When contemplating how to achieve or if one has achieved the American dream, one must have a definition in mind. Although many have described what the dream consists of, a definite definition eludes the most proficient writer and the well-versed man. Because of the freedom of thought, or consciousness, each person develops and seeks fulfillment of the American Dream individually. Is the American dream about materialistic objects, financial stability, freedom, or personal rights?
According to The Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (US History 1776). By that description, every American has an equal opportunity of living happily without constraint. America, “the land of the free” (Key 1812), offered hope for those daring to dream. …show more content…
Walt Whitman wrote about the importance of being true to oneself, and connecting with nature in Song of Myself (1855). Emily Dickinson wrote about the importance of love, and the devastation caused by the loss of love. F. Scott Fitzgerald glamorized the importance of material possessions in the achievement of wealth and stature, as demonstrated by his character Jay Gatsby (1925). Both, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, demonstrated the importance of freedom and equality for all.
In 1931, James Truslow Adams wrote, the “American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement” (p. 404). Suggesting that all men were not created equal, the American dream was reserved only for those who can achieve
According to The Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (US History 1776). By that description, every American has an equal opportunity of living happily without constraint. America, “the land of the free” (Key 1812), offered hope for those daring to dream. …show more content…
Walt Whitman wrote about the importance of being true to oneself, and connecting with nature in Song of Myself (1855). Emily Dickinson wrote about the importance of love, and the devastation caused by the loss of love. F. Scott Fitzgerald glamorized the importance of material possessions in the achievement of wealth and stature, as demonstrated by his character Jay Gatsby (1925). Both, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, demonstrated the importance of freedom and equality for all.
In 1931, James Truslow Adams wrote, the “American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement” (p. 404). Suggesting that all men were not created equal, the American dream was reserved only for those who can achieve