Dolce Vit The American Dream

812 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The american dream impact on society

Dolce Vita What is the American Dream? The saying, “la dolce vita”, originating from Italy, literally means ‘sweet life’, or, “a life of heedless pleasure and luxury” (Oxford Dictionary). This saying describes everything that the American dream was, and is, meant to be. The American Dream was supposed to be about living an easy, luxurious, and peaceful life; Having democracy, opportunity, and being granted all of their rights. Adding to the fact of having a peaceful life, America wanted equality for all of the races, including: Appalachians, African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans. But, has this “dream” really been successful, or even accessible to whom it should be? For African Americans life was not much of a “dream”. …show more content…

However, it is evident that, the American Dream is just an idea that some people have, and not everyone’s is the same. That being said, the dream can be accessible to each person individually, but, in order for it to be accessible, each person would have their own dream. It cannot be specifically defined, only vaguely, considering each person would have their own dream; it is simply defined as a life full of happiness and pleasure, giving society the idea that this dream is easily accomplished. However, it is also not something easily accomplished. “The new American Dream is no longer about pursuing opportunity – but learning how to earn the right to both see it and seize it. Today, the real opportunities are hidden. They hide behind doors that only a combination of knowledge and wisdom can earn. Opportunity is the true mother of success and for too many years, access to it has been made too easy and thus abused by greed and distrust. The new American Dream requires you to earn opportunity. This doesn’t mean that you will be able to seize it – it takes time to have a seat at the table – but you must get the conversation started” (Forbes). This “dream”, that Americans have, is something that must be chased, something the people must strive for and work hard for. The dream cannot be successful as one solid idea, because that is not everyone’s dream. This dream is an opportunity, knocking on each American’s door, and it is up to that one person to decide whether or not they want to open the door and face the challenges that come alongside obtaining the dream. Is it worth

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of 'American Dream: In Creating America'

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Perhaps the closest we can come is to say that the American dream represents both what Americans believe themselves entitled to and what we believe themselves capable of. In other words, it is the promise inherent in the idea of America itself. (147)”

    Read More

  • This That And The American Dream Summary

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the article the author supplies us with many examples of what the American dream is. Although people think that they have a different dream for everyone else it actually

    Read More

  • The Increase in Crimes to Achieve the American Dream

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Founding Fathers once preached that the American Dream entailed the right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” nothing more, nothing less (Declaration of Independence). For centuries, the American Dream meant having a good job, owning a house, having a nice family, and generally enjoying life the best way possible. As history progressed however, people started working toward achieving individualistic success by any means necessary. Go back to the 1930s in New York City one fine spring morning. A boy, Moss Hart, remembers that back then “wealth, rank, or an imposing name counted for nothing. The dream of the wonderful American consisted of having a decent chance to scale the walls and achieve what they wished” (Kamp 1). Now flash-forward a century into the year 2014. Today in America, success does not reflect how muc...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The American Dream

    1785 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bill without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1). “At the core of the concept is the individual’s responsibility to aim for and achieve the American dream by working hard and taking advantage of the freedom offered to them by the country” (“The American Dream” 1). “A recent nationwide survey from LearnVest found that 43 percent of Americans today feel the dream is attainable for everyone - and about the same percentage feels that it’s within their grasp, personally,” notes Camille Noe Pagan. “For American Dreamers today,” states Nicole, ...

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... shining, his golden opportunity…the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him…”(qtd.in The American Dream). A person who “manages” to achieve his or her version of the American Dream is often said to be “living the dream”. However this concept has been subjected to great criticism because some people that the social structure of the U.S. prevents such an idealistic goal for everyone. May critics often allude to various examples of inequality rooted in class, race, ethnicity, and religion, which suggests that the American Dream is not attainable to everyone. The principles of the American Dream are too idealistic. Everyone has dreams and goals, but the American Dream is one that is infinite and endless. It is very difficult to live the dream when so much of it is obscured by the government.

    Read More

  • The Impossible American Dream

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...

