‘The American Dream’ | Essay

Innholdsfortegnelse
The American Dream
Interpretation of the American Dream
The American Dream through Hardship
The American Dream through No Effort
The American Dream through Exploitation
The Coronavirus and the American Dream
Conclusion
Bibliography

Utdrag
The American Dream
What the Americans are commonly known for is probably the American dream. It tells the tale of a person’s idealistic perception of life.

Some might view that dream as a life characterized with great wealth and fame. Whereas others dream of a happy family and a big home.

The basis of the American dream is that if one was to dedicate themselves to perseverance and hard work;

every citizens of the United States has the opportunity to achieve anything they wish, no matter what prejudices they may face, but is that really the case?

Interpretation of the American Dream
The term “American Dream” has many interpretations, but one of the most popular is “Life, liberty

and the pursuit of happiness” which was written in the Declaration of Independence and the dreams that most Americans strive for.

To put it simply, the American dream is the pursuit of freedom, happiness and satisfaction of needs and wants.

As Thomas Wolfe once said, “...to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ...the right to live, to work

to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him”. The quote tells that every citizen of the United States has the right and opportunity to fulfill their “American dream”:

to be a functioning member of society, and to pursue their dreams and happiness. Even if you may face prejudice and come from a low-income household

you still have the opportunity to fulfill your dreams, depending on the effort you put in and how fortunate you are.

In other words, people can achieve their dreams, if enough effort was put in and, fortunate enough to reach their goals.

The American Dream through Hardship
A great example of someone achieving the American dream would be Philip Maung, the CEO of a renowned sushi establishment, Hissho Sushi.

An interview from “The Irrawaddy” says that he immigrated to America from his home Myanmar, Burma with only 13 dollars in his pocket.