The Dream An Achievable Goal Of The American Dream

The term â€Å"American Dream†, popularized by a freelance writer by the name of James Truslow Adams in 1931, is used to describe the idea that the United States is the land of prosperity, which any man can work hard and gain wealth and happiness without the fear of a controlling government. It is thought that the everyone has equal opportunities and can become successful as they please, as long as they work for it. The American dream is more of a goal that every American, or someone who wants to be American, has in order to achieve what that want to be, or where they want to be, in their life. The American dream is an achievable goal that one has in his or her own life that states what the person wants to get out of their life. The most common†¦show more content†¦These people, in combination with hard work, were determined to create a new life and built everything from the ground up. They achieved their dream of a better life by being determined to, and taking risks, to make it happen. Utilizing hard work and determination together, one can easily achieve their American dream. But after someone achieves their American dream, what do they after that? They would begin a new American dream whether they believe it or not. For example, Bayliss Wheeler, the brother of Claude Wheeler, achieved his dream at a very young age by becoming a successful businessman. Now that he is successful, the only thing he focuses on is making more and more money. His new dream is to continue to make money and live his life out to the end. One may ask the question: why does America have this idea of a dream when most other countries do not? Well, the American dream has always been apart of American culture, since America was founded upon the ideas of freedom. In the Declaration of Independence, the foundation of America, it states, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit ofShow MoreRelatedAmerican Dream Achievability996 Words   |  4 PagesDo you think the American Dream is achievable? â€Å"I think the American Dream says that anything can happen if you work hard enough at it and are persistent, and have some ability. The sky is the limit to what you can build, and what can happen to you and your family.† (Sanford I. Weill) Before I get into why the American dream is achievable, I think it is important to know what the American dream is. The American Dream is a phrase referring to the freedom that allows all citizens and most residentsRead More`` Real Women Have Curves : An Individual s Pursuit Of The American Dream888 Words   |  4 Pagesportrays the theme that the American Dream is achievable, but greatly hindered to obtain it. Ana Garcia continuously faces obstacles such as not having equal opportunities to partake in extracurricular activities, a quality education institution, and the continuous struggle between her mother s traditions and the modern world s definition of a woman. Ultimately, she successfully passed through these hindrances and achieved her goals. The American Dream is the ideal goal every person wants to obtainRead More`` Real Women Have Curves : An Individual s Pursuit Of The American Dream897 Words   |  4 PagesCurves portrays the theme that the American Dream is achievabl e, but greatly hindered to obtain it. Ana Garcia continuously faces obstacles such as not having equal opportunities to partake in extracurricular activities, a quality education institution, and the continuous struggle between her mother s traditions and the modern world s definition of a women. Ultimately, she successfully passed through these hindrances and achieved it. The American Dream is the ideal goal every person wants to obtain,Read MoreThe American Dream767 Words   |  4 PagesThe American dream is defined as the idea that every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve their goal in life through hard work, determination, and initiative. The novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck explores this idea throughout his story. Through the characters in the story, it shows the many different hardships of each character trying to pursue their dream. John Steinbeck believes that the American Dream is a goal that every American has in life, but it is impo ssible to achieveRead MoreOf Mice and Men: The Death of the American Dream1178 Words   |  5 Pages The Death of the American Dream The American Dream has always been one of the most prominent ideals in American society. Of Mice and Men was written by Steinbeck in 1937. It focuses on the lives of two men, Lennie and George, as they try to fulfill their own American Dream of owning a small farm. While this seems like an attainable dream in the beginning, Steinbeck chooses instead to destroy this dream utterly with the death of Lennie. Curley’s wife had an American Dream of being an actressRead MoreThe American Dream As Defined By F. Scott Fitzgerald960 Words   |  4 Pages Sweet Dreams (An Analysis of the American Dream as Defined by F. Scott Fitzgerald in Winter Dreams) In Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author describes through a love story the idea of the American Dream. When young Dexter falls in love with Judy Jones, she quickly becomes his dream. However, it will become apparent that Dexter is not Judy’s dream. Although their dreams are very different, this somehow embodies the very idea of the American Dream as a concept that cannot be specificallyRead MoreThe American Dream By Alexis De Tocqueville1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work and determination. However, ideas of the dream have evolved throughout time from the 18th century up to present day. The general population’s view and my view of the American Dream both have altered throughout time. My idea of the American Dream has developed from not only today’s views on The Dream, but also from the evolutionary process the meaning has been through. ThroughoutRead MoreThe American Dream823 Words   |  4 Pageswhat the American Dream is and what it takes to make it a reality. The most common and the most accurate idea of the American Dream is for all to have the opportunity to have a chance at living a nice life. This includes all immigrants and anyone else who seems to lack better opportunities often. The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (read:rich) if they just work hard enough (Wulick). The American Dream is alsoRead MoreEssay on The American Dream is on the Way to Extinction560 Words   |  3 PagesHumans often make goals to reach an exhilarated state. When a goal becomes too hard to obtain and when too many people fail to reach this goal, society digresses. The American Dream is the national ethos of the United States that was created in 1931. It is a set of principles in which prosperity and success can be achieved through hard wor k and the right ethics. However, over the years, the â€Å"car has stopped.† This so-called â€Å"dream† is running low and slowly turning into a fantasy. With the exploitationRead MoreAmerican Dream Article SOAPSTone Essay860 Words   |  4 PagesThe Reality of the American Dream By Saryah Robinson ________________________________________ Remember when you were a child and somebody asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Personally, I wanted to be a NASCAR racer. I know, a little far-fetched if you think about it. When we were children we were so optimistic. We hardly accepted failure. This was the time in our lives when we sincerely believed in ourselves. We believed in the American Dream because it was instilled in our minds

