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The American Dream: A Bittersweet Evolution - Online Term Paper

The American Dream: A Bittersweet Evolution

Bo Starke
Mr. Richburg
AP 11
7 February 2011

The American Dream: A Bittersweet Evolution

On July 4, 1776, Congress declared that every American citizen has the unalienable right to discover and fulfill what makes them happy in life. America’s offering of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” has been the country’s outstanding appeal over the centuries of its existence. Moreover, “the pursuit of happiness” has been a defining aspect of what is known as the “American Dream”; but sadly, the American people have skewed the term’s true meaning. In the coining of the phrase “The American Dream”, James Truslow offered the first formal definition:

"The American Dream is that ...

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by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position" (Hardwick 1).

This definition outlines the values embodied within the American Dream, bringing into focus the term’s many facets. From America’s founding to present-day, the meaning has evolved from a pursuit of nonmaterial and material success to solely the latter. The American Dream has become a one-dimensional quest for wealth, in effect, butchering the values connected to the term. The growing emphasis on wealth in American society has altered the average American’s perception of the American Dream. As Phil Hardwick’s article in the Mississippi Business Journal makes evident, the American people see the “Dream” as one that is economic—defined by homeownership and spending (Hardwick 1). In recent years, with the enthusiastic approval of the banks and government, the number of American homeowners has grown exponentially (“American Reality” 1). However, this quest for ...

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 3/20/2011 06:52:14 PM
Submitted By: bomama94
Category: Economics
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1106
Pages: 5

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