...Instructor: Jiang Xiying 2011.5.29 American Dream At the very beginning of movie "The legend of 1900", several words --" He'd look up for a second. A quick glance out to sea and he'd see her. Then he'd just stand there rooted to the spot, his heart racing. And every time every damn time, I swear, he'd turn to us, towards the ship, towards everybody and scream. America!"-- was said to portray how exciting a man felt when he first saw America. It is the "American Dream", as we all know, that keeps attracting different people from different countries to chase their dreams in America. James Truslow Adams once defined the American Dream in 1931, " life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The meaning of the American Dream, however, does not remain the same over the course of history. Nowadays the American Dream, despite its contribution to building a cohesive American experience, has been blamed for over-inflated expectations, because it has done nothing to improve the situation in which the working class is hard to get ahead. Therefore a issue has been raised: Do we still need American Dream? This issue over whether the American Dream is dead is complex and controversial, and different people may hold different views due to their distinct backgrounds. As far as I am concerned, I believe that the American Dream is as significant as it was before. ...
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...In his book “The Epic of America,” historian James Truslow Adams wrote, “It is 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 to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position” (214-215). Many believe that making it in America coincides with living the American Dream. To most, the American Dream is an idea highly possible for Americans to secure a better material life for themselves through hard work. However, hard work and perseverance are not the only factors that contribute to making it in America. The path to making it in America can be altered by race, birth, and low wages. Firstly, the factor of race can determine whether or not a person is able to make it in America. For example, an Indian restaurant decides to hire potential employees. What are the chances that the employee will be Indian? There is a higher chance that an Indian person would get hired at an Indian restaurant rather than a white person. In Horatio Alger from the book Rereading America, Harlon Dalton asks, “Is merit all we care about in deciding who gets what share of life's goodies?” (264). It is not just merit that decides who gets what. Harlon Dalton provides support by asking, “Does anyone, for example, honestly believe that any Supreme Court justice in recent memory was nominated solely on the...
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...In his 1931 book, The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams stated 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...too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is 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 to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." The idea behind this creation of the American dream has ingrained itself into the ethos of America’s identity, and it is an idea that can be frequently found swimming around in the country’s literature. However, the distance between that often romanticized dream and the reality of life for some people living in America can become nightmarish. The conflict that builds within the presence of that gap is a topic that is both explored and critiqued in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses. Both novels feature young protagonists that “head west” in hopes of discovering some type of romanticized “otherness” that may exist in a world outside of their own. In a well-crafted essay, explore how one of these novels critiques the ideals of an American dream through travel, the creation of conflict, and/or the maturation of the...
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...Over time the American dream has proven to be a unique perception in which Americans have connected through personal experiences and life narratives. The American dream is not established in origin, religion or some form of history the American dream is molded and defined by unified values. The American dream shows its true nationality identity in the world through principles and morals which are embedded in self-reliance, self-actualization and individualism. This three principles make it possible for Americans to achieve overall fulfillment in their destiny. They are self-reliant and believe in the promise that through hard work and dedication life can be better and different. The provable documentations of these values in relationship to...
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...“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 of achievement.” James Truslow Adams For many, this quote perfectly defines the american dream. A dawn of a new era seemingly encourages a life filled with glamour and prosperity as millions began their journey to the promised land. But does this dream live up to its expectations? Perhaps not as it reasons the corruption in today’s society. Despite the amount of hard work and dedication expended in attaining this goal, very few are able to obtain this degree of luxury. A man by the name of Jay Gatsby is a prime example of this. Although he worked to his literal death, Gatsby was unable...
