What is the true meaning of the American dream? it has become a justifiable goal and ambition of many American citizens. The American Dream inspires people to give their best, to strive for great or small aspirations, regardless of the inevitably difficult circumstances that arise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although many people today still view the American Dream as a legitimate idea, new age progressivism and increased class division have caused people to infer that it is a outdated and absurdly ridiculous concept. While I certainly recognize that there can be significant barriers to improving one's social and economic situation and that people are not always surrounded by motivating peers, the American Dream is a subjective term and can be achieved through hard work. and perseverance, even in the most problematic situations. Generally speaking, people who are less economically privileged will have more difficulty improving their social status than those who can afford it. Certainly, Western democracy stimulates monetary imbalances, which in turn can have a generational impact on families whose loved ones have failed. Data collected in 2002 by New York State indicates that New York City received significantly less funding than Jericho and Manhasset. While Manhasset in 2002 spent more than $20,000 per student, New York City public schools received less government funding and reported spending just over $10,400 per student. Instead of analyzing why these imbalances are in place and why these funding variations exist, it is just as vital to recognize that these realities actually have a huge impact on our society as a whole. In 2001, 46.5 percent of New York City students graduated from high school within four years, which can be compared to the Manhasset School District's graduation rate, in 2017 , by 98 percent. Clearly, school funding significantly influenced why more students graduated from Manhasset than from New York City school districts. Beyond the analysis of youth, is it really possible for people already living in poverty to achieve an American dream? Anna Quindlen – historically – wrote about civil issues and class imbalance. In Homeless, an article written in 1988, Quindlen describes a homeless woman who carried around a photo of a yellow residence. She said: “They weren't photos of family, or friends, or even a dog or a cat, they were red-brown eyes in the light of the flashes. They were photos of a house. It was like a thousand houses in a hundred cities, neither in the suburbs nor in the city, but somewhere in between, with aluminum siding and a chain-link fence, a narrow driveway leading to a garage for a car and a piece of garden. » (Quindlen). While I can't speak to what drove this woman to live on the streets, hypothetically, is the American Dream still an achievable idealism for this particular person? Government intervention to help him in his struggles would not help his chances. to achieve the American dream - or something similar. The American Dream is supposed to symbolize hard work and be indicative of personal success, but if a person becomes ardently dependent on government money, no personal success has actually occurred. At the end of the day,a homeless person, although they may find themselves in this situation for countless reasons, intentionally or not, has a tiny probability of ever having a white picket fence - or rather a slim chance of achieving the idea of white fence. respect - The American dream is almost absurd for this person to desire - given that they live on the streets. Another reason that makes it extremely difficult for an individual to advance in society is the lack of motivation from their peers. For example, Chester High School, in Chester, Pennsylvania, has a graduation rate of 41 percent. The school is ranked among the worst in the United States (via usnews.com) and has 78% economically disadvantaged students. They have an English proficiency rate of 12 percent and a math proficiency rate of 4 percent. In other words, what is the academic and social experience of the motivated student at Chester High School? Since Chester is notorious for gang violence, the few students driven enough by the desire to succeed face immense challenges inside and outside of the classroom. There are 42 teachers for just under 1,000 students at this high school, resulting in oversized classrooms that lack basic functionality. Compare that to Harriton High School, in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, which has a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 and has an average graduation rate. rate of 96 percent and has an average ACT score of 30 out of 36. Being a student at Harriton myself, I can speak to its highly academic atmosphere; Even though there may be students who want nothing more than to drop out of school, Harriton teachers and the community at large are too genuine and caring to advocate or easily let something like this happen. At Chester High School, I guess a student can drop out. outside and the school wouldn't even care; at Harriton, the teachers, guidance counselor, and principal would all likely meet with the student to discuss details and make sure the student understands that they are leaving an amazing community that cares about them. Quindlen may be talking about a simple encounter that made a strong impression on her, but she is primarily