The Formation and Belief in the American Dream

The Formation And Belief in the American Dream
Name
University
Course Number and Name
Tutor’s Name
Date
Introduction
On asking two of close friends what American dream meant to them I go the following responses. First, “first American dream is an illusion which does not reflect the exact reality of all American’s.” Second respondent, “American dream was a possibility way back. The rate of unemployment is high, wages have declined, and it’s no longer easy to buy that dream house, car, or live that luxurious life like the few privileged people do.” Responses from friends
The American dream is America’s most revered symbol of national heritage. Celebrated by all American cultures, the ideology dates back to the 1930s and originated from American writer and historian James Truslow. James Truslow defined the American dream as, “dreaming and living in a land where life is better, richer, and fuller for everybody, with everyone’s opportunity based on ability and achievement” (Surowiecki, 2014). Throughout the 19th century, the American dream ideology specifically referred to the prospect of success, but hundred years later, the phrase is more about the pursuit of wealth and material possession. Throughout those years, the American dream has been used as a patriotic rhetorical device capable of moving many Americans and non-Americans to harbor positive thoughts of their individual and country destiny (McNamee, 2014). Over the years, the American dream has traveled overseas and inspired many people, such that there is evidence that similar ideological goals and lifestyle practices are being sought across the world. Ideally, the initial American dream was not solely about the accumulation of wealth but justice, democracy, and equality for all. In the cold war, the American dream became an argument among capitalists, and today its significance is almost dying out. American dream as an ideology stands significant among American’s.
Historical Context
The American dream dates back to America’s founding fathers who saw it necessary for America to have its independence from England. American fathers believed that Americans possessed the right to liberty, life, and overall pursuit of happiness, and therefore sought ways to create a country where people could break away from class restrictions and pursue life, they desired regardless of circumstances surrounding their birth (Alston, 2017). Over the years, the definition has changed but has not entirely lost its meaning. In 1931, when America suffered the great depression, James Truslow Adam, in his book "The Epic of America" wrote about a land in which people should pursue a better, richer, and fuller life regardless of position or birth (MacLeod, 2005). The American dream created a country where people had the chance to rise the ladder of success through their ingenuity and labor. As a result of this ideology, immigrants fled their countries for the united states with the hope of obtaining not just freedom but also material success. Many revolutionaries fled their home countries for the united states with the hope of working and eventually building a better life than the life they abandoned in th...