Definition Of The American Dream Essay

What is the American dream? A promise of riches and equal opportunities have drawn people to America for centuries. Is it this promise of riches and equality that defines the American dream? It can be defined in several ways, most likely a different interpretation for everyone. My definition of the American dream is it’s an idea that everyone has equal opportunities and you have the right to prosper, flourish, educate yourself, and gain riches through honest, hard work as well as the freedom to live according to your own values. In many countries, people are judged and even hated for who they are-what religion they practice, what color their skin is, or their social class. The American dream is what counteracts those harsh judgments. In a way, America is like a kind mother with open arms-she won’t hurt you, but, instead, will love you. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free….Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me..” (Emma Lazarus, The New …show more content…
It is the same hard work and relentless spirit that drives Americans to achieve greater things. Everyone having equal opportunities is another component of my definition of the American dream-equal opportunities allow for any American to achieve their dream and prosper. “But opportunity is real, and life is free, is in the air we breathe.” (Langston Hughes, Let America Be America Again). Without this idea of a level playing field, several small businesses and what are now large corporations would have never existed. The American dream and the mere opportunity to be who you are is what drove so many to America due to the unequal opportunities in their original home.
To summarize my definition of the American dream, I’d say that it’s an idea that everyone has equal opportunities and you have the right to grow, feel secure, and have the freedom to live according to your own values and