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...that increased taxes on American citizens and the increased tariffs (taxes on countries which trade with the United States) worsened it. * Economist Milton Friedman said that the Great Depression was worsened because the Federal Reserve printed out less money than usual. * John Steinbeck wrote ‘Of Mice and Men’ during the great depression and the setting of the book is during the great depression as well. THE AMERICAN DREAM. * The American Dream after and also during the great depression was to own a piece of land making them open to limitless opportunities. * Most of all, it was to have freedom and independence. They wanted to be free from working for anyone and they wanted to live free from relying on wages to get through life. * This dream also included to have stability in their lives. * The American Dream was first known about in 1931 where the author; James Truslow Adams wrote in his book (The Epic of America): "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. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve the fullest stature of which they are capable of, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the circumstances of birth or position." * In the book (Of Mice And Men) the American Dream is not much different and...
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...Throughout history, countless Americans have pursued the American Dream in order to create better lives for themselves. The freedom of the American Dream, with no limitations on who can achieve it, has often lured numerous people. However, many have ulterior motives behind the dream that go beyond simply obtaining better lives. The character of Jay Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is one of these people. Throughout the novel, Gatsby represents the American Dream through both his wealth and his lavish lifestyle to once again win the love of Daisy Buchanan. Besides the fictional Gatsby, millions of others throughout history have also found the American Dream to be quite attainable. The idea of the Dream is and always has been...
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...All my sons blogs 1. Money is not the only thing in life to make people happy but it can be a huge influence to people of how they think and act. There are two different kind of people towards moolah the “Joe Keller” where you believe that money is more important than everything else and usally get there lives controlled by the greed and there desire to obtain it. The other kind is the “Chris Keller” where you do not have to have alot of money to make a happy life becasue there are more things to life rather than money. In the play All my Sons Joe kellers passion to get money for his family ends up destorying him, Joe does whatever he can to pay the bills in the tough time of the war. In the time of the play it was very hard to build an establishment to support yourself and even more challenging to support your family. Joe does what he thinks is best when sending broken plane parts to the army to get the quick buck, because it will give chris and his family an easier future. Mr kellers attempts to get the easy way out which leads to bigger things then he can handle when the plane crashes killing many man and some might think Larry. The keller family secrets soon get revealed destroying there relationships with there neighbours and them selves. The secrets over power joe forcing himself to commit suicide. All Joe wanted was to keep his factory running and let his family use the money he had earned and be proud of joes hard works and “good decisons”, but his family had...
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...Alycia Wilson English 1010 Mr. James Haendiges 09/06/2012 American Dream Ever since the term, ‘American Dream’ was introduced by James Truslow Adams in the 1930’s after the Great Depression, it has probably been one of the most widely terms in the United States. The definition of the American Dream is highly individual and most people have a different concept of it, but in general terms it can be defined as the freedom to reach one’s goal; the ability to rise to success and prosperity through his or her own hard work and determination. Now, with our society with dispiritingly high unemployment rates, immigration and poverty, most believe the American Dream has come to an end with all the economic hardships that many Americans have come to face over the years, but we all have not given up. There also has been a spirit of progress, of possibility. To begin with, the unemployment rates of Americans have risen close to the numbers that of the Great Depression. These numbers that have evolved since the Great Recession have helped deteriorate the American Dream according to economists. Even though, the economy has taken a drastic hit with these high numbers we are still seeing small businesses and larger corporations expanding. This is showing an example of how people, businessmen alike, are still striving today to live the so called “American Dream”. Although, the unemployment rates have risen, the United States of America have still seen high immigration rates. Most of...
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...In The Great Gatsby we see a story of misunderstood love and dreams. The American Dream in the 1920’s was different than it is now. In our time our Country’s Dream is a set of ideals based off of general rights, liberty, opportunity, and equality for all people— in the novel we see a different story. We find the American Dream in the 20’s is full of glam, money, lust, men and women. When people become spoiled it’s often because a society is misled by money and greed and with that you get entitled and horrid men and women. Looking at the characters in the movie I’m not impressed with that generation, the man and women are liars and cheaters. For example Tom, he is an arrogant hypocritical man who is sexist, racist, and treats everybody like...
