The American Dream, an ideal that was first defined by James Truslow Adams in the 1931 novel Epic of America. Adams defined the dream as, "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" (Adams 214). The American Dream although not defined had been widely written about before Adam's defining of the term. It was a central theme in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. In the novel, Fitzgerald's character Jay Gatsby overcomes his past to become an incredibly wealthy man, a model of success on the surface. The attributes of the American Dream have not remained fixed but have evolved as America has developed. Looking
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As defined by Amadeo in “What Is the American Dream Today?”, “The American Dream had become a pursuit of happiness as defined by materialistic things.” The idea of materialism is not new, it has been messaged by President’s from Roosevelt to Obama today. Perhaps the epitome of American Dream in today’s society is home ownership, in fact, so much so, that it received support from both the recent Clinton and Bush administrations as a prominent goal in their economic plans. In a Pew research poll of Generation Y individuals ages 18-25, 81% said getting rich is their generations most important or second most important life goal (Jayson). So, that leaves a small subset that does not see wealth as the definition of the American Dream. This subset is chasing personal freedom, the desire to do what they want when they want. Additional surveys suggest that members of other Generations such as X no longer consider chasing wealth the American Dream. In fact, only 14% consider it important. This leads to an interesting conclusion; the American Dream of being wealthy tends to fade as a person ages. The old cliché that money can’t buy happiness could be true, but being wealthy sure does eliminate a host of issues, perhaps that is why those who are older and financially secure no longer see this as part of the American dream. It is interesting to note how the American Dream of material wealth is relative to a person’s age; however, it is a dream shared by all
As defined by Amadeo in “What Is the American Dream Today?”, “The American Dream had become a pursuit of happiness as defined by materialistic things.” The idea of materialism is not new, it has been messaged by President’s from Roosevelt to Obama today. Perhaps the epitome of American Dream in today’s society is home ownership, in fact, so much so, that it received support from both the recent Clinton and Bush administrations as a prominent goal in their economic plans. In a Pew research poll of Generation Y individuals ages 18-25, 81% said getting rich is their generations most important or second most important life goal (Jayson). So, that leaves a small subset that does not see wealth as the definition of the American Dream. This subset is chasing personal freedom, the desire to do what they want when they want. Additional surveys suggest that members of other Generations such as X no longer consider chasing wealth the American Dream. In fact, only 14% consider it important. This leads to an interesting conclusion; the American Dream of being wealthy tends to fade as a person ages. The old cliché that money can’t buy happiness could be true, but being wealthy sure does eliminate a host of issues, perhaps that is why those who are older and financially secure no longer see this as part of the American dream. It is interesting to note how the American Dream of material wealth is relative to a person’s age; however, it is a dream shared by all