The Evolution And Purpose Of The American Dream - 1741 Words

The Evolution and Purpose of the American Dream Across the economically, ethnically, and socially diverse United States, millions of unlike Americans share the same desire to overcome the vast array of obstacles the modern day era presents in the hopes of becoming the ideal member of society. Looking back at multiple generations, evidence of this drive to succeed can be found in the roots of society’s progression. This omnipresent goal that motivates the population to build sustainable lives has become known as the American Dream. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men and Barbara Ehrenreich’s nonfiction piece Nickel and Dimed, the protagonists define the American Dream in contrasting yet similar ways in response to the time periods in†¦show more content†¦Two of the major obstacles Lennie and George come into contact with are money and physical attributes of the body. As George and Lennie discuss their dream place, Old Candy, an aged man with a missing hand, takes a particular interest. A lack of money has been the barrier between Lennie and George reaching the American Dream, which has pushed them to work thus far in the novel. The interaction between Old Candy, Lennie, and George about pooling their money together to buy the land illustrates how money is an obstacle the three strive to overcome while also bringing to light how Old Candy works to find a way to own land as he combats physical disability and age. When they find a solution, George reacts, in which the text reads, â€Å"George said reverently, ‘Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.’ His eyes were full of wonder. ‘I bet we could swing her,’ he repeated softly† (Steinbeck 59). If the American Dream did not exist, the three characters would not have been driven to formulate a plan to live on being self-sufficient. The impulsive and enthusiastic response to the proposition of pooling the money together to buy the land demonstrates how the pursuit of the American Dream functions in the time period as motivation. While Barbara Ehrenreich’s nonfiction piece Nickel and Dimed is written in a time period in history aboutShow MoreRelatedThe Ideas On Social Reform1072 Words   |  5 PagesCold War era in American History. He published Rules For Radicals in 1971. As the name implies, the manifesto contains some radical ideas on social reform. The manifesto outlines the ethics, tactics and philosophy of how to successfully shift power from the â€Å"Haves† to the â€Å"Have-nots.† Alinsky created a controversial body of propaganda in the way he challenges core moral values of American beliefs for the time period such as Capitalism and the class system. He further challenges American beliefs by questioningRead MoreAnalysis Of Jim Crow s Counterculture1468 Words   |  6 Pagesbook â€Å"Jim Crow`s Counterculture† is developed around the issues of racial discrimination, and development of music as a reaction to employment activism. Through the book development of blues mus ic is understood as detailed journey taken by African Americans and motivated by social factors. Its thematic concepts are built around a musical biography. The author has an interest in blues music genre, and its development relationship with blacks and whites communities. He adopted a critical approach towardsRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1572 Words   |  7 PagesIndestructible Dreams: The role of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby The world is always in motion. All aspects of life are constantly changing, reforming, and developing. The American Dream has evolved greatly since the actual term was formulated in 1931 by James Truslow Adams. He proposed the American Dream was â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller†. But F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is based on an entirely different American Dream, one thatRead MoreThe World War I Warfare Techniques1090 Words   |  5 Pagessuccess. The people using the tanks made great advancements in attempting to gain the upper hand. While the British were using tanks, the Germans came upon a new idea. They started using flamethrowers in the midst of a war. The flamethrower’s purpose is to spread fire by launching burning fuel. The uses of these weapons were demoralizing and too powerful for the Germans to control at the time. The use of the flamethrower was successful but also backfired in some ways. The person using the flamethrowerRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Harlem 1303 Words   |  6 PagesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet; a Joplin, Missouri native and an active, versatile writer, earning acclaim as a poet, novelist, playwright and columnist. He was one of the first poets to explore an innovative sing-songy, stylized delivery called jazz poetry. As an African-American, his point of view, collectively synergized with this then-new literary art, catapulted his writings between the 1930s - 1960s. He is often credited as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance, and â€Å"famouslyRead MoreFight Club Analysis1678 Words   |  7 Pagesinternal battle to find purpose and one’s role in modern day America. The Narrator’s struggles are displayed through himself and his alter ego Tyler Durden, his mundane lifestyle, his formation of Fight Club and its evolution into the terrorist group Project Mayhem. The Narrator in Fight Club, whose name is not spoken, is a young male struggling to find his place in modern American society. He places value on purchasing materialistic things for his apartment, what most Americans would classify as beingRead MoreDream Symbolism Essay932 Words   |  4 PagesDream Symbolism Essay by Kristina Zavala The study of dreams began in 1953 after Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman discovered REM sleep - a period of rapid eye movement that corresponded with vivid dream recollections (Aserinskiy and Kleitman). Since that time, psychologists have sought out what the biological purpose of dreams was. Dream psychology can be a difficult field of study due to the fact that we have not found an accurate way to record dreams, relying on the subjective recollectionsRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the American Dream1456 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby and the American Dream      Ã‚   Websters dictionary describes the American dream as the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did.   F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby is a literary masterpiece that takes a fascinating look at the nature of the American dream that made its fiery inception during the American War of Independence 1776-83 when it became the central theme of the American Declaration of Independence.  Ã‚   In short, it stated, weRead MoreThe American Dream1678 Words   |  7 PagesThe American Dream is an idea that has always been different throughouttime. It changes in diverse forms and in the end involves success. The American Dream was a phrase used by the American people and peoplewanting to become American. It was always the idea that you can become a success. This is true in a partial way, but the true American Dream is that with somework and determination anyone can build themselves up in the economic classsystem. The 80 s was an eye opener to a lot of newRead MoreThe Political Context Of Education1504 Words   |  7 PagesUniversity Fall 2013â€Æ' Final Exam The political context of education today has a lot to do with how its purpose has changed over time. Throughout history, there have been two competing purposes of education –public aims and advancing the interests of individual economic consumers who want more societal access and advantage (Labaree, 2011). These two competing views have illustrated the evolution of the purpose of education from keeping the faith, to preserving the republic, to stimulating the economy, to