Essay Samples on American Dream

Essay Examples
Essay Topics

The Pursuit of Happiness and the American Dream

The concept of the American Dream, often intertwined with the pursuit of happiness, has been a fundamental part of the United States' cultural narrative. This essay delves into the intricate relationship between the pursuit of happiness and the American Dream, examining how societal values, opportunities,...

"A Raisin in the Sun": the American Dream in Lorraine Hansberry's Play

The American Dream, a concept deeply ingrained in the fabric of American society, has been a subject of exploration and critique in literature and culture. Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" takes a thought-provoking look at the complexities and challenges of pursuing the...

Exploring What Is the American Dream Today

What is the American dream? In this essay it's defined as living the American Dream is what most people see as living a good and wealthy life. On the outside, people with successful lives seem to have their money come easily to them, but when...

Is the American Dream Dead: the Way We Can Resuscitate It

The gap between the richest and the poorest in the United States is increasing since past 40 years — killing the American Dream. America supposed to be a land of opportunity, however compared to other developed countries, it has highest level of economic inequality. For...

Is the American Dream Still Possible: Analysis of Literary Works

In two theatrical works authored by American playwrights, "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller, and "Fences" by August Wilson, we witness an examination of the American Dream. Traditionally, this dream was exclusively bestowed upon the middle-class White population, excluding people of color from its...

The Concept of the American Dream in "The Story of an Hour" and "Winter Dreams"

In contemporary society, the American dream is now much more within reach than during the periods when F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams" and Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" were penned. Both essays explore the concept of the American dream, which, though present, was...

Does America Still Provide Access to the American Dream

Does America still provide access to the American dream? This essay briefly and succinctly examines this topic, the author highlights arguments in support of his own opinion on the issue. Many still believe in the American dream but it seems that with time America is...

 Immigrants and the American Dream with Brazilian Perspective 

Clandestinos na America is a novel by Dau Bastos, who know what it means to be clandestine. The narrative captivates the abundance of adventures and is the relation between being a rich and a poor Brazilian immigrant in the United States. The theme is generating...

Representation Of The American Dream In The Great Gatsby

One of the key underlying themes of the now famous and once hated story The Great Gatsby is the now almost cliché idea of “American Dream”, “the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to...

"Of Mice And Men" And American Dream

 The American Dream is the idea that anyone that comes to America has an equal opportunity for their dreams to come true. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinback, the main characters Lennie and George work hard to achieve the so-called American dream. The...

The Image of American Dream in Between the World and Me

The American dream is the primary goal of most Americans. Being able to succeed in life and having opportunities that allow the achievement of self-selected goals are cherished aspects of the freedom that come with living in America. The reality is not always the outcome...

What Is Your American Dream

The American Dream is a lifestyle, or a wish someone hopes to succeed in or meet in their life. It is just a dream that people have because they feel as they could never succeed in life and don’t have many opportunities. People start to...

The American Dream In "The Great Gatsby"

Florence King once stated, “People are so busy dreaming the American Dream, fantasizing about what they could be or have a right to be, that they’re all asleep at the switch.” (“The American Dream Sayings and Quotes”).   The American Dream is the belief that...

The Evolution Of The American Dream Over Time: Then And Now

Before my mom came into the United States to be an accountant, she lived in Manila, Philippines for 28 years. She lived with her mom and her 3 siblings and grew up in a polluted area. She thought that life would be better in the...

Analysis of Ben Franklin's Depiction of America as a Land of Opportunity

Essay grade Excellent

Benjamin Franklin’s (1706-1790) essay titled Information to Those Who Would Remove to America (1782) is his response to the Europeans’ and also potential immigrants’ mistaken imaginations about America. To prevent foreigners from disappointment of fruitless yet expensive journey, Benjamin Franklin explained America and its habitants...

American Dream And Discrimination In "Stranger In The Village"

Some times in communities people are led to believe that their race is more superior than the next. These concepts surround young generation and teach them to be just like the rest of society. Children born with purity and no predetermined hate for others are...

American Beauty movie Analysis: Trapped Inside The American Dream

‘American Beauty’ is a film that demonstrates the outcomes and consequences of those who try to attain the American dream. What one doesn’t expect is that as people try to achieve this dream, it is often that they get lost in life. The meaning of...

The Downfall Of American Dream In The Play Death Of A Salesman

The play Death of a Salesman can be considered one of the many examples of the 'American Dream' and the hard work to success in American literature. In the play, readers read of the Loman family and the hardships they experience and discuss. Along with...

The Theme of the American Dream in "Volar" by Judith Ortiz Cofer

Essay grade Good

Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Volar” is the story of a mother and daughter from an immigrant Puerto Rican family, who both dream about escaping their grim reality by being able to fly. Volar means to “fly” in Spanish. They both aspire to “belong” by taking flight....

The American Dream in Context of Death of a Salesman

Introduction American dramaturgist Arthur Miller wrote a play in year 1949 called Death of Salesman. The play was first performed in New York in Morocco Theatre. The play genre is tragedy and it is based on American life and has a theme of an American...

