damage performed within your parent 's neighborhood. These actions affect the property values of homes when the house is sold for a much lower value that the market value. At that time during the recession, the market value of any home was dropped due to the fact banks were lending out loans to people without getting a solid read on if people could truly afford to buy the house. For those who lean out money makes commission, so it is not int their interest to ensure the person purchase a house can afford it.

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The American Dream has a different meaning from what it once was, but according to Brandon King it is still alive. His beginning question, “What is the true state of the so-called ‘American Dream’ today” (Page #610, Para. #1) appeals to his audience’s own thoughts of his or her own personal beliefs for their futures. Most people have an idea of what they want in life, and their dream may not be the rags to riches dream of yesteryear, but is uniquely theirs.

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The majority of people put their lives on the line to achieve the American Dream. As if without having to have the American Dream come true, their life would seem meaningless. However, little do they know the sacrifices they would face in their pursuit of this idolized lifestyle.

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In this essay, Brandon King spoke about the American Dream. King portrayed the American Dream as a “land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability and achievements, regardless of status or circumstances”(610). As King proceeds on, He questioned the state of the so-called " American Dream”. Some states that this dream has been long forgotten. Destroyed by the Great Recession and the economic hardship that many Americans had to face.

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Sources reveal that “Median per capita income has been flat since about 2000, adjusted for inflation. All right, so is it better off getting a big house with a white picket fence? Few of us are doing that. Nearly five million people lost their homes in the Great Recession, and even more of us sobered up about the lengths we were willing to go -- or be tricked into going, in many predatory cases -- to hold that deed. Home-ownership rates are at their lowest since 1995.”

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For many Americans it is still a dream, but they are starting to downsize their dreams. Stated in the article, “Many Americans are struggling-squeezed by rising costs, declining wages, credit card debt and diminished benefit, with little left over to save for retirement (Wallechinsky 55).” Sometimes, even if the average American is working hard, the idea of the perfect American Dream seems still near possible to achieve. This survey challenges the statement because America is not providing access to the American Dream to these Americans who have been working hard but can’t seem to keep a steady

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Despite many Americans believing that the American Dream is no longer available as there are government restrictions that limit their potential for success in any fashion, others insist that the American government provides rights for the people of America to be able to constantly achieve what they believe to be the American Dream. The American Dream is not just a dream of success but more a measurement of achievement and the ability to better one’s

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The number of minimum wage jobs available have decreased but so have the number of professional jobs. This is due to the fact that immigrants usually do not have a middle class with average skills. They are either refugees escaping their country hoping for the U.S. government to help them out or they are highly skilled and trained professionals needed by the United States. This has led to an economic

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The American Dream is simple, it is to be able to provide for yourself and your family. The dream is still attainable, but due to a lack of motivation and because the dream has become blown out of proportion, most Americans believe that they have not achieved it. The American Dream has been built up to be obtaining large sums of money and numerous material possessions. The actual dream, though, is to be able to provide a comfortable living for yourself and loved ones. In the last one hundred years, the dream itself has not changed, rather people’s attitude toward the dream has changed.

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No matter who you are or where you have come from, you have undoubtedly heard of the American Dream. The idea that no matter who you are or where you have come from, you can do whatever it is you desire in America. What was once one the main driving forces for immigrants to flock to the new world, has slowly changed over the years, but still holds its value in the eyes of those who are looking for a promising new place to live. The American dream might not hold the same awe inspiring sound that it once did, but for many generations before ours, it was a beacon of hope that helped build the foundation that the United States was built on. And still today the American dream might not be as achievable as it once was, but it is still an important symbol to the American ideology.

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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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The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.

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Since the housing crash there have been a number of articles and talking heads lamenting homeownership. The opinion is that it's just not a good investment anymore and for some people homeownership is just not in their best interests. Let's look at this from a long term prospective. Owning a home adds pride for the home owner as well as the neighborhood. You can drive down most streets in most any neighborhood and tell which homes are rented and which are owned by the people living there.

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The American Dream Explained What is the American Dream? James Truslow Adams stated in his book The Epic of America, that the American Dream 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 or achievement…” (p.214-215). The American Dream has changed from our Founding Fathers writing of the Declaration of Independence protecting our opportunity to improve our life, no matter who we are to the materialistic things that the American Dream is for some today in the year 2018.

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