the american dream Essay Examples

How to write an essay about the american dream

You may have heard of “American dream" in some movies or video games. While this expression is quite common, not so many people know what it really is or how it relates to everyone’s lives. To many people, the American dream means to be successful, to lead their own lives and to enjoy freedom. Unfortunately, this definition is vague. People view freedom in different ways, depending on where they live and what they believe in. However, we can say that the American dream is always based on four factors: freedom, equality, power over one's destiny, and incessant pursuit of one's dream.

The power to change one's life from rags to riches is something meaningful. To many people, the accomplishment of one's dream is what drives them to push themselves to the extreme limit. In fact, these accomplishments will be stories for the later generations and will serve as a source of motivation. The American dream can be explained as a tale of struggle, pain, and misery, in which, in the end, the main protagonist gets what he or she wants, and all the hardships they had to endure were worth it. It should be noted that the American dream is only possible with the presence of human rights. The American people have been enjoying the right to free speech, among other human rights, almost to the points that they are almost taken for granted. With that, they can fully take control of their own destinies and follow their passion with little resistance. With that, the environment that the Americans found themselves in is just perfect for them to thrive in. Moreover, we see similar environments in other countries as well since the state’s adherence to human rights becomes mandatory. Therefore, some people see that the American dream is the divine protection that enables them to achieve their full potential without restrictions.

Based on the perception of people of other nationalities, especially those who come from less well-to-do countries, they believe that the American dream is a chance for them to achieve something more. Especially to immigrants or those who just received their American citizenship, the American dream is a chance to turn their lives around entirely and start anew, a salvation. To them, there are many possibilities. To them, they have so much to gain and so little to lose. They could have better jobs, better education, and a better life in general compared to what their lives would have been, had they stayed in their home country. This is only possible because the American society is fair to all. All people have fair chances to achieve their goals, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, political view, or beliefs. That means the American society gives everyone the belief that fate is in the people’s hands and that they should take control of it. With the power to change one’s fate, one can make his or her dreams come true.

One thing that makes the American way of life so exciting is the fact that no one is in control of other people's future. One controls one's own fate, plain and simple. While this may seem promising, this can be a double-edged sword. Being in control does not always mean that you will have a better life. It merely means that you can and need to lead yourself and take responsibility for the outcomes of your actions. That means you can go from rags to riches or the other way around. A homeless can strike it rich, and a billionaire can lose it all. It does not matter who you are. You need to put in the time and efforts. It requires patience. Success does not happen to everyone, nor does it happen overnight. If you are careful and plot your course carefully, you will become successful. If you want to have a happy life, work hard on improving yourself. Otherwise, you can expect to fail every time. If you fail, you have no one to blame but yourself. That is the harsh reality of the American dream. You can say that the American dream is a gamble, but you can drastically increase your chance of hitting the jackpot.

What makes American dream so well-known is the fact that it inspires everyone to follow their own dream without giving up. Despite all of the challenges and struggles one have to face, if one is persistent enough, one will make that goal come true. Anyone can do anything, and nothing emphasizes that better than the American dream. To achieve one's goal, one does not necessarily need education. You can be a basketball player and still be successful. The idea is to do what you love and be successful from it. The ultimate goal is that one achieve one's own dream and be happy about it. It is not an American dream if they achieve something big, but are not happy about it because it is not what they want.

To conclude, the American Dream is freedom. It is not wrong to say that the American dream is the very essence of democracy. However, while some people think that the American dream is a fantasy, the idea remains true. If you work hard to develop yourself, you will achieve what you set out to do in the first place.