American Dream: Is it alive in the 21st Century America? (Essay Sample)

American Dream: Is it alive in the 21st Century America?
Student’s Name
Institution
Outline
Introduction
Changing nature of the American Dream
The 2008 economic crisis
September 11th attacks and the Budweiser Commercial
Mobility and the American Dream
The nature of life in the U.S
Land of opportunities
Social mobility and inequality
The role played by the U.S government
Home ownership
Conclusion
American Dream: Is it alive in the 21st Century America?
The American Dream carries the hopes and aspirations of all Americans. As per the dream, each person living in America has the right to live a happy life, and to strive to meet their ambitions and dreams. However, the original American Dream is no longer and in its place, but it has been replaced by the 21st century American Dream. As a result, the perceptions held by Americans about the dream have changed. On the other hand, a debate sprung up, and most Americans wonder if the dream is still alive in the 21st century or if it has faded away. Through the analysis presented in this paper, the American Dream is still alive in the 21st century, but it has shifted from affordable to expensive.
There is evidence that the American Dream has become too expensive for most Americans to afford. For example, financial analysts calculated that the dream costs about $130,000 annually, and only 1 in 8 Americans afford it. The current American Dream has benchmarks that include home ownership, having a good car and educating two children in the family. However, most Americans do not qualify to have all the three privileges, and in some cases, some of them enjoy none.
Neil Diamond’s America composition is an obvious interpretation of how immigrants move into the United States. However, their interest to relocate is not because of boredom in their country but because of seeking opportunities in the U.S and living the American Dream. On the other hand, Born in the USA, an album by Bruce Springsteen contained songs of hope for a person born in the United States, and the daily struggles. As a result, the album is purely patriotic, and the composer believes that he will live the American Dream in the near future.
Playing a part in the fading away of the American Dream is the economic crisis that hit the United States of America in 2008. It is a belief that if you work hard, there are rewards, and this is according to the American Dream. However, in the economic crisis, most Americans lost their investments, and banks, stock markets and other financial institutions experienced a downfall. On the other hand, Americans who had invested in the financial institutions suffered a setback, and it was a blow to their dream of living a real life, having a car and owning a home among other ambitions.
The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center took away the lives of many Americans while injuring others. To pay tribute to the fallen Americans, a commercial, Budweiser went into the airwaves in 2002, but it did not appear again. However, the commercial and its powerful message was an obvious sign that there is no guarantee for a good life in America. Instead, it is up to the individual to know what they need and how to go about achieving it.
The American Dream operates on mobility. According to it, if you work hard, you will succeed in life or at least, your children will be in an excellent financial position. As a result, people from all over the world have moved into the United States in pursuit of the dream as they term America as the land of opportunities. The influx into the United States has perhaps made it a bit hard for natives to realize their American Dream because they need to share what America has to offer with the people coming in to seek opportunities.
In addition, the way of life and work in the United in United States slows down the rate at which Americans can realize the dream. In the United States, the nature of work is very complex, the jobs are unpredictable and the speed of life is incredible. For people who are less dedicated or those that give up easily, the American Dream in the 21st century is long dead and gone. On the other hand, there are those that view the challenge of achieving the American Dream as a short-term effect, and they are not yet giving up. As a result, there are colliding views about the American Dream, and it is up to personal perception.
One of the arguments that clearly explains that the American Dream is still alive is the choice of opportunities in the United States. Compared to most countries in the world, possibilities, chances and choices are plenty and a person has choices to try as long as they fit their description. From the observation, the American Dream is not yet dead but it has moved further and for people to fully realize it, they need to stretch farther. The actions and decisions of a person define their ability to achieve their ambitions and align themselves to the American Dream.
Compared to countries like Denmark, the United States of America has less social mobility. Social mobility plays a big ...