Search results
May 22, 2024 · Images in a new book explore the concept of the American Dream – and how it came to represent both a utopia and a dystopia.
- Deborah Nicholls-Lee
Need help with The American Dream in Edward Albee's The American Dream? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis.
Aug 15, 2024 · David Kano, writer and director of ‘Concussed: The American Dream’, talks with New York Post Sports anchor Brandon London about what inspired him to make the film, what he learned about the...
The best study guide to The American Dream on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
- Materials
- Hard Work
- Freedom
- Social Mobility
- Material Gain
- Family Connection
- Individuality
- Generational Comparison
- Discussion
The schedule for the interviews was semi-structured and open-ended. In these interviews, I asked open-ended questions about each participant’s perceptions of, and identification with, the American Dream (Appendix). I also included questions about the participant’s familial history and whether or not they feel components like immigrant status, age, ...
Hard work was one of the most cited qualities associated with the American Dream. Because of its importance in relation to work, especially among those in the working class, the American Dream is invariably linked to an individual’s ability to work hard to reach their goals. One older participant stated that the entire basis of the American Dream w...
As the United States is considered “the land of the free,” it’s no surprise that freedom is also linked to the American Dream. Many participants spoke about the freedom to do as they please, whether that be from a place of success or simply one of our inalienable Constitutional rights. An older participant, an immigrant from Germany, began her inte...
Social mobility is another key component of the American Dream that involves ending in a better social or economic position than where you began. This notion was expressed in many interviews, especially when discussing familial history. The idea of doing “better” than the generations before you and hoping future generations share the same improvem...
When asked what they envisioned when hearing the term “American Dream” many participants painted a picture of the nuclear family living in suburbia. These ideal lifestyles have included material items such as, “a white picket fence, golden retriever, and two-car garage” or can be as simple as owning your own home. While some examples of material ga...
Many interviews touched on wanting to be able to provide for a future family. Marriage was not discussed often, but children were. Some participants brought up how important familial bonds were to the previous generations in their families. One participant, whose great- grandparents immigrated from Norway, included family in her definition of the A...
In a lot of ways, this theme of individuality is opposite of wanting a familial connection, but is also about achievement on one’s own, without financial support from another party. In a quote from an older participant, it is evident that media, such as movies and books, play a large role in the way we define the American Dream. I think of all th...
While these interviews were primarily focused on the recurring themes that play into individuals’ definitions of the American Dream, other important aspects of the interviews were assessed in order to better understand the divide between the generations. When asked if they embraced or rejected the American Dream, a majority of participants in the s...
Within the current study, it was made clear that no two people have the same definition of the American Dream. Although similar themes were expressed throughout, particular themes were of more importance to different participants. Hard work and material gain were definitely the two most cited themes throughout the research, often remaining linked a...
- Clara R Riggio
- 2021
Dec 22, 2016 · The metaphor’s first definer, James Truslow Adams, lauded it in 1931 as the “dream of being able to grow to fullest development as man and woman . . . unrepressed by social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class.”
People also ask
What does Truslow Adams say about the American Dream?
What underlying issues are used to perpetuate the goal of the American Dream?
Is the American dream self-focused?
Why is it so difficult to achieve the American Dream?
Sep 3, 2024 · American Dream, ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed. The roots of the American Dream lie in the goals and aspirations of the first European.
