A unitary definition does not exist–the American dream probably has a different meaning to every US citizen. Terming it a "dream" also carries with it the notion that these ideals aren't necessarily what has played out in the lives of many actual Americans and those who hope to become Americans.
In these polls, a majority of Americans consistently reported that for their family, the American Dream is more about spiritual happiness than material goods. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. "We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands ... when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the The concept of the American Dream has been used in popular discourse, and scholars have traced its use in American literature ranging from the As Huang shows, the American Dream is a recurring theme in the fiction of Asian Americans.Many American authors added American ideals to their work as a theme or other reoccurring idea, to get their point across.The American Dream has been credited with helping to build a cohesive American experience, but has also been blamed for inflated expectations.The vaunted American dream, the idea that life will get better, that progress is inevitable if we obey the rules and work hard, that material prosperity is assured, has been replaced by a hard and bitter truth. "Work hard, save a little, send the kids to college so they can do better than you did, and retire happily to a warmer climate" has been the script we have all been handed.A key element of the American Dream is promoting opportunity for one's children, Johnson interviewing parents says, "This was one of the most salient features of the interview data: parents—regardless of background—relied heavily on the American Dream to understand the possibilities for children, especially their own children".Hanson and Zogby (2010) report on numerous public opinion polls that since the 1980s have explored the meaning of the concept for Americans, and their expectations for its future. a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.
noun. James E. Miller, Jr., "My Antonia and the American Dream" Nicholas Canaday, Jr., "Albee's The American Dream and the Existential Vacuum." Print.Symposium: The Role of the Judge in the Twenty-first Century. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
It is a symbol of financial success and independence, and it means the ability to control one’s own dwelling place instead of being subject to the whims of a landlord. The second was the "Dream of a Democracy of Goods" whereby everyone had access to the same products regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or class, thereby challenging the aristocratic norms of the rest of the world whereby only the rich or well-connected are granted access to luxury. With the arrival of the Ownby acknowledges that the dreams of the new consumer culture radiated out from the major cities, but notes that they quickly penetrated the most rural and most isolated areas, such as rural Mississippi. Edward J. Blum, "Lincoln's American Dream: Clashing Political Perspectives", Deborah F. Atwater, "Senator Barack Obama: The Rhetoric of Hope and the American Dream," Willie J. Harrell, "'The Reality of American Life Has Strayed From Its Myths,'" Matthias Maass, "Which Way to Take the American Dream: