Oppressive System’s Impact on the American Dream Can you picture yourself working endless nights making minimum wage just to make ends meet? Many people have trouble living a stable life and rarely have the chance to move up in social class. Being able to move up in social class through hard work and opportunity is defined as the American Dream. In Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich argues that the American Dream is impossible for the lower class to achieve due to making minimum wage and living in difficult situations that prevent them from living a prosperous life. In The Great Gatsby, however, Fitzgerald argues that the American Dream is achievable by giving examples in which Gatsby worked hard and went from being a penniless young man to becoming
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The American Dream is more difficult to achieve when one is challenged by oppressive systems, but it is achievable when one benefits from these systems.
One’s race and social status may impact one's opportunity in successfully achieving the American Dream. Students who are born into a higher social class are not at an even playing field with those students from a lower class when it comes to education. Children that come from a family in a high social class are usually enrolled into private or more well resourced schools in which there are far less students compared to students who attend public schools that are funded insufficiently and receive more attention by teachers. Once they grow up, they are exposed to better high schools that offer a variety of resources and an excellent education. Students from these top notch schools have better teachers, more technology, and …show more content…
Although women have received their equal rights, today's society suffers from sexism. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, “In 2016, 105 (77D, 28R) women hold seats in the United States Congress, comprising 19.6% of the 535 members; 20 women (20%) serve in the United States Senate, and 85 women (19.5%) serve in the United States House of Representatives”. The number of women involved with the government is just an example of how men today dominate positions of power which may make it harder for women to obtain greater job opportunities. Greater job opportunities enable women to move up in their social class, but if there are predominantly male jobs, then it is difficult for women to live a successful and greater life. Additionally, women are not exactly treated the same because they are not always paid equally. My female cousin works as a sales consultant and currently makes about twenty percent less in salary compared to the male sale consultants at her job. This is just an example of how women across the country suffer from systems of oppression that hold them back from living a better life. Because women are paid less due to the way the systems are set up to challenge them, then it is harder for women to achieve the American
The American Dream is more difficult to achieve when one is challenged by oppressive systems, but it is achievable when one benefits from these systems.
One’s race and social status may impact one's opportunity in successfully achieving the American Dream. Students who are born into a higher social class are not at an even playing field with those students from a lower class when it comes to education. Children that come from a family in a high social class are usually enrolled into private or more well resourced schools in which there are far less students compared to students who attend public schools that are funded insufficiently and receive more attention by teachers. Once they grow up, they are exposed to better high schools that offer a variety of resources and an excellent education. Students from these top notch schools have better teachers, more technology, and …show more content…
Although women have received their equal rights, today's society suffers from sexism. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, “In 2016, 105 (77D, 28R) women hold seats in the United States Congress, comprising 19.6% of the 535 members; 20 women (20%) serve in the United States Senate, and 85 women (19.5%) serve in the United States House of Representatives”. The number of women involved with the government is just an example of how men today dominate positions of power which may make it harder for women to obtain greater job opportunities. Greater job opportunities enable women to move up in their social class, but if there are predominantly male jobs, then it is difficult for women to live a successful and greater life. Additionally, women are not exactly treated the same because they are not always paid equally. My female cousin works as a sales consultant and currently makes about twenty percent less in salary compared to the male sale consultants at her job. This is just an example of how women across the country suffer from systems of oppression that hold them back from living a better life. Because women are paid less due to the way the systems are set up to challenge them, then it is harder for women to achieve the American