referring to injustices and the possibility that these imbalances cannot be reciprocated by anyone or any government organization. Given all of this, a legitimate argument can be made that the American Dream, simply put, does not apply to all individuals equally. A major problem with societal representation of the American dream is that people refer to it as a dream. definitely concise term that implies economic wealth and incredible happiness. This is simply false. Although the government may describe the American dream in a certain way, there is no legislative hold that arrogantly asserts that there is only one way to understand it, as an idea. In many ways, the American Dream is one of the most subjective values in our culture. Hypothetically, if a single mother believes that her American dream involves happiness but not wealth, what higher authority could argue that she is wrong in her moral values? If a woman in rural Arkansas believes that living in poverty while still being able to drink excessive amounts of alcohol is the American dream, who can refute her internal goals? My main point is that we – as a society – cannot continue to make this erroneous and informal statement that the American dream involves a specific lifestyle – but we must understand that people can significantly improve their economic situation by being truly resilient. Take JayGatsby. from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gatsby, while retaining his position as a fictional novel character, is a surefire example of someone who has progressed in terms of social and economic status; his family is from the Midwest and he grew up poor. Although money may not have made Gatsby happier, given that materialistic values are unlikely to drive someone's emotions, Fitzgerald makes it clear that Gatsby did not become rich by chance ; he worked extremely hard doing legal and even illegal jobs to achieve his state of privilege. Conversely, because Gatsby was something of a bootlegger, as Tom Buchanan constantly portrays him, does that make him an unrepresentative subject to prove the validity of The American Dream? Chapter 7 addresses the hostile and painfully awkward relationship between Jay and Tom, but also the controversy that Tom notices over how Jay earned his wealth. Tom says, “What are you for, anyway?” You’re part of that group that hangs around Meyer Wolfsheim – that’s what I know – and I’ll go further tomorrow” (Fitzgerald 133). Obviously, Buchanan feels threatened by the wealth acquired by Gatsby, which is money. he believes that it belongs to men who legally work hard. Putting aside the emotions in this chapter, Gatsby has clearly achieved a state of immense wealth, but contradictorily, the fact that he is unhappy supports my argument that the American dream does not involve a big house in the suburbs and substantial economic wealth. The American dream, in The Great Gatsby, is an idea that cannot be defined, but in society's idea, the character who works the most towards the American dream is George Wilson. Another exemplary source of my essential argument is The House. on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza, the protagonist, is depicted as being somewhat smarter than her peers: while this is very possible, no overwhelming evidence can actually support this common interpretation of Esperanza. She lives in an economically struggling Latino neighborhood with low graduation rates and high unemployment. Although I believe there are substantial barriers to the success of its city members, there are factors that I consider essential to understanding urban areas like this. Notably, I sincerely believe that everyone can achieve their interpretation of the American Dream, and in this belief I consider it unfair for us as a society to continually blame the government for social or class inequalities. Common questions anyone analyzing this argument should ask would be: "why are there more gangs in low-income areas, why are fewer people graduating from high school in poorer neighborhoods?" , and why more people become drug dealers in these places, instead of being drug dealers. towards richer cities? Granted, not all schools are funded equally – but funding is based on test scores and attendance. Whether I agree with this is not what I intend to argue, but at some point parents and mentors in poorer areas have to advocate education as a way out of the ghetto, which is not to say that there are not individual cases of parents and mentors. who really want young people to succeed. Since there is usually a lack of adequate mentoring and support from adults, children view school as a worthless and outdated idea that will only give them a boring occupation. The parents,in low-income areas, must instill perseverance and resilience in their children at some point. young age. As children lack guidance in these areas, drug dealing and gangs have become an integral part of their childhood. Take Bryn Mawr, PA, for example, a district in Pennsylvania that is blessed with fantastic schools. If parents in this high-income area began to neglect education as an important aspect of becoming socially relevant, there would be a decline in graduation rates and a surplus of other activities pursued by adolescents. In Chester, Pennsylvania, if all parents started instilling good moral values in their children. their children and intensely advocating the need for