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...It’s called The American Dream, it’s where people’s hopes and dreams laid. The American Dream was first publicly introduced by James Truslow Adams in Epic of America, in 1931. Adams proclaimed that he wanted everything better and richer and fuller for everyone. The American Dream in the 1920’s was to capitalize on the Booming Economy, to rebel against social and legal expectations, and to embrace the “New Women”. The Booming Economy was a wild success and had people walking all throughout the night! Because of the investors investing in stock markets and margins, people saw the stock market as a short term investment rather than a long term investment. This was where people got the idea that buying stock and auctioning it...
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...Living The American Dream The American Dream is one of the reasons our country is so populated. In the 1800s, immigrants came from all over the world to live the American Dream. It was the inspiration behind huge bounds in technology, industry, and lifestyle. Without this concept of the American Dream, we would more than likely be a third world country struggling to survive in an economically driven world. It is what defines us as a nation, and to this day, it still powers whole generations of American citizens. The American Dream dates all the way back to the late 1700s during the revolutionary war. Our country was founded on the belief that freedom of choice was a right, not a privilege. That belief has carried through to this day. Many foreigners come to America to escape religious or governmental prosecution. America has more opportunity than any other nation on the globe, and that blossoms from the American Dream. In America, people have the opportunity to purchase a home, the opportunity to purchase a car, the opportunity for a higher-level education, and the opportunity to practice whichever religion they so choose. With all of these opportunities also comes responsibility. All of these things are what make America, and the American Dream so beautiful and majestic. In the article Keeping the Dream Alive, written by Jon Meacham, the author explains the historical beginning of the American Dream. The American Dream was created by James Truslow Adams. In the article...
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...The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The american dream is something that most people thrive for epicly people that are from foreign land because they hope to achieve a level of success and get money for their families.One of the reasons people...
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...Keeping the Dream Alive The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children faces assault from just about every direction. That great enemy of democratic capitalism, economic inequality, is real and growing. The unemployment rate is dispiritingly high. The nation's long-term fiscal health is at risk, and the American political system, the engine of what Thomas Jefferson called "the world's best hope," shows no sign of reaching solutions commensurate with the problems of the day. It has not always been this way. On Friday, May 1, 1931, James Truslow Adams, a popular historian, was putting the final touches on the preface to his latest book. It was a curious time in the life of the nation. Though the Crash of 1929 had signaled the beginning of the Great Depression that was to endure for years to come, there was also a spirit of progress, of possibility. On the day Adams was finishing his manuscript, President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington to turn on the lights of the newly opened Empire State Building at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, which, at 1,250 ft., was to be the tallest building in Manhattan until the construction of the World Trade Center four decades later. High hopes amid hard times: the moment matched Adams' thesis in his book, The Epic of America, a history of the nation that was to popularize a term not yet in the general vernacular in those...
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... The American Dream The “American dream” is what we all strive for. Immigrants come to the States in hopes of trying to achieve their dreams and better themselves for their families. But in all honesty what is the American dream? It was once said that you could come to America and go from rags to riches; you could come with nothing and achieve everything. So, is the so-called “American dream” dead, alive, on hold, or is the definition of the said dream changing? This has been a searing topic and a widely debated discussion since the recession started. Brandon King seems to think the American dream is in fact alive and is simply just changing it’s meaning due to our economic hardships. He “would redefine the American Dream today as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future” (611). King believes now people are tolerable with a middle-class lifestyle and just want to have a stable employment. To him, the American dream is very much alive; it’s just morphing and changing the meaning due to prolonged economic circumstances. King uses logos to adapt a form of credibility and prove he is knowledgeable. He quotes study after study and provides statistics from the year 2005 to 2010 which all makes his argument very convincing. King starts both ethos and logos for the essay when he gives a background for the American dream. “The original term ‘American Dream’ was coined during the Great Depression by James Truslow Adams, who wrote...
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