The American dream is resonate in every humans heart and mind. Everyone aims to stand out and have their own personal identity. Humans strive to reach the highest level of society. Images of celebrities living the dream creates jealousy for the rest of the world and motivates them to pursue the best life possible. In “Chosen People,” Stuart Ewen analyzes the perspectives of social reality as well as class and status.
This is because social class barriers are insurmountable. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to escape poverty when no opportunities to escape are presented. Finally, those who belong to the upper-class exhibit carelessness and subsequently lead empty lives. Although the American Dream has great ideals and is amazing in theory, it ultimately fails when put to the test as exhibited
Over 37 million people suffer from poverty in the United States. The American dream can only be unrealistic considering one of America’s biggest issues being poverty. The American dream has become unreachable to numeros struggling minorities in this country. Despite the American Dream in the novel Great Gatsby may look similar to today’s, today’s dream is significantly different in various ways.
Although seen as one dream of self prostration and wealth, the American Dream differs from person to person. As many people come to find out,“Wealth, rank, or imposing name counted for nothing,” (Source E). Society implements the idea of wealth and riches to impose self value; however, it is not money that makes a person happy. Riches and fame only last a certain amount of time, and if that it taken, a person will not have anything left. The American Dream suggests that any status of a person can bring themselves from their social class and make something of themselves; therefore, most infer this means money.
The 1920’s was a new era for America; the post-war economy gave rise to unprecedented levels of economic growth and new wealth to many Americans. With enough hard work, any person of any background could rise up the social ladder and make a great fortune for themselves in a land of freedom and opportunity in which”all men are created equal.” Through rose colored lenses, these ideals of equality, hard work, and success was the American Dream, but a dream was all it ever was for most. As the greed for wealth surpassed regards for morals, entire social classes, genders, and race were exploited by the established and powerful upper class. In the endless chase of consumerism and excess, the American Dream was corrupted by money.
Many americans are not able to become rich or even middle class in this day and age. Many Americans aren't given the opportunity to make money and save to the point of becoming rich or middle class. The American Dream is not achievable due to the racist, classist, and sexist views, perspectives and actions of Americans in society today. The American Dream is not achievable due to racism and segregation that play a heavy influence in living the American dream.
Statistically, the American Dream is perishing due to the rise of income inequality and the slowing of economic growth. Income inequality is a dominant problem in the United States. The top 1% of the United States occupies 20% of all the country's income, while the bottom 50% only obtains 12%. Since 1980, the average annual income of the top 1% has substantially increased from $344,000 to over one million dollars.
First off, the American dream isn’t accessible to impoverished families in the U.S. The American dream involves having money to occasionally blow on entertainment or extra purchases. But for 50 million Americans, according to the Huffington Post,
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
For every individual, it is instinctive to want the American dream and to want to provide a good life for his/her family. Source 2 states the foundation of the American dream: “A land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” As shown, the American dream is the pressing drive for peoples’ desire to move into gentrified areas. Reduced crime, refurbished houses, and good schools are appealing to anyone. Although, it is unfortunate that wealthier families have a negative reputation of being arrogant, greedy, and callous just because of their more ostentatious lifestyle.
It is often thought that the American dream has to do wealth. People often think that the key to happiness and value in one’s life has to do with how much money and possessions they acquire through out there life. But it is showed through the two films and Television show that this is not the case. They all conclude that family and the small things in life is truly whats important. The
Wealth is a fortune you not acquire yourself but instead the money works for you. Many people start companies, make it big, then sell their business for a fortune. With this new fortune many high class people invest and save their money for generations. In Class in America it sates that, "The wealthiest 1 percent of the American population holds 34 percent of the total nation wealth" ( pg 179). The upper class people with billions of dollars and most of the countries money are called the one percent.
The United States was considered the land of opportunity for many generations, but the situation has now changed. America is no longer the country where all people can pursue their American Dream. The main reason why the lower class cannot achieve their goal of upward mobility is the fact that the top one percent of the population holds most of the wealth of the country. These wealthy Americans also have a better chance of increasing their wealth than the lower classes do. Wealth, or net worth, is not only made up of money; it also includes everything a person owns that is of value, such as their house and property.
America is known as a place you can be anything and anyone. For the most part, this remains true today, but the America dream is undergoing some changes. What once was held at high value is becoming less appealing. We live in a society where it's essential to have a source of income that’s just how life is. Countless of movies and TV shows portray this fantasy which a man or women have everything they need and want, but feel some void in their lives.
The Problem with the American Dream According to the history books, the widely-known expression “the American Dream” was originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It was first described in Adams’s book “The Epic of America” as “...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 the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Over the years, America has become more egalitarian, but much must be done until there is true equality. Although the concept of the American Dream has always been believed to be open to everyone, throughout American history it has only been continuously accessible to the upper-class majority.