education, it is likely that more students will stay in the classroom; we need stricter models. In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza faces challenges comparable to those of her peers. Even though she may have a better home life, she's still in a precarious financial situation and surrounded by a lot of people who simply don't care if she's successful or not. In chapter 22, Esperanza talks about how she got her first job. She notes: “In my work, I had to wear white gloves. I was supposed to match the negatives with their prints, just look at the image and look for the same one with the negative strip, put it in the envelope and make the next one. That's all. I didn't know where these envelopes came from or where they were going. I did what I was told” (Cisneros 54). Esperanza is certainly an only girl who supports her family by finding a job; in another area, a girl her age would be watching TV at home or just playing outside with other children. The point is that if Esperanza can persevere and try to improve her situation, a larger proportion of people in her area should be able to as well. She is fortunate to have parents who support her efforts, but a major problem in this particular Latino community and in real life is that parents are not supportive of her. This needs to change, but children in these poorest areas cannot be blamed; parents must do their job and instill acceptable and cordial values in their children. People can improve their social or economic status by working hard, but adolescents in poorer areas struggle with adults who lack mature values. In addition to analyzing low-income areas, everyone can improve their social status and it is not always parental mistakes that cause a child to end up in a bad situation. Truth and Fiction in If I Die in a Combat Zone and The Things They Carried, written by Marilyn Wesley, refers to how the American dream was alive and well during the Vietnam War. What seems to me to be the best evidence to support the argument that the American dream never became obsolete or impossible is how people of color fought alongside white people in the Vietnam War. For African American men, the American dream, or some idea of it, was certainly possible to achieve during this overseas conflict. While there was racism and hostile tensions between the people of the United States, African Americans could improve their condition by fighting in Vietnam. Vietnam was the first war to have integrated units, which ultimately helped ease racial tensions in the United States. In general, anyone can advance in their class or position by going to Vietnam and any conflict between militias can certainly.

Essay / What is the true meaning of the American dream? it has become a justifiable goal and ambition of many American citizens. The American Dream inspires people to give their best, to strive for great or small aspirations, regardless of the inevitably difficult circumstances that arise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although many people today still view the American Dream as a legitimate idea, new age progressivism and increased class division have caused people to infer that it is a outdated and absurdly ridiculous concept. While I certainly recognize that there can be significant barriers to improving one's social and economic situation and that people are not always surrounded by motivating peers, the American Dream is a subjective term and can be achieved through hard work. and perseverance, even in the most problematic situations. Generally speaking, people who are less economically privileged will have more difficulty improving their social status than those who can afford it. Certainly, Western democracy stimulates monetary imbalances, which in turn can have a generational impact on families whose loved ones have failed. Data collected in 2002 by New York State indicates that New York City received significantly less funding than Jericho and Manhasset. While Manhasset in 2002 spent more than $20,000 per student, New York City public schools received less government funding and reported spending just over $10,400 per student. Instead of analyzing why these imbalances are in place and why these funding variations exist, it is just as vital to recognize that these realities actually have a huge impact on our society as a whole. In 2001, 46.5 percent of New York City students graduated from high school within four years, which can be compared to the Manhasset School District's graduation rate, in 2017 , by 98 percent. Clearly, school funding significantly influenced why more students graduated from Manhasset than from New York City school districts. Beyond the analysis of youth, is it really possible for people already living in poverty to achieve an American dream? Anna Quindlen – historically – wrote about civil issues and class imbalance. In Homeless, an article written in 1988, Quindlen describes a homeless woman who carried around a photo of a yellow residence. She said: “They weren't photos of family, or friends, or even a dog or a cat, they were red-brown eyes in the light of the flashes. They were photos of a house. It was like a thousand houses in a hundred cities, neither in the suburbs nor in the city, but somewhere in between, with aluminum siding and a chain-link fence, a narrow driveway leading to a garage for a car and a piece of garden. » (Quindlen). While I can't