Free Essays on American Dream

of the Declaration of Independence. â€Å" We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, creator, with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† This is a great and universal dream but it was fantasy for minority groups. This dream does say another thing that separates our nation from any other nation in the world. Each of us have certain basic rights that are neither derived from or conferred by the state. These basic rights are given by God, gifts from his Holy hand. Never before has one single document expressed in such profound language the dignity and the wort... Free Essays on American Dream Free Essays on American Dream The American Dream: The Declaration of Independence versus the Narrative Works of Frederick Douglass The American dream is imbued with the concept of the self-made individual regardless of race. America is the land of the free individual, who carved his life with his own two hands and suffers the consequences of his failures. This does not imply that America is a permissive nation but rather an America that was regarded as the personification of the ideals of freedom that lie in the hearts of all men. In early American literature, the narrative works of Frederick Douglass reminds the common man that an important detail of the American dream is the realization of the basic God given right to pursue happiness and equality among all men. The founding fathers concentrated more on a sense of economic freedom rather than the freedom of the true American soul. In the times of Frederick Douglass, America was challenged to realize its dream, for the structure of the world did not permit our nation the luxury of an anemic democracy. The price that America could ultimately pay for the conti nued oppression of minority groups and the importance of the self-made man is the price of its own demise. The substance of the American dream can be found the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence. â€Å" We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by God, creator, with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† This is a great and universal dream but it was fantasy for minority groups. This dream does say another thing that separates our nation from any other nation in the world. Each of us have certain basic rights that are neither derived from or conferred by the state. These basic rights are given by God, gifts from his Holy hand. Never before has one single document expressed in such profound language the dignity and the wort... Free Essays on American Dream The American Dream There are many definitions on how to define The American Dream. Some people see it as having wealth and freedom and not having to worry about financial stability. Others may say that it is working hard for what one has and being able to support his family. Many dictionaries define it as the aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did. No matter how an individual classifies it, every single one of us has some concept of what the American Dream is. For some, that dream is a reality, and for many more it is a work in progress. As for my parents, their dream changed over time as they grew as a unit. According to my father, their dream was to, â€Å"just be together.† At least that is what it started as in the infant stages of their relationship. Throughout the many years of trials, tribulations, gains and setbacks, their true dream was finally realized and then acquired. Both of my parents discontinued high school when they first married. Although neither of them had any formal education at this time, this may not have been the best decision as my mother also discontinued working and left my father to be the primary financial provider. My father continued his current job at the time which was picking peaches. He was only 16 years old at the time and would seize any opportunity for work he could find. In addition to picking fruit, he also picked cotton and pretty much anything that could be picked. After all, there was money to be earned, and he was going to bring in whatever he could. In addition to the tedious and pitiful field work my father did, he also was in pursuit of a music career. This time-consuming effort only caused problems at the current time. After long days of hard work in the blistering heat, and sometimes in the freezing cold, he would come home and rehearse relentlessly with his brothers. My father, being the perfectionist that he is, would not let out practice until things were ... Free Essays on American Dream Dream only if you aspire to achieve. If you analyze this statement, you will realize that dreaming will never get you anywhere, but acting upon those dreams will push you into a category above others. You and I, like many people, dream of having a fabulous job, a luxurious home, and chic automobiles. These are some of the most basic aspirations we work towards, according to the general assumption of the American Dream. Now ladies and gentlemen?let?s ask ourselves one thing; what are dreams really made of? In today?s upbeat and fast paced society, take sometime to ask yourself...is that big house and the nice car and that reputable job enough to give my life fulfillment, peace, and happiness? Let me tell you, we are missing the big picture of what the ?American Dream? really should be. In America today, nuclear families are very difficult to come across. In America today the divorce rate is higher than any known sovereign country. In America today alcoholism destroys homes and confirm s stereotypes of adolescents and their use of alcohol. Now tell me this, is this the Portrait of an American Dream? Is this portrait, a true reality of what lies behind the ?White Picket Fence Let us take some time to re-evaluate and redefine the true American dream as it should be, and what the American Dream means to a second generation American like myself. Picture this if you will, you are driving to a friend?s house in a posh neighborhood, where every house is one million dollars or more, there is an expensive luxury car in each driveway, the properties expand to a whopping six thousand square feet, and to perfect this picture, there is a white picket fence surrounding these estates. Now this may sound like a pretty alluring setting to the average American, where signs of success are pouring all over this affluent community like a monsoon rainfall. But before you let your imagination wander off too far, let?s add a few twists and turns to this accomp... Free Essays on American Dream How the American Dream can ruin a relationship in the text â€Å"African Passions† In every ethnic group there is what you may call and American Dream. The American dream some can define as the US ideal according to which equal opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and potential success. In my opinion American dreams are more of a goal to where you would like to end up in the future. Most of the American dreams I have heard of were more like having a house with a white picket fence, wonderful husband with a great job, no fights, arguments and everyone in their family gets along. In reality some American dreams do not end up the way most people always envision them to be. In the story â€Å"African Passions† by Beatriz Rivera she has a different way of showing an American dream. The expectations that people bring to the United States regarding the American dream are very unrealistic to me because for example some ethnic groups think that when they come to the United states that everything will be alright. They also think that they will become wealthy in a short period of time and live higher than their means and that the United States has mountains of gold. The expectations that Armando, one of the main characters in African Passions, has for his life does not include Teresa, the other main character in the story. In some cultures the rank of class takes a very important role in the society. â€Å"†¦And even if his family didn’t quite approve because no matter how successful and intelligent she was they always saw her as lower-class Jersey City, New Jersey, Cuban girl whose family owned a Laundromat, Armando said he didnâ⠂¬â„¢t care, he adored her, he couldn’t takes his hands off her.†( Rivera 12) This quote shows how class can dictate how your life can end up. In the case of Armando the class has dictated his life because regardless of his love for Teresa he still wants what is family sees as an Ameri...