The American Dream In The Epic America

In 1931, James Truslow Adams used the term “The American Dream” for the first time in his book The Epic America. Since then, it has been the ideal for people living in the United States, and it has served as a powerful incentive for immigrants from far and wide to come and experience it for themselves. Since Adams's time, however, the definition of “The American Dream” has changed for some, and the accessibility of the dream has come into question too. Merriam Webster describes The American Dream as “An American Social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and material prosperity.” However, Adams’s definition is somewhat different. He says it is “The dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity …show more content…
Although it may have become more difficult to do this recently, it is still very possible. If someone desires something, they can obtain it if they work hard enough. For example, if one wanted to buy a new car, they could start working extra hours at their job to earn enough money to purchase it. It is a flawless system that is based on incentive. The best part is you only have to work as much as necessary to get what you want. What I mean is that if you don’t want to live an extravagant lifestyle and all you want to do is live a comfortable life, you can work accordingly to get what you want. It really speaks to me because it is encouraging to work hard to get better. The part of The American Dream that I don’t exactly agree with is that it applies to everyone. I partially agree with it since no one is really blocked from it. The part I don’t agree with isn’t explicitly stated in my definition, but it is assumed. It is that everyone has an equal chance at getting The American Dream. This is false. As stated before, some people have a far easier time achieving the dream than others. It is just a false assumption one will make looking at the definition and seeing the word “anybody.” If James Truslow Adams could see the legacy of his term “The American Dream,” chances are he would be quite surprised. He might see the evolved definition of the term, or the …show more content…
So, I would define success as: To achieve your intended goal. This can apply to anything, like a videogame, or overcoming a cold. I would define life success, though, a bit differently. My definition would be becoming wealthy enough to achieve what oneself desires, whether it be big or small. What I hope to accomplish in pursuit of the American Dream is to eventually have a well-paying job, eventually find a woman to marry, and eventually have kids of my own that I will make sure have a good, successful life like mine. I want to do this all while having an enjoyable, not too busy life. What steps will I take to achieve The American Dream? Well, first of all, a lot of the components of The American Dream that I listed previously are already guaranteed, like safety and being able to achieve what I desire. The steps that I will take to become successful are as follows: first I will do reasonably good in school. I will work diligently to be a high achieving student, but not too hard to the point where I am unhappy and too busy. After doing well in school, I will go to a college that fits my dream occupation at the time. I will not go to a college that is too difficult or competitive to avoid being overworked and unhappy. I will go to a college with engaging activities and and beautiful sights to see in the area. After graduating college, I will hopefully find a job that fits my desires and the classes I took in school. After being on my own