The American Dream By James Truslow Adams's The Epic Of America

840 Words2 Pages

The American Dream is a national culture of the United States, the set of principles (Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for wealth and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few obstacles. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in his book “The Epic of America”, published in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. At that time the United States was suffering from the Great Depression.
The philosophy today means an opportunity for Americans to achieve prosperity through hard work. According to The Dream, this includes the opportunity for one's children to grow up and receive a good education and career without artificial barriers. It is the opportunity to make individual choices without the prior restrictions that limited people according to their class, caste, religion, race, or ethnicity. …show more content…

The American Dream" always has something individual. That is, why till today no one succeeded in giving a universally acceptable definition of the term.
A lot of American historians say "The American Dream" even has its beginnings in the Declaration of Independence and the first European Settlers because the basic idea is that every man and every woman shall, regardless of their birth, achieve what there are able to do. Everybody shall be treated and seen equally and be recognized by others for what they are and have reached, referring to their

Show More
Related

  • gatdream Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Casting Doubt Upon the American Dream

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Dream is a concept elegantly simple and yet peculiarly hard to define. At the root of it is the sense that America was created entirely separate from the Old World; the settlers had escaped from the feudal, fractious and somewhat ossified nations of Europe and been presented with a chance to start anew - "a fresh green breast of the new world." From this blank slate, those first idealistic settlers had created a society where "all men are created equal" and everyone had the chance to do the best for themselves as they could. Let us examine the passage from the Declaration of Independence from which that quote is taken:

    Read More

  • Planting the seeds of the AMerican Dream

    1251 Words  | 3 Pages

    In attempting to define the American Dream, considered more of an individual definition today, one would need to take into consideration the cultural background and location of the individual. In April of 1630, traveling across the Atlantic on board the sailing vessel Arbella, the original American Dream was a community sense of hope and prosperity among English Puritans seeking a new beginning in New England.

    Read More

  • Racism and the American Dream From 1492 and 1877

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    "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. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret

    Read More

  • The American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Dream still lives today in society in which people strive to the top and accomplish their goals in life. James Truslow Adams coined the term in 1931 in his book called “American Dream”. He stated in the book "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". The importance of this quote in Adams’ novel is that the American Dream can be achieved by anyone (Warshauer 3). There are no limits and bounds to these emotions and people from any social class can seek their dreams and desires in life. Over the years the definition of the American Dream has changed, but the underlying fundamental meaning had stayed the same. The American mentality is basically participation in the economy and society in order to gain a better social standard and be prosperous. The United States Declaration of Independence also had some influence in the definition of the American Dream. In the Declaration of Independence it states all men are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" includi...

    Read More

  • Obstacles of the American Dream

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The American Dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” --James Truslow Adams. The phrase “The American Dream” has been expanded upon or refined in various forms, but is essentially based on Truslow Adams’ idea. This concept has been subject to criticism because some people believe that the structure of society prevents such an idealistic goal for everyone. The economy, for instance, can cause poverty-stricken men and women to attain a major disadvantage. Other attributes goes towards inequalities that jeopardizes fairness, as well as apathy through lack of success to obtain the American Dream.

    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 bills 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).

    Read More

  • The American Dream

    1066 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Dream was derived from the United States Declaration of Independence which states that, “All mean are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (US 1776). This means that every person has equal opportunity

    Read More

  • Importance Of The American Dream

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Dream is the belief that anybody can achieve anything in life. America is known as the country of opportunity regardless of race, gender or nationality. The land of opportunity and equality rights and liberty. The American Dream is to be successful no matter what social class an individual belongs to. The opportunity for upward mobility through hard work leads to a successful life. Individuals in society often strive to obtain many resources that are important. The structure of the economy is typically related to education, occupation, housing, and health care which are not distributed equally to enable an individual to achieve equal opportunity some will have to go through hardship in order to obtain it. The lack of social mobility makes the

    Read More

  • Research Paper On The Great Gatsby

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    Up until now, the term American Dream is still a popular concept on how Americans or people who come to America should live their lives and in a way it becomes a kind of life goal. However, the definitions of the term itself is somehow absurd and everyone has their own definition of it. The historian James Tuslow defines American Dream as written in his book titled “The Epic of America” in 1931 as “...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.” The root of the term American Dream is actually can be traced from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that

    Read More

  • Summary Of American Dream By Brandon King

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    This general expression links to multiple visions and opinions. In other words, this expression has a different core meaning for each individual based on their specific wants in life. To me, the American Dream is an arrangement of standards in which freedom integrates the opportunity for achievement and upward progress for families, accomplished through diligent work in society without many limitations. America’s establishment is on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With this said, not everyone has an equal opportunity for success although freedom is what America supposedly is. However, everyone has their own vision of the American Dream. The only details that tie every vision together are opportunity and

    Read More

  • Significance Of The Mafia In The Great Gatsby

    1736 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before 1931, the phrase “American Dream” did not exist (Churchwell 344) the way it does now. But in that year, James Truslow Adams wrote a book called The Epic of America, which declared that “the American dream of a better, richer, happier life for all of our citizens of every rank, which is the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world...Ever since we became an independent nation, each generation has seen an uprising of ordinary Americans to s...

    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 American Dream: The Challenges Of The American Dream

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is the American Dream? As James Truslow coined in 1931 " A dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper class to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, able be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position"(Truslow). Most believe that it 's a place and a system where everyone have an equal

    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 American Dream Is Dead Analysis

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American dream is an idea, which sees freedom as the opportunity for success and prosperity. It is a rising thought, realized through working hard. It is a belief by Americans that if one works hard and puts his mind in what he wants to be, he will get there and succeed in life. People should be able to make personal choices without restrictions limiting people based on ethnicity, race, religion, caste, or class. While America is argued to be the land of opportunities, this is not always true, as there is less social mobility tied with immense differences among us. It has become harder for the poor to move up while the gap between the poor and the rich has gotten larger. A person can succeed just by being in the middle class, having a secure home and job, and work hard for what he wants. Nevertheless, lately, Americans feel that the American dream is dead because the middle class is slowly shrinking, people are feeling less secure because of increased struggles, and Americans are losing motivation to work hard.

    Read More

More about The American Dream By James Truslow Adams's The Epic Of America

Open Document