speak to what drove this woman to live on the streets, hypothetically, is the American Dream still an achievable idealism for this particular person? Government intervention to help him in his struggles would not help his chances. to achieve the American dream - or something similar. The American Dream is supposed to symbolize hard work and be indicative of personal success, but if a person becomes ardently dependent on government money, no personal success has actually occurred. At the end of the day,a homeless person, although they may find themselves in this situation for countless reasons, intentionally or not, has a tiny probability of ever having a white picket fence - or rather a slim chance of achieving the idea of white fence. respect - The American dream is almost absurd for this person to desire - given that they live on the streets. Another reason that makes it extremely difficult for an individual to advance in society is the lack of motivation from their peers. For example, Chester High School, in Chester, Pennsylvania, has a graduation rate of 41 percent. The school is ranked among the worst in the United States (via usnews.com) and has 78% economically disadvantaged students. They have an English proficiency rate of 12 percent and a math proficiency rate of 4 percent. In other words, what is the academic and social experience of the motivated student at Chester High School? Since Chester is notorious for gang violence, the few students driven enough by the desire to succeed face immense challenges inside and outside of the classroom. There are 42 teachers for just under 1,000 students at this high school, resulting in oversized classrooms that lack basic functionality. Compare that to Harriton High School, in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, which has a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 and has an average graduation rate. rate of 96 percent and has an average ACT score of 30 out of 36. Being a student at Harriton myself, I can speak to its highly academic atmosphere; Even though there may be students who want nothing more than to drop out of school, Harriton teachers and the community at large are too genuine and caring to advocate or easily let something like this happen. At Chester High School, I guess a student can drop out. outside and the school wouldn't even care; at Harriton, the teachers, guidance counselor, and principal would all likely meet with the student to discuss details and make sure the student understands that they are leaving an amazing community that cares about them. Quindlen may be talking about a simple encounter that made a strong impression on her, but she is primarily referring to injustices and the possibility that these imbalances cannot be reciprocated by anyone or any government organization. Given all of this, a legitimate argument can be made that the American Dream, simply put, does not apply to all individuals equally. A major problem with societal representation of the American dream is that people refer to it as a dream. definitely concise term that implies economic wealth and incredible happiness. This is simply false. Although the government may describe the American dream in a certain way, there is no legislative hold that arrogantly asserts that there is only one way to understand it, as an idea. In many ways, the American Dream is one of the most subjective values in our culture. Hypothetically, if a single mother believes that her American dream involves happiness but not wealth, what higher authority could argue that she is wrong in her moral values? If a woman in rural Arkansas believes that living in poverty while still being able to drink excessive amounts of alcohol is the American dream, who can refute her internal goals? My main point is that we – as a society – cannot continue to make this erroneous and informal statement that the American dream involves a specific lifestyle – but we must understand that people can significantly improve their economic situation by being truly resilient. Take JayGatsby. from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gatsby, while retaining his position as a fictional novel character, is a surefire example of someone who has progressed in terms of social and economic status; his family is from the Midwest and he grew up poor. Although money may not have made Gatsby happier, given that materialistic values are unlikely to drive someone's emotions, Fitzgerald makes it clear that Gatsby did not become rich by chance ; he worked extremely hard doing legal and even illegal jobs to achieve his state of privilege. Conversely, because Gatsby was something of a bootlegger, as Tom Buchanan constantly portrays him, does that make him an unrepresentative subject to prove the validity of The American Dream? Chapter 7 addresses the hostile and painfully awkward relationship between Jay and Tom, but also the controversy that Tom notices over how Jay earned his wealth. Tom says, “What are you for, anyway?” You’re part of that group that hangs around Meyer Wolfsheim – that’s what I know – and I’ll go further tomorrow” (Fitzgerald 133). Obviously, Buchanan feels threatened by the wealth acquired by Gatsby, which is money. he believes that it belongs to men who legally work hard. Putting aside the emotions in this chapter, Gatsby has clearly achieved a state of immense wealth, but contradictorily, the fact that he