Jon Meacham's Five Myths About The American Dream

The United States is widely known for the American Dream, and millions of hardworking, hopeful individuals flock to America each year to experience the dream firsthand. The American Dream is the ideal that one can be successful and enjoy social mobility if they work hard. It can have a different definition for each individual, but it is not measured by a simple checklist of items. The article “The American Dream” by Jon Meacham discusses the history of the dream, and what must be done to preserve it. “Five myths about the American dream” by Michael F. Ford dispels misconceptions about the American dream, particularly those that claim that the dream is dependent on wealth or that it is dying due to economic concerns. The play A Raisin in the …show more content…
In the article “The American Dream,” the foundation of the American dream and how it is related to American principles is laid out. Economic inequality is not seen as a new issue because “by its very nature capitalism produces winners -- and losers. Some dreams come true, some don’t. Equality of outcome … is not the same thing as equality of opportunity, and equality of opportunity is at the heart of the American vision” (Meacham). Capitalism promotes competition, and thus inevitably produces winners as well as “losers.” The effect of competition pans out so that certain individuals are able to realize their dream more significantly than others. Dream achievability is deeply rooted in equality of opportunity, and America’s vision entails equal opportunity for all. It is true that certain members of society have more opportunities than others, but America does not completely prevent those who are at a disadvantage from pursuing their dreams given that they are willing to dedicate themselves and commit to their dream. This is the idea of social mobility: individuals are not born into a set social class, and are able to move around on the social ladder. In the article “Five myths about the American dream,” Ford dispels the myth that economic decline is killing the American dream, stating that, “63 percent of Americans said they are confident that they will attain their American dream, …show more content…
At the beginning of the play A Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger dreams of a plethora of items: for one, he wants to open a liquor store so that he can become wealthy and will no longer have to work as a chauffeur. In regards to his job, he says “Mama, [chauffeuring] ain’t no kind of job… that ain’t nothing at all” (1.2 224). He views his job as a chauffeur as emasculating and feels as though others do not respect him because he does not have wealth. He believes that by accumulating wealth, he can solve both his economic and social problems. Although it appears that his dreams are unattainable because he does not have the resources to do so, it is actually due to the fact that he has too many checklist items to complete before he can convince himself that he has realized his dream. Ultimately, his dream is not to become wealthy, but to be a father that his son, Travis, can be proud of. Being a good father is not necessitated by wealth; rather, being a good role model through actions speaks more than money can. Walter loses the insurance money because Willy, one of his business partners, runs off with it. Although devastated, he faces Mr. Lindner, a man who offers money to the Younger family in hopes of preventing them from moving into their new home, and proudly proclaims, “We have decided to move into our house because my father – my father – he earned it for us brick by brick...We don’t want