American Dream Essay Examples and Papers

American Dream Essay Examples and Papers

When writing the American Dream essay, it is important to define it as a term to understand it. This phrase can affect a better life with a lot of money and well-being, and it means a life of freedom, respect and good relationships with other people.

In 1968, journalist Hunter Thompson wrote that "the American dream has died." But what is this American dream? And what made Americans so unique?

American history and culture is a product of the intellectual and spiritual and moral life of huge masses of people who were attracted by the dream of a new happy life, of the "promised land", and for the sake of faith in which they left the Old World in the hope of receiving a new chance in life.

Many Americans, having the status of the middle class, believed that if you work hard enough, then life will become better and better for them and their offspring. It should be noted that some social critics considered this dream to be excessively materialistic, spiritually empty and intellectually destructive. Other critics have pointed out that America was far from always a country of great opportunity for all, especially those who belonged to racial and ethnic minorities.

How to Write an Essay about the American Dream

If you decided to write an essay about the American Dream, it is important to understand exactly what the term means. This phrase can be interpreted in different ways, basically it is understood as a better life with lots of money and well-being, freedom, respect and good relations with other people.

You can get a lot of different ideas on how to write an essay about the American dream, just by watching the news on the Internet. Remember that you need to choose a narrow problem so that your essay is logical and solid. It is important to format your work correctly so that it looks professional.

We've put together some helpful tips for writing an essay on this topic:

  • First of all, determine what this term means to you, and select the current topic for your future article.
  • Do research and find reliable information about your topic in reliable sources
  • Write a detailed outline of your American dream essay. Some people skip this step because they find it useless and unnecessary. A good scheme is the skeleton of your future work, so that you can create a logical and thorough work without losing something important and, most importantly, your time for frustration
  • Create your American dream paper according to the plan you made earlier. Make sure you link individual paragraphs to additional sentences to make your work logical.
  • Review the essay to correct all errors. You have to review and rewrite your work several times, improving it until you feel that it looks perfect

Popular Questions on American Dream

Who is an example of the American dream?

An example of the American dream is when you come to America, build a business and become successful. An example of the American dream is that things are going better than your parents, owning your home and financial freedom.

What is the American dream of today?

Today's American dream may be: the opportunity to graduate from college with minimal debt, get a job in the field of your interests that will have advantages, be able to pay for health care costs, and at the same time live a comfortable life. The American dream still exists, but it has taken on a new look.

What is the biggest obstacle to reaching the American Dream?

The biggest obstacle to the realization of the American dream is the form of inertia, which increases the likelihood that a young person who has grown up in this country will not be able to start or cannot start well.

Where does the American Dream come from?

The term "American Dream" was, for the first time, invented in 1931 by the historian James Truslow Adams; he meant "that dream of a country in which life should be better, richer and fuller for each person, with an opportunity for everyone in accordance with his abilities or achievements."

 72 Best Essays On American Dream

Read More
We've found 473 essays on American Dream

Essay examples

Essay topics

information

The Slow Death of the American Dream: Struggles of Families to Make Ends Meet

America and its people have upheld the concept of the “American Dream. ” The meaning of this concept has changed and altered throughout the years. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, every man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. …

American DreamNightPovertyWealth
Words 606
Pages 3
The Concept of American Dream in the Revolutionary Road

Over the years, many heroes and heroines especially from the West fought so hard in order to give people unlimited opportunities, freedom, material prosperity and individual happiness. The concept “American dream” as a national ideal is associated with independence and freedom as one individual fulfill …

American DreamExperienceHappinessRevolutionRoad
Words 1997
Pages 8
Death of a salesman on the American Dream

The American dream has stood to be each person’s idea of success. The American dream is usually associated with 1940’s America depiction of the ideal family, as can be depicted from television shows such as Leave it to Beaver. However, this is one aspect and …

American DreamDeath of a Salesman
Words 4984
Pages 19
Haven’t found the relevant content? Hire a subject expert to help you with
Essays on American Dream
$35.80 for a 2-page paper
Get custom paper
essays on topic icon
Arthur Miller and the American Dream

As Voltaire once said, “Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game. ” Similarly, my grandfather compares people to …

American Dream
Words 745
Pages 3
The American Dream Is Sublime Motivation

“You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose” said one of America’s founding father’s, Abraham Lincoln. …

