The American Dreamer

While reading through The American Dream in the 21st Century, edited by Sandra L. Hanson and John Kenneth White, it didn’t take long to come across a rather interesting point. The two editors trace back the American Dream to its origin as well as provide statistics from polls that have been conducted to display the transformation that the American Dream has taken over the years, but what I found to be fascinating is the thought process people experience when they do not achieve their version of the American Dream. I would expect to feel angry and let down, but it was shocking to discover the actual emotions felt by these Americans. When people believe that reaching their American Dream is impossible, they feel defeat, pathetic, and lied to. However, they also experience something that I would not typically associate with inability to grasp the American Dream: blame. Although, they do not blame the government, they do not blame their friends, and they do not blame their family for ...

The American Dream is not something that can be simply defined. It differs from person to person according to who they are, where their from, their personal experiences, and the changes they want to see in both their lives and the world as a whole. One person may have a dream of reaching their full potential in all aspects of life, whereas another may have the dream of eliminating verbal and physical danger. The American Dream is what you make of it as an individual. Throughout history, people have constantly been in search of an escape. Whether it be from tragic natural disaster, infectious disease, or overbearing rulers, humans feel endlessly trapped. Even to this day nothing has changed. For me, this trap is through personal judgement. Humans are always quick to jump the gun and assume things about others according to what they are wearing, how they talk, and how they act among so many other things. People do not hesitate to label others harshly based off of their attire ...