American Dream Definition Essay - 1630 Words

The words â€Å"American Dream† elicit many different thoughts in people. Rarely will you find a group who will agree on the true definition of the American Dream. It is subjective and therefore hard to solidify in a unified definition. Most people believe the concept of the American Dream was originally, coined during the Great Depression when James Truslow Adams stated the American Dream â€Å"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 class or circumstances of birth† (1931). From that many have based their definition to entail that if a person works hard they will achieve their own American Dream. But, to the surprise†¦show more content†¦Then due to heavy government military spending the United States emerged from World War II wealthier and stronger than ever and the economy had been revived. Many veterans returning from the wa r took advantage of this and used their GI Bill to obtain mortgages for homes. This ignited another building boom and the creation of suburbs across America. They were also eager to purchase luxury items such as cars and television sets they had been denied during the war. Americans soon correlated the American Dream to the acquisition of material things and they watched the â€Å"idyllic† life be televised on shows like Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best (Gale, 2016). Many of these purchases were made with credit cards and as Americans realized their American Dream could be purchased on credit, saving was no longer a priority. This new found ideology of acquiring goods took a huge toll starting in 2008 – 2009 with the Great Recession. During this time 8.4 million jobs were lost in the United States labor market impacting those in the working class the hardest. Most of the people who lost their jobs only had a high school education or less and recent surve ys indicated that many of the people who lost their jobs still cannot find new jobs (Economic Policy Institute, 2016). This slow recovery has caused many to rethink the idea of the American Dream being about theirShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay : The Definition Of The American Dream980 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica the beautiful! The land of the free and of equal opportunity. The home of the American dream. This expression to most people has a peculiar meaning. Most people would define the American Dream as the upbringing of success, the ability to control destiny, and to enjoy freedom due to the American social, economic, and political system. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, the American Dream means the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve successRead MoreInstructional Goals For Students With Writing Assignments1230 Words   |  5 Pagesideas from a text into one coherent essay (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4). These three goals , which align with the Common Core State Standards, are challenging but attainable for Student A. To help Student A craft a strong claim statement, I provided her with several examples of claim statements for The Great Gatsby American Dream Essay. We discussed what makes these examples strong and identified the elements that make up an effective claim statement. The essay was broken into five steps: create aRead MoreOrganizing and Drafting Your Definition Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesOrganizing and Drafting Your Definition Essay To draft your definition essay, use the organizer below. To complete the organizer, use the criteria, examples, and non-examples from your previous assignments. Be sure to write in complete sentences and provide details. FIRST PARAGRAPH: INTRODUCTION Introduce the concept of the American Dream. Explain why it’s important to define the concept and why it is difficult in some cases to define the concept. success isnt something you chase. Its somethingRead MoreEssay On The American Dream1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream: Is it Only a Dream? From the moment colonists stepped foot on American soil, freedom flowed through their skin. The new country would bring endless opprotunities to anyone who wished to pursue their dreams. Through years of effort, the United States was born and along with it a sense of equality and meaning. Today, America has much to stand for. Although times were rough along the way, the American dream is one of being free and having a voice. 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Robert CreeleyRead MoreSummary Of The American Dream 1682 Words   |  7 Pages01-25 4 December 2016 The American Dream The American Dream has historically been defined as upward social mobility through hard work and determination regardless of circumstances at birth. However, it seems that this dream has died. Those in the lower and middle class find themselves working multiple jobs just to survive. They live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to save money to allow them to buy a house and escape from their economic perils. I believe the American dream is dead because peopleRead MoreAmerican Dreams : The American Dream1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream The American Dream is indefinable. There is no one set of words or characteristics that the entire population assigns directly to its definition. With the American population consisting of people of various races, ethnicities, ages, classes, and genders, it seems trivial to even attempt to attribute a single definition to the concept of the American Dream. It is this inability however, to be confined within one single meaning, that allows for the American Dream to govern theRead MoreThe American Dream Through Literature1496 Words   |  6 Pagesof the American Dream. That is, that any person regardless of circumstances of birth can become successful through hard work and persistence, regardless of where they came from. Despite many arguments on whether that’s achievable or not, it continues to be a persistent topic in American culture. As such, the American Dream can be seen though literature, which often is a lens into life during the time of its writing. It would make sens e, then, to chronicle the appearance of the American Dream through