Christopher Columbus s `` The Harp And The Shadow `` Essay

For many centuries, Christopher Columbus has been portrayed as a hero who founded America. As many may discover, later in life, Christopher Columbus can be considered to be the head of a mass genocide. Alejo Carpentier’s novel, The Harp and the Shadow, shines light on the evils of Christopher Columbus with a fictional twist. Victoria Chase states, â€Å"Carpentier combines an Old World perspective, formed by tradition, expectation and necessity, with a decidedly New World sense of its origin and history† (Chase 28). This paper will examine despite what Christopher Columbus was famed to be, he is demythologized by Alejo Carpentier’s novel when the true side of Columbus is exposed. Alejo Carpentier writes this new historical novel for a reason: â€Å"These novels have as a unique feature: their closeness to the events described in the chronicles of the Indies. It has been their purpose to preserve what was already told thru conquest documents, yet making subtle va riations to reinforce their agendas† (Atia 42). Many point out that Carpentier wrote this novel because of his political visions of the time, â€Å"His writings were by and a large notable critique of bourgeois society and Western civilization. The Harp and the Shadow provides sufficient evidence of that intellectual attitude in his passionate condemnation of colonialism and the imposition of bourgeois values in the new continent† (Atia 22-23). Carpentier demythologized Columbus because of these reasons. He begins â€Å"The Hand†

Explain why and how the role of the federal government changed as a result of the Civil War free essay sample

Since the time of British colonization in the New World, sectionalism had played a major role in American politics. Differing geographies and climates had lent to development of varying types of economies. While he north dominated shipbuilding and trade, the South became dependent on the exploration of cotton, rice, tobacco, and indigo for revenue. Such contrasting economies ultimately led to different attitudes towards the welfare of the nation, particularly those which involved slavery, and views most often fell along sectional lines. Individuals such as Crawford, Calhoun, Clay, and Webster advocated for their individual regions, while still hoping to advance in the national goal. However, by the early 1860s, it became clear that compromise was no longer a viable solution. Sectional tensions surrounded the civil war, and the role of the federal government would greatly change in terms of race relations and economic development during the period between 1861 and 1877. While President Lincoln entered the Union, along with the promise of preserving the Union, the possible abolition of slavery was added to the turmoil of the conflict. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain why and how the role of the federal government changed as a result of the Civil War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Prior to the Civil War, race relations had mostly been left under the jurisdiction of states. Individuals, such as Jefferson and Madison, advocated the importance of states rights and introduced the concept of nullification in their Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Such ideals were later embraced by Calhoun in response to the Tariff of Abominations in 1828, and the idea of possible secession became a true threat in the Nullification in 1832. However, the maintenance of balance between free and slave states in Congress brought slavery to the national forefront, and number of Compromises, including that of 1850, requires the cooperation of varying regions. However, the federal government passed a number of Revolutionary amendments during the Reconstruction Era. Government had become further centralized during the war, and exercise of increased executive power enabled the government to enact a number of bold acts of legislation. First of all, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were all ratified in the Reconstruction Era. Following the abolition of slavery as stipulated by the 13th amendment, freedmen were also ensured a number of rights and granted suffrage. Even among the Radical Republicans, including Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner, there was a lack of consensus on the Constitutionality of the 14th and 15th amendments. Both granted more power to the federal government than ever before. Federal government also successfully represented groups such as the Klu Klux Klan. With military presence in the South, federal legislation was enforced. Additionally, support for the Freedmen’s Bureau and other programs was widespread amongst Northerners and effectively enacted in the South for a brief period. It was not until after military reconstruction in 1877 after the election of Hayes, that federal policies regarding race relations became ineffective. In terms of economic development, the Civil War and Reconstruction Era was a boom for industry in the North. New industrial innovations continued to be made and factories became prolific in cities in the North. Since progressive reforms were yet to be made. factory owners were able to exploit their work force, which had become primarily immigrant by the 1870s, and yield the greatest profit. In addition, better communication systems in the North had helped in searing a Union victory. Railroads, canals, and turnpikes connected various parts of the Northern to Western regions. This period of time would open the door to nearly half a century of unlawful practices by railroad owners, including pooling, rebates, and monopolies. The federal government took a lassiez faire stance in terms of economic development, and the supreme court consistently began to cut in favor of big businesses. The Civil War Era and Reconstruction period set the stage for private industry to thrive, and further stratification among American economic classes. Additionally, the Federal government played a further role in economics by advocating a new national currency system, which would provide a sound monetary banking system behing which the Guided Era could unfold.