American DreamHappinessHuman NatureLoveMotivation
Words 1397
Pages 6
American Dream – American Beauty & Of Mice and Men

Although the roots of the American Dream are founded on opportunity for all, it has become an inaccessible illusion for most. John Steinbeck’s novella “Of mice and men” explores the fragility of this concept in a more modern context. Whereas Sam Mendez’s film “American Beauty” …

American DreamBeautyOf Mice and Men
Words 1117
Pages 5
Monopoly and American Dream

Many board games are used to bring in family, friends, and even strangers to come together and socialize. What many people do not know is that sometimes these games teaches our society the values, skills, and social statuses in each individual’s life. Video games such …

American DreamMoneyMonopolyPovertyTax
Words 1015
Pages 4
The American Dream Narrative Essay

1. In text two “Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back” by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as …

American DreamCitizenshipOptimism
Words 947
Pages 4
Scratch Beginnings

The “American Dream” is only as real as one’s imagination. The Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard gives the reader an opportunity to walk in the shoes of a man working to turn “rags-to-fancier-rags” (p. xvi, Shepard). Within the book lies not only the journey of …

American DreamCultureUnited States
Words 579
Pages 3
Gatsby: The False Prophet of the American Dream

Gatsby: The False prophet of the American Dream The American dream, or myth, is an ever recurring theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Briefly defined it is the belief, that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and …

American DreamReligion
Words 1601
Pages 6
Cool Running’s – American Dream

Englisch – Leistungskurs Do you think that “Cool Running’s” is an example of the idea of the American Dream? Give reasons for your answer! The film “Cool Running’s” can be regarded as a perfect example of the idea of the American Dream in many ways. …

American DreamHappiness
Words 300
Pages 2
Illusion of American Dream

People, In one way or another, are continually and Invariably trying to Improve the quality of their lives. Some believe their happiness lies within materialistic goods and the freedom to buy them; while others believe their happiness Lies within the bonds and relationships they have. …

American DreamMorality
Words 929
Pages 4
An Ironic Twist of the American Dream

The American dream was first expressed by James Truslow in 1931, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”. The American dream is never fully accomplished because all good things have to come to …

American DreamDestinyMetaphysics
Words 677
Pages 3
American Dream for Women- Yes or No

Gender- Inequality in labor force The American Dream, one of the most attractive things which draw thousands people to the United States, is just a simple promise: equality. This is where people can work hard and expect to gain from their effort. This is where …

American DreamFamilyGenderMasculinity
Words 1673
Pages 7
A Raisin in the Sun & the American Dream

The American dream in the ’50s was close to materialism. The ownership of consumer goods was believed to bring joy into a family’s life. This stereotypical view governs the dream of one of the main characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s play. (more…)

American Dream
Words 42
Pages 1
Adam Smith`s American Dream: Of desire and debt by Peter C. Whybrow

The American dream is a complex notion that embodies traditions, social and personal values of people. This concept is closely connected with historical and economic development of America, its liberation movement and economic changes. Explaining the American dream it is possible to single out social, …

Adam SmithAmerican Dream
Words 89
Pages 1
Recipe for the American Dream

Recipe for the American Dream Since the establishment of this country, Americans have set their eyes on success. The way we define success has changed along with technology. The American Dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer …

American DreamMulticulturalism
Words 1426
Pages 6
The American Dream Essay

The very phrase “American dream” first appeared precisely at the height of the economic crisis – in 1931, at about the same time that Moss Hart was dying of a sudden flood of patriotism in a morning taxi. It was used by the publicist James …

American DreamImmigration
Words 7918
Pages 29
Industrialization, Capitalism and American Dream

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a novel whose veracity actually became a topic of federal investigation, provides another interesting example of the complex relation between fact and fiction and between naturalism and other literary and nonliterary discourses. The Jungle in many ways presents the …

American DreamAmerican IndustrializationCapitalismIndustrialization
Words 65
Pages 1
American Dream- the Epic of America

I believe the American Dream is belief in the freedom that allows all citizens and residents of the United States to achieve their goals in life through hard work. Today, it often refers to one’s material prosperity, which is dependent upon one’s abilities and work …

American Dream
Words 545
Pages 2
Is the American Dream Still Alive the American Dream and the Individual Dream

