The American Dream Case

The American Dream

1. What is the American Dream? Why does America have a dream?

Through all the economic problems our nation has endured in recent years, I believe that, still today, everyone is pursuing what they envision to be their own “American Dream.” Currently, there is a lot of debate on whether the dream still exists and what exactly it is. James Truslow Adams describes it in the book The Epic of America as “that dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (214-215) The way one interprets his definition may be different from another person, but in general terms it means that one has some luxuries in his/her life. For example, some people might consider being more wealthy than others the dream but when I interviewed my dad he said, “quality time during my kids’ childhood is an important part to my dream.” So I guess the reason I believe that the dream is still out there is because I was raised in a family that pursued it and achieved it, and i’m not alone. According to a recent report, “over 50% of people surveyed have said that they’ve achieved the american dream, and even more said that the haven’t yet, but will eventually.” (Strain) This also shows America’s optimism and gives us a glimpse to what our future might hold. A vital part to what many people believe to be the dream is job security. From October 2013 to December of that same year, our country’s job situation has improved dramatically; unemployment has dropped from 7.2% to 5.6%(Hooper). When everyone is striving to get ahead in life by landing a solid job where they can support their family, and live more luxurious lifestyles, it just screams success for our country as a whole.

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2. How has the American dream changed over time? Is it still achievable today?

The “American Dream” and its impact on you is still alive and very much achievable today, if you're willing to do the necessary things to get there. The motto that I actually like to live by is “work hard, play later” which means to be able to head in the right direction in terms of getting ahead in life, one must work hard because unless you’re able to inherit millions from a close family member who has passed, money is not going to fall into your lap. And in a 2001 Gallup poll, “76% of Americans were very or somewhat satisfied with the opportunity for a person to get ahead by working hard”(Strain) which just further proves the point that being lazy isn’t going to help one reach the dream. The “lazy” people in this world are the ones that don’t think it’s achievable. There is a reason that you don’t see any commercials for Lamborghinis and Maseratis on tv, and