    Read More

  • Is the American Dream Still Possible?

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.

    Read More

  • The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and its Illustrations of the American Dream

    1462 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American dream can be defined as the promise of living in America with opportunities for all, regardless of social class, and according to their ability and effort (Schnell, 2010). Proponents of the American dream believe that there is equal opportunity for all in the American society to achieve success. Success is not pegged on social status, race, or creed, but rather on an individual’s own efforts. The definition of the American dream has unique interpretations to different people. The most common meaning is that of a life of abundance and prosperity, characterized by economic rewards that enable one to live a middle class life of comfort. Here, success is measured by material possessions such as beautiful homes, cars, a high income, and the ability to spend on luxury items. America is considered a land of plenty, and as such, many who come to the United States in search of the American dream have this form of success in mind.

    Read More

  • Personal Essay: The American Dream

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Dream is exactly what it seems to be: the chance for people to have hope of achieving something great. However, it demands pleasure of every victory one has earned, and the desire is always demanding one to work slightly harder and gain slightly more than someone else. Some may say The American Dream is no longer attainable because in many ways it is getting harder to find good paying jobs and harder to get noticed for skills one possesses. But to the majority of people, the American Dream is still attainable, it just isn’t the American dream one is taught to pursue at an early age.

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    With America actually being seen as the land of assurance, the American dream is usually associated with the freedom and opportunity of gaining prosperity, recognition, power, triumph, and contentment. On the surface, this dream appears virtually delighted, offering individuals the exceptional hope of accomplishing success despite of one’s race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is accurately what it seems to be the chance of perfect lying nearby the corner. However, the actual nature of this dream prohibit the pleasure of the victory one has earned, as the desire is always demanding one to work a slight harder and gain a slightly more.

    Read More

  • How Has The American Dream Changed Over The Years

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Dream has changed; it is no longer the same as it was fifty or even one hundred years ago. Today, people not only search for prosperity and wealth, but they also search for happiness, equality, and determination. The American Dream is for everyone, not just the rich. The term “The American Dream” is a term used to describe the American way of life in general. It is a noun stating “the idea that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” Dreams are not limited to just one social class, everyone has a different version of the American Dream but they all work together in a community to create an organized, working society. A dream is a cherished aspiration, ambition, or idea that is open to anyone.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of The American Dream

    2198 Words  | 5 Pages

    When the term ‘American Dream’ was first mentioned in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, he described it as “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.” (Clark). When Adams mentioned the term, it had much more of an idealistic meaning, rather than the materialistic meaning it has in modern society. At the time of it’s mention, the dream meant that prosperity was available to everyone. In the beginning, the American Dream simply promised a country in which people had the chance to work their way up through their own labor and hard work (Kiger). Throughout history, the basis of the dream has always been the same for each individual person. It

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby And The American Dream

    1584 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout American history, there have been a number of people who have exemplified and supported Adam’s idea of the American Dream (Meacham np). One of these was Benjamin Franklin with his “way to wealth.” Another was Franklin D. Roosevelt, the great symbol of hope to the American people during rough years. Calling the nation toward a more positive mindset, Roosevelt declared, “The great fact to remember is that the trend of civilization itself is forever upward, that a line drawn through the middle of the peaks and the valleys of the centuries always has an upward trend.” (Meacham np) Roosevelt was right, though people fail, it doesn’t mean their chances of succeeding are over. They can still achieve the American Dream if they stay positive about it and really work toward it.

    Read More

  • The American Dream Today

    1960 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.

    Read More

  • The Ambiguous Dream

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Ambiguous Dream” “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.” - Thomas Jefferson. The presence of freedom: the greatest feeling of all: a world without the chains that hold back one’s autonomy and liberty; a world where one is given an endless amount of opportunity to strive and prosper. This simply is what constituted the American Dream: the ultimate desire that mankind was so desperate to reach. The dream holds the belief that any person living in the United States can achieve success from hard work regardless age, ethnicity, religion, status or intelligence.

    Read More

More about Dolce Vit The American Dream

Open Document