what's American Dream?

[truth_forest]

I don't understand about " American Dream".
what's it?
what do you think about it?

[ShoutGrace]

ummmmm French Fries and Hamburgers? Or Frankfurters, even better?

Doesn't it have something to do with freedom, achievement, making a better life for you and yours, basic human rights, etc etc.

I bet that the American has changed significantly throughout the years. i.e the American dream now is different than it was in 1940.

[mono]

I felt very surprised that this website had a page devoted to the definition of the so-called 'American Dream,' but hopefully it helps: just click here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream).

[superunknown]

The basic idea of it is that anyone can accomplish anything if they work hard enough at it no matter where they come from or whether they're rich or poor.

[cuppajoe_9]

The basic idea of it is that anyone can accomplish anything if they work hard enough at it no matter where they come from or whether they're rich or poor."It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin.

[Shannanigan]

Mono...don't always trust wikipedia...they have articles dedicated to South Park episodes, and apparently no one edits the articles once they are submitted, even if they are submitted by anonymous authors...so there is no gaurantee that they are accurate...I'm not really surprised that they have an article on the American Dream at all.

I once had a discussion about this idea in my senior literature course after reading "Death of a Salesman." From what we came up with, ShoutGrace is right, it has changed, and it always has been changing. Our first assumption in class was that the American Dream was to own a house with a white picket fence and have 2.5 kids and a dog...but seeing as that is no longer the average family, (more families apparently own cats now than dogs...lol) and everyone these days has a different dream of what they want to do with their life...we did wind up coming to the idea that the American Dream is, as superunknown said: "The basic idea of it is that anyone can accomplish anything if they work hard enough at it no matter where they come from or whether they're rich or poor." Supposedly this is why so many people immigrate to the U.S....they want to "acheive the American Dream."

The only problem we found, though, was that, like I mentioned, it keeps changing. What you want always changes. For example, in high school...all I wanted was a car, something to get me from point A to point nightclub. Now, I want a car that doesn't leak and doesn't have rust spots. I'm sure if I ever get a car like that that I will want to put a stereo system in it...and on and on and on...because I, like most people I know, will always aim higher, aim for more. And just like that, each person's American Dream will change...they want a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids and a dog...then they want a brand-new car....then they want a pool in the backyard...then they want their kids to go to the best colleges....etc. etc. etc.

So...is the American Dream unacheivable? Many say so. I have a few friends though, living here in the U.S. territorial Virgin Islands (Caribbean) who feel entirely content with their lot in life and I guess they've acheived their American Dream...living in entirely unAmerican culture while still living on American soil and having citizenship...what a country...

[mono]

Mono...don't always trust wikipedia...they have articles dedicated to South Park episodes, and apparently no one edits the articles once they are submitted, even if they are submitted by anonymous authors...so there is no gaurantee that they are accurate...I'm not really surprised that they have an article on the American Dream at all.
Yes, thank you, Shannanigan, I have noticed the same thing, and try to tell others, too.
With something like a concept of the 'American Dream,' however, I have always found it more based on opinion than fact; without getting too political, of course, the so-called 'American Dream' really consists of something rather ridiculously imagined yet followed by several individuals. Sure, it does emphasize certain common goals, motivation, and achievements, but they seem rather more for status, pride, and power to me.
With Wikipedia, I mostly happened to agree with that particular pages' representations of the 'American Dream,' and the writer probably explained it slightly more objectively than I could have, feeling quite negatively biased on the subject. :rolleyes:

[Shannanigan]

hmm...read it, and you're right...it is at least objective and informative :)

[sHaRp12]

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.