Analysis Of The Article Whats Up With The American Dream

What does the american dream mean to you? â€Å"The American dream, to me, means having the opportunity to achieve, because I don t think you should be guaranteed anything other than opportunity† (Leny Wilkens). The Article â€Å"Whats up with the American Dream† is all about how the American Dream is changing. It s transitioning from going to school, working hard, and advancing in your career to being handed a job through the connections you have. The thesis in this article is â€Å"We go to school, study, get jobs, and work hard, all with the assumption that doing so will allow us to achieve financial security, rise up the economic ladder, and perhaps even achieve financial great wealth.†(pg. 539) The argument in this article is describing how everyone used to have an idea of how their life was going to be, go to school and get a well paying job. Today the worlds way of thinking has changed. Not everyone goes to college, and not all the ones who go to college get a well paying job. The author claims t hat everyone had faith in the American Dream â€Å"the land of opportunity†. He uses an example of how in 1867 when Horatio Alger published a novel about Ragged Dick, someone who works his way up from poverty to a position of respectability. Which is what the American Dream was all about in the 1800s, working your way up the success ladder. In the pass everyone knew the American Dream and that was the goal in life. The American Dream was an opportunity for growth and achievement. EveryoneShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream By Lorraine Hansberry1570 Words   |  7 Pagesportunity to move up the career ladder, financial stability, having a family, owning a car, ability to receive an education, and having freedom and equality. Is this American Dream really attainable for everyone? Some groups of American citizens seem less likely to ever achieve this dream even if they work hard. Society and their circumstances are against them either because of their race, gender or class. Wome n, minorities, immigrants and the poor are left out of the American Dream. They may striveRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of The Outsiders1661 Words   |  7 PagesThe Outsiders Literary Analysis Is the American Dream fact ? Or Fiction ? In the novel The Outsiders, the author S.E Hinton explains the story of a young boy named Ponyboy and the struggle to survive, to find out the rights and wrongs in society, taking on difficult challenges like social class, loved ones, loyalty and rivalry between two different social classes . The question is brought up, is the American Dream fact ? Or fiction ? According to the knowledge that has been given, Through documentariesRead MoreEssay on Climbing the Ladder Analysis817 Words   |  4 PagesClimbing the Ladder Analysis For generations, the American Dream has continued to stand as a vision that so many people have strived for in America. It is what attracts countless foreigners to come to the U.S and what also keeps them there. All these people are filled with ongoing motivation to eventually reach this dream. Yet, the Dream and its steps to success are not a definite list. In fact, the very idea of how to achieve such a dream has been debated for generations. Andrew Carnegie, aRead MoreHow to Pursue the American Dream1576 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American Dream For an immigrant, the American Dream is to achieve economic well-being and a good quality of life through hard work, entrepreneurship, and perseverance. It is the driving force behind most immigration, and its realization is the achievement dimension of the American Dream to reach to the fullest life. What is the American dream? And how can one pursue it? Does it still exist, or is it over? Carl Thomass article â€Å" Is the American Dream Over?,† states that the American DreamRead MoreImpact Of The Income Inequality On The American Dream1742 Words   |  7 PagesImpact of the Income Inequality on the American Dream The book called They Say I say with Readings contains multiple articles. However, chapter nineteen focuses on the American Dream. Chapter nineteen, â€Å"What’s Up with the American Dream?† indicates how the article will be focusing on the American Dream. The American Dream changes over the course of time as the income inequality widens between the higher and lower class. Few events occurred that affected the income, which led to a growing gap betweenRead MoreThe California Dream Is Dead1039 Words   |  5 PagesThe California Dream is Dead The California Dream? More like a California Miracle. James Rawls, writer of the article â€Å"California: A Place, A People, A Dream† is an optimist who believes there is still hope for the California Dream (Rawls 14). The article was written 1984. It is not applicable to today’s self-destructive California. With the population of over 38 million people, California is barely holding itself together at this point. Even â€Å"investment† in the young Californians’ educationRead MoreThe American Dream Is Still Alive Essay1610 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream Nowadays, many Americans wonder if the American Dream is still alive. At one point in our country, people felt that they could achieve success by working hard. However, after the economic hardships and recession of the 21st century, a number of Americans not only lost income, but some also lost their jobs. Although there has been slow progression to improve the economy, there are those who question whether or not the dream of Americans can ever be achieved again. With unemploymentRead MoreAnalysis Of Money In The Great Gatsby1111 Words   |  5 PagesHappiness of Money (Literary analysis on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald) Gold diggers are commonly known as women that only go after a guy because of the money that he has. The said women doesn’t even need to love the man just to have the money is enough to keep her around on him. Often times there is a man that really does like this lady, but because he doesn’t have money he never gets with her. What if this man without the money decide he would do anything to get money to impress theRead MoreThe Theory Of Self Actualization Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesFor many years psychologist has observed and deliberated over humans and their life’s goals. The three much known psychologists came up with the concepts and they are: Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Viktor Frankl alone with many others. These three psychologist had studied and constructed the theory of self-Actualization and the meaning of life. They have agreed that self-actualization represents growth of an individual towards fulfillment of the highest need. Roger’s creat ed the theory implicatingRead MoreAnalysis Of Sweatshops769 Words   |  4 Pageswhere people work long hours for only a small amount of money isn’t something we like to think about. The article published by The New York Times in 2009 entitled â€Å"Where Sweatshops Are a Dream† however, proposes a different view of these grueling working conditions. The article seeks to transform the view of most Americans from disgust to support for so called sweatshops. When the article was first published in 2009, the Obama administration was considering labor standards, something the author