The American Dream/ The individual Dream Once upon a time there was a mother, a father, one son and one daughter. They lived in a perfect two story house with a white picket fence and a tire swing. They also owned the cutest dog named …

American DreamHappinessImmigration
Words 1944
Pages 8
Catcher and the Rye

Every citizen how the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the statements given to us by the Declaration of Independence. Out of these words, people believed that an ideal lifestyle can be found in America, dubbed the American dream. This …

American DreamHolden CaulfieldThe Catcher in the Rye
Words 1198
Pages 5
The American Dream in the Jungle

Many immigrants migrate to America everyday with the hopes to achieve their American dream. For most immigrants the American dream consist of finding a country where effort and morality transcend to success. In “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, a family of hard working optimistic Lithuanians …

American DreamJungle
Words 2205
Pages 9
Of Mice and Men – the American Dream

According to Dictionary. com, the American Dream is defined as “The ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American; a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U. S (American Dream). ” …

American DreamOf Mice and Men
Words 613
Pages 3
The Collapse of the American Dream

The Collapse of the American Dream “The American Dream has run out of gas,” said JG Ballard, a prominent English novelist. The American Dream was once a reality, a time when the citizens of America were the simple migrants who had immigrated because they sought …

American Dream
Words 1282
Pages 5
The Dangers of the American Dream and Capitalism in America

The American Dream is the idea that with hard work and perseverance, anyone can succeed in America, the land of opportunity.  However, as time went by, the idea of the American Dream came to mean working to buy material possessions, and no matter how hard …

American DreamCapitalismDeath of a Salesman
Words 1825
Pages 7
Homeland of the Free

In the poem “Let American Be America Again” by Langston Hughes, the author portrays America as a place where people try to escape their old life of oppression and struggles to this so called “American Dream”. But, what they find is “the same old stupid …

American DreamCriminologyPhilosophy
Words 397
Pages 2
The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

The theme of the decline of the American Dream played a central role in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book takes place over a few months in the 1920’s. During this time, the American economy was experiencing a period of tremendous growth …

American DreamGreat Gatsby And The American DreamNovelWealth
Words 1387
Pages 6
Hacker and Dreifus

Bob Herbert and Cal Thomas Write Articles Bob Herbert, a New York Times columnist writes on the subject of the american dream in an article titled hiding from reality. He writes of the dreary state of our country filled with ignored public school systems, dangerously …

American DreamPhilosophyUnited States
Words 1527
Pages 6
The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship: The American Dream

I have always been fascinated by the concept of the “American Dream”. Even if, nowadays, this concept is more and more criticize because some people believe that the structure of American society doesn’t follow anymore the idealistic goal of the “American Dream”, providing example such …

American DreamEntrepreneurEntrepreneurship
Words 1011
Pages 4
check icon

Find extra essay topics on American Dream Essay Examples and Papers by our writers.

American Dream is a retail and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The first and second of four opening stages occurred on October 25, 2019, and on December 5, 2019. The remaining opening stages occurred on October 1, 2020 and afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

How To Achieve The American Dream
The American Dream is an ideal that has been present since the founding of the United States. It is the belief that anyone, regardless of their background or station in life, can succeed through hard work and determination.There are a number of ways to achieve the American Dream. One is to get a good education. This will give you the knowledge and skills you need to get a good job. Another way to achieve the American Dream is to start your own business. This can be a risky venture, but if it is successful, it can lead to a great deal of financial success. Finally, another way to achieve the American Dream is to invest in yourself. This means saving your money and investing it in yourself so that you can achieve your goals.No matter what your background or station in life, you can achieve the American Dream if you are willing to work hard and take some risks.
What Is An American Dream
The American Dream is an idealized vision of life in the United States in which all people have the opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination. The dream began during the early days of the American Republic, when the Founding Fathers promised liberty and justice for all. Over the years, it has evolved to encompass a wide range of social and economic goals, including the right to a good education, a decent job, and a comfortable standard of living.While the American Dream is available to everyone, it has been especially elusive for certain groups of people, such as minorities and women. In recent years, however, there has been a growing movement to close the gap between the American Dream and reality. This effort has been led by a new generation of activists who are fighting for economic justice, racial equality, and social reform.

Save time and let our verified experts help you.

Hire writer