Summary Of The American Dream - 1682 Words

Thomas Lee Professor Elena Savelieva-Thompson PACS 01-25 4 December 2016 The American Dream The American Dream has historically been defined as upward social mobility through hard work and determination regardless of circumstances at birth. However, it seems that this dream has died. Those in the lower and middle class find themselves working multiple jobs just to survive. They live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to save money to allow them to buy a house and escape from their economic perils. I believe the American dream is dead because people are no longer capable of upward social mobility without getting lucky at birth due to wage inequality, rising housing costs, and retirement insecurity. Pay inequality prevents upwards social mobility which is by definition against the American Dream which indicates the dream is dying. This inequality started in the 1970s when both middle class pay and college graduation rates began to flat line while executive pay skyrocketed. According to Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, in 1978 the typical male worker made $48,302 a year while the typical 1% executive made $393,682. This was not inherently a problem, but in 2010 the male worker’s pay had actually decreased to $33,751 a year while the executive pay had increased to $1,101,089. The 2007 financial crash is very similar to that of the Great Crash of 1928. The top 1% at each of these times were taking over 23% of wealth of the nation. These crashesShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The American Dream 1216 Words   |  5 Pageslepsig English IV 31 March 2015 The American dream Its a beautiful warm sunday morning and Im sitting in the porch of my house everything is quiet, my wife and my three kids still sleeping, every thing around peaceful because the house is in the middle of 5 acres of land. Thats what i think of when i hear the term the â€Å"American dream† and for most americans thats what their goal is â€Å"a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunityRead MoreDeath of a Salesman Summary + American Dream5929 Words   |  24 Pagesthe loft where they sleep.   The two grown men discuss their past failures.   Biff says that he cant  find a job  that both pays well and is satisfying, while Happy similarly admits that he doesnt like his  job as a  business clerk.   Both brothers day-dream for a time about going out west and making a living together on a cattle ranch.   Men built like we are should be working out in the open, Biff asserts. Happy too, but Biff especially, feels guilty that hes not lived up to his fathersexpectationsRead MoreWomen’s Income Inequality and The American Dream Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesabout, the American dream. The American dream that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities. Although a big part of what goes on in the Untied States that just doesn’t fit the American dream; women are unequal in the work place. They are put under what is known as the â€Å"Glass Ceiling†. Women do not get promoted in the work place and aren’t getting equal pay as men. This also leads to wag gap between the men and women. Both create income inequality for women and affect their American Dream. ThereRead MoreLangston Hughes Poetry649 Words   |  3 PagesHughes, the most memorable figure of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote everything from plays, short stories, novels, and most importantly poetry. Hughes’ writing is based on his personal views on frustration that he had towards the plight of African Americans. Langston has no fear with anything he is involved in and stood up for his people. Unfortunately, his people responded negatively towards his actions, for they thought he was creating more racial tensions. Nevertheless, this was not Hughes’ intentionsRead MoreThe American Dream996 Words   |  4 PagesMy definition of American Dream If we ask most Americans what is the American Dream? the common answers are to become successful, rich, owning houses, cars and etc. In other countries, many people see America as a land of opportunities for a better life and that is the reason why they come here. Every individual who come to America have their goals or dreams that they want to fulfill in life that they can not fulfill in their own country. In another word, their American dream are to have betterRead MoreWhat Is American By Hector St. John De Crevecoeur1250 Words   |  5 Pages*Summary: â€Å"What Is American† â€Å"What is American† by Hector St. John de Crevecoeur was an advertisement for America. America is explained as a beautiful and structured place that came to be after work was done to a wild woody place. The text stated â€Å" he beholds air cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild , woody and uncultivated!† Another point that was made thatRead MoreSummary Of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?854 Words   |  4 PagesSummary: According to Barstow, Connie represents American innocence and powerlessness. Connie has a hard time defending herself against Arnold Friend because of her lack of knowledge and the impact of American culture. The mother-daughter relationship plays a significant role in the story because had Connie and her mother communicated better, Connie, who is still a child, would have be protected from the evil of the world. Barstow also points out that the modern American is unable to distinguishRead MoreThe Great Gatsby647 Words   |  3 Pagespresented depending on the author. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the American Dream was the theme that was presented, and according to the story it is unachievable and just an infant fantasy that America portrays. While reading the story, the characters’ views on how their interpretation of the American Dream, is well established in the middle of the story. There were spectacular views and dark views on what the American Dream is; according to Nick Carraway, the novel’s narrator, Jay Gatsby’s viewRead MoreHarper Lee’s â€Å"to Kill a Mockingbird Seeks to Focus Upon the Hypocrisy of the ‘American Dream’. Discuss.729 Words   |  3 Pagesthe ‘American Dream’. Discuss. The American dream can be defined as a national ethos which encourages freedom for all individuals regardless of their race, religion, colour or socioeconomic status. Through the theory of American Exceptionalism and the Declaration of Independence, â€Å"all men are created equal†, the American Dream presents itself as a system of equal opportunity and prosperity for all citizens. Author, Harper Lee, effectively draws attention to the hypocrisy of the American Dream in herRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath And Huckleberry Finn Analysis819 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Dream is a dream in which life is fuller, better, happier and free. In the two books Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck,   each book shows the American Dream in a different way. In The Grapes of Wrath, the American Dream is shown as in illusion. That being because America is going through the Great Depression and it’s very difficult to make a living or even have food on a plate. However, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the American