Willy Loman: A Caricature of American Dream

We see the caricature drawings of people when we go to an amusement park and laugh at them. Willy Loman, on the other hand, was the depressing literary caricature of a man who time has passed by as he has outlived his ability to be...

Willy's Character in Death of a Salesman: Living the American Delusion

In the death of a salesman, Willy is portrayed as an interesting character who has dreams to be liked and make money on the basis of being liked. He was a good handyman and would have been happier working in Alaska with his brother. His...

The American Dream of Lyndon B. Johnson

“Lyndon Johnson and therefore the American Dream” by Doris Kearns Goodwin is regarding the lifetime of Lyndon B. Johnson. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author for No Ordinary Time and political commentator who wrote about William Taft and the Golden Age of journalism,...

Freedom Of Maya Lin's American Dream

Maya Lin, an adored architect, once said, “The American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom.” Lin implies the idea that the American Dream is what you envision it...

The History of Theatre in the U.S.

One of the very real and often forgotten aspects of theatre is that it is a vital and powerful force for social change in the world. There is a reason that theatre has been around longer than Christianity or Western civilization, and that it has...

Social Classification in the American Society

America is recognized for its “American dream” however achieving it is away from a handy project especially to the lower and middle classification people. Unfortunately, social classification has become the spine of American society, where being upper-class offers humans a benefit and controlling role in...

Social Class in Modern America: Successful Vs. Struggling

A concept that has endured over generations in the United States is the stratification of society. Historically, things were straightforward, and a simple three-tier model prevailed, encompassing the upper class, the middle class, and the working class. However, contemporary America faces a contentious debate surrounding...

Defying Odds with Erin Brockovich, the Achiever of The American Dream

The film Erin Brockovich is a real-life example of the American dream. It shows how if you choose to work hard and not give up, you will find success in whatever you choose. The movie shines light on relevant social issues and how one person,...

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: The Struggle to Reach the American Dream

The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair is a vivid and brutal representation of the meatpacking and slaughtering industry in the early 1900s. If you have ever seen a horror movie, you perhaps know what takes place after the killer finds a victim. There are screams,...

The Realism of American Society in "Of Mice and Men"

Essay grade Satisfactory

It is a modernist novella and It takes place in Salinas, California during the great depression in the early 1930s. Steinbeck published many more novels in his life, he wrote 31 books and his most well-known books are Of Mice and Men, Grapes of Wrath...

How is the American Dream Portrayed in Iron Man and Man of Steel

Superhero movies usually represent the ideal life of Americans. Superheroes have suddenly become an example of how Americans see their lives. Comic books, superheroes and their movies are the new age American Dream. Iron Man Iron Man represents the new American Dream with his intellect,...

The Obstacles When Facing The American Dream  

To many people the American Dream is the opportunity to achieve their dreams. For decades, society raise the concept of American Dream and people pass this idea down to the next generations with the effort to accomplish and live the American Dream. The American Dream...

The Jungle: Showcasing Immigrant Disappointment in The American Dream

In Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Sinclair expounded the realistic experience of an immigrant trying to live the American Dream. Sinclair revealed the harsh and grueling life of immigrants trying to provide the basics of life on a day to day basis. The immigrants lived a...

The Values of Native Americans and Their Impact on the Modern America

Settler colonialism was an unmitigated disaster for Native Americans. Prior to the arrival of our fore fathers, the indigenous people were free. They had a vibrant culture with an established values and belief system. They hunted and fished for food. They had communities with leaders,...

American Dream: The Collective Imagery of American Values

Every individual has their own dreams and aspirations in life. The route that they take to achieve these goals, more often than not, causes people to lose sight of their own morals and values. While the honest route is always the best choice, it may...

In Cold Blood: The American Dream in Truman Capote's Novel

Essay grade Excellent

Introduction The belief of the American Dream was common in the late 1950s. It describes aspirations for recognition, social order, and accomplishment of dreams, no matter the person's origin or status in society. In this essay I will explain more about the way Truman Capote...

The Godfather and Saving Private Ryan: Exposing Issues in America

It is often said that “The Godfather” is an ironic interpretation of the American Dream. The film is an obvious reflection of the immigrant experience in America. The film focuses on one of the darker aspects of this experience. Throughout history, there have been many...

The Idea of American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun

In Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, we see the effects of chasing the American dream, both positive and negative. Hansberry shows her views on the American Dream through the characters, and she portrays the daily struggles family in the 50s. She is able...

How To Achieve The American Dream?

The American Dream to me means a country where anyone(race,class, gender, etc.) can have the same ability to work their way to success through hard work and determination. The American Dream is not set on the same playing field for people of color, gender, and...

The Theme Of American Dream In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Edna’s ‘American dream’ is to have both autonomy and her family’s love. The text exhibits a society where women only exist in relation to men, with emphasis on Edna’s struggle to fit the “mother-woman” role. The text commences in Leonce’s perspective, first introducing Edna in...

Becoming A Computer Scientist – My American Dream

Many individuals would agree that the world’s not fair and it’s never going to be. Whether someone expects or believes that they’ll achieve their American Dream, there are times where the chances of getting to that point are slim. However, I believe that the American...

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