is unhappy supports my argument that the American dream does not involve a big house in the suburbs and substantial economic wealth. The American dream, in The Great Gatsby, is an idea that cannot be defined, but in society's idea, the character who works the most towards the American dream is George Wilson. Another exemplary source of my essential argument is The House. on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza, the protagonist, is depicted as being somewhat smarter than her peers: while this is very possible, no overwhelming evidence can actually support this common interpretation of Esperanza. She lives in an economically struggling Latino neighborhood with low graduation rates and high unemployment. Although I believe there are substantial barriers to the success of its city members, there are factors that I consider essential to understanding urban areas like this. Notably, I sincerely believe that everyone can achieve their interpretation of the American Dream, and in this belief I consider it unfair for us as a society to continually blame the government for social or class inequalities. Common questions anyone analyzing this argument should ask would be: "why are there more gangs in low-income areas, why are fewer people graduating from high school in poorer neighborhoods?" , and why more people become drug dealers in these places, instead of being drug dealers. towards richer cities? Granted, not all schools are funded equally – but funding is based on test scores and attendance. Whether I agree with this is not what I intend to argue, but at some point parents and mentors in poorer areas have to advocate education as a way out of the ghetto, which is not to say that there are not individual cases of parents and mentors. who really want young people to succeed. Since there is usually a lack of adequate mentoring and support from adults, children view school as a worthless and outdated idea that will only give them a boring occupation. The parents,in low-income areas, must instill perseverance and resilience in their children at some point. young age. As children lack guidance in these areas, drug dealing and gangs have become an integral part of their childhood. Take Bryn Mawr, PA, for example, a district in Pennsylvania that is blessed with fantastic schools. If parents in this high-income area began to neglect education as an important aspect of becoming socially relevant, there would be a decline in graduation rates and a surplus of other activities pursued by adolescents. In Chester, Pennsylvania, if all parents started instilling good moral values in their children. their children and intensely advocating the need for education, it is likely that more students will stay in the classroom; we need stricter models. In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza faces challenges comparable to those of her peers. Even though she may have a better home life, she's still in a precarious financial situation and surrounded by a lot of people who simply don't care if she's successful or not. In chapter 22, Esperanza talks about how she got her first job. She notes: “In my work, I had to wear white gloves. I was supposed to match the negatives with their prints, just look at the image and look for the same one with the negative strip, put it in the envelope and make the next one. That's all. I didn't know where these envelopes came from or where they were going. I did what I was told” (Cisneros 54). Esperanza is certainly an only girl who supports her family by finding a job; in another area, a girl her age would be watching TV at home or just playing outside with other children. The point is that if Esperanza can persevere and try to improve her situation, a larger proportion of people in her area should be able to as well. She is fortunate to have parents who support her efforts, but a major problem in this particular Latino community and in real life is that parents are not supportive of her. This needs to change, but children in these poorest areas cannot be blamed; parents must do their job and instill acceptable and cordial values in their children. People can improve their social or economic status by working hard, but adolescents in poorer areas struggle with adults who lack mature values. In addition to analyzing low-income areas, everyone can improve their social status and it is not always parental mistakes that cause a child to end up in a bad situation. Truth and Fiction in If I Die in a Combat Zone and The Things They Carried, written by Marilyn Wesley, refers to how the American dream was alive and well during the Vietnam War. What seems to me to be the best evidence to support the argument that the American dream never became obsolete or impossible is how people of color fought alongside white people in the Vietnam War. For African American men, the American dream, or some idea of it, was certainly possible to achieve during this overseas conflict. While there was racism and hostile tensions between the people of the United States, African Americans could improve their condition by fighting in Vietnam. Vietnam was the first war to have integrated units, which ultimately helped ease racial tensions in the United States. In general, anyone can advance in their class or position by going to Vietnam and any conflict between militias can certainly.

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