Madison Gregory
English 102
Short Argumentative Essay
February 23, 2016
American Dream: Dead or Alive?
Whoopi Goldberg once said, “I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.” Yet politician Bernie Sanders claims that “For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.” So which opinion is correct? Is the American Dream really a dream or is it a nightmare? Although the American Dream is no longer a popular belief, the dream is still important because it leads people to becoming better people, has changed throughout the years, and is greatly affected by the finances of the world.
The idea of the American Dream is suddenly becoming exactly that: a dream. In the article “Is the American Dream Over?” by Cal Thomas, Thomas states, “Anyone who thinks their dysfunctional government is going to help them achieve their dreams is putting their faith in the wrong place (Thomas 569). In other words, Thomas believes that people should not rely on the government to achieve their goals and dreams however; he is claiming that Americans have been known to do this. In the article “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?”, college student Brandon King writes, “Many liberal economists and activists say that the American Dream is dead… [only] 72 percent of Americans still believe it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America” (King 573). This number may seem quite large but, infact, has been slowly decreasing. In sum, then, less Americans have been considering that the idealistic American Dream is still possible in today’s society.
The American Dream is a way for people to become productive, happy members of society. Thomas identifies, “The rules are known … achieving at least an undergraduate degree; avoiding drugs that harm your mind and body; working hard to stay married as an example to those children and to benefit society; saving and investing for retirement … living within one’s means; demonstrating personal honesty and professional integrity...” (Thomas 570). Thomas’s point is that there are many ways to achieve the American Dream and becoming a good person plays a key role. In conclusion, those who pursue the American Dream become appier more productive members of society.
The American Dream just like other goals, changes often. King asserts, “[In the past] living the American Dream meant going from dirt poor to filthy rich … Today, most people do not strive for a rags-to-rich transition, and instead prefer a stable middle-class lifestyle in which they can focus on saving money on the future…” (King 573). It is often said that the main concept of the American Dream is to be wealthy but that though does not correlate with the facts. The American Dream can be redefined as working with integrity to become a protected and safe member in society (King 573). All in all, the American Dream has has been changed as times have, but has kept the same core concept.
The American Dream is greatly affected by the economy just as all Americans are. In the article “Predatory Lending and the Devouring of the American Dream” by authors Constance M. Ruzich and A.J. Grant, Ruzich and Grant emphasize that “America waits to see the ways in which this storm [predatory lending] is shaping the vision of the American economy and of the American Dream” (Ruzich and Grant 642). In making this comment, Ruzich and Grant urges that in order for Americans to fulfill the American Dream they must be cautious and knowledgeable on the financial strains around them. Ruzich and Grant suggest, “The frequent occurrence of the terms predatory lending and dream implies that it is not only borrowers and American homeowners who are at risk from predatory lenders; frequently predatory lending is charged with killing the American Dream itself” (Ruzich and Grant 634-635). To summarize, as financial situations change, the perception of the American Dream also changes.
Was actress Whoopi Goldberg or politician Bernie Sanders accurate on their drastically contradicting positions on the American Dream? Many factors must taken into consideration to answer this question. Although there has been a decline in the number Americans believing in the possibility of an American Dream, the dream continues to lead people to becoming better people, change throughout history, and be affected by economical factors in the United States.
Works Cited
King, Brandon. "The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 572-578. Print.
Lallas, Demetri. "“From the People, by the People, to the People”: The American Dream(s) Debut." The Journal of American Culture J Am Cult 37.2 (2014): 162-71. Academic Search Elite [EBSCO]. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Ruzich, Constance M. and Grant, A. J. “Predatory Lending and the Devouring of the American Dream” They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 568-570. Print.
Thomas, Cal. "Is the American Dream Over?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 568-570. Print.
English 102
Short Argumentative Essay
February 23, 2016
American Dream: Dead or Alive?
Whoopi Goldberg once said, “I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.” Yet politician Bernie Sanders claims that “For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.” So which opinion is correct? Is the American Dream really a dream or is it a nightmare? Although the American Dream is no longer a popular belief, the dream is still important because it leads people to becoming better people, has changed throughout the years, and is greatly affected by the finances of the world.
The idea of the American Dream is suddenly becoming exactly that: a dream. In the article “Is the American Dream Over?” by Cal Thomas, Thomas states, “Anyone who thinks their dysfunctional government is going to help them achieve their dreams is putting their faith in the wrong place (Thomas 569). In other words, Thomas believes that people should not rely on the government to achieve their goals and dreams however; he is claiming that Americans have been known to do this. In the article “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?”, college student Brandon King writes, “Many liberal economists and activists say that the American Dream is dead… [only] 72 percent of Americans still believe it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America” (King 573). This number may seem quite large but, infact, has been slowly decreasing. In sum, then, less Americans have been considering that the idealistic American Dream is still possible in today’s society.
The American Dream is a way for people to become productive, happy members of society. Thomas identifies, “The rules are known … achieving at least an undergraduate degree; avoiding drugs that harm your mind and body; working hard to stay married as an example to those children and to benefit society; saving and investing for retirement … living within one’s means; demonstrating personal honesty and professional integrity...” (Thomas 570). Thomas’s point is that there are many ways to achieve the American Dream and becoming a good person plays a key role. In conclusion, those who pursue the American Dream become appier more productive members of society.
The American Dream just like other goals, changes often. King asserts, “[In the past] living the American Dream meant going from dirt poor to filthy rich … Today, most people do not strive for a rags-to-rich transition, and instead prefer a stable middle-class lifestyle in which they can focus on saving money on the future…” (King 573). It is often said that the main concept of the American Dream is to be wealthy but that though does not correlate with the facts. The American Dream can be redefined as working with integrity to become a protected and safe member in society (King 573). All in all, the American Dream has has been changed as times have, but has kept the same core concept.
The American Dream is greatly affected by the economy just as all Americans are. In the article “Predatory Lending and the Devouring of the American Dream” by authors Constance M. Ruzich and A.J. Grant, Ruzich and Grant emphasize that “America waits to see the ways in which this storm [predatory lending] is shaping the vision of the American economy and of the American Dream” (Ruzich and Grant 642). In making this comment, Ruzich and Grant urges that in order for Americans to fulfill the American Dream they must be cautious and knowledgeable on the financial strains around them. Ruzich and Grant suggest, “The frequent occurrence of the terms predatory lending and dream implies that it is not only borrowers and American homeowners who are at risk from predatory lenders; frequently predatory lending is charged with killing the American Dream itself” (Ruzich and Grant 634-635). To summarize, as financial situations change, the perception of the American Dream also changes.
Was actress Whoopi Goldberg or politician Bernie Sanders accurate on their drastically contradicting positions on the American Dream? Many factors must taken into consideration to answer this question. Although there has been a decline in the number Americans believing in the possibility of an American Dream, the dream continues to lead people to becoming better people, change throughout history, and be affected by economical factors in the United States.
Works Cited
King, Brandon. "The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 572-578. Print.
Lallas, Demetri. "“From the People, by the People, to the People”: The American Dream(s) Debut." The Journal of American Culture J Am Cult 37.2 (2014): 162-71. Academic Search Elite [EBSCO]. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Ruzich, Constance M. and Grant, A. J. “Predatory Lending and the Devouring of the American Dream” They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 568-570. Print.
Thomas, Cal. "Is the American Dream Over?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 568-570. Print.