Definition of The American Dream

1. Definition of The American Dream A definition of The American Dream is that freedom, equality and opportunity to be available to every human being. Another is a life of personal happiness and comfort which has been sought by individuals

2. Problems with the American Dream • • Many people see it as a false hope to achieve the American dream, as it presents a utopian world that can never be achieved. • There is a vast amount of discussion over what the American dream actually entails. For some it owns a home, some it is making massive wealth. • • Many people start out full of confidence for the dream, and then get bogged down by debt and day to day life. • • For many the American Dream is now purely materialistic, about having the latest gadgets and fast cars.

3. The American Dream is the hope that in the United States of America, anyone can become rich and/or famous if they work hard and try their very best. • The idea of a true American dream started to spread through education, in schools and collage. It then spread through other countries when immigrants returned home. • The strain theory focuses on the idea of an individual aiming to a goal society that had set out with relentless and ruthless behaviour. • The American Dream, in a stereotypical vision of the white picket fence, the wealthy job, the straight white nuclear family, in a quiet suburb of small-town America, is instantly recognisable to the common individual.

4. The American Dream has been discussed in some of the greatest American literature, some notable examples being The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, as well as work by John Steinbeck and Mark Twain – common study material for schoolchildren all over the world.

5. Considering that everyone is so obsessed with the American Dream, Its all the more strange that no one can agree to what exactly it means. To some people, it's the faith that anyone who lives in this country -- even a penniless immigrant, slum dweller or child of a hardscrabble farmer -- has the potential to prosper and become wealthy. To others, it's the belief that everyone in America has the opportunity to pursue his or her passion. To others, such as folksinger/activist Woody Guthrie -- whose most famous composition, "This Land is Your Land," is sung today by schoolchildren across the nation -- and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, the American Dream means that every citizen of the land is guaranteed equality, freedom and the right to be heard.

6. In many ways, the original idea of prosperity through opportunity and hard work still stands. America is very supportive of business and commerce, and even in a tough global economic situation enterprise is encouraged by the state, though not to the extent possible prior to the recession. If all Americans tried hard enough to reach their goals and reflected on their actions they would realise the world would be a better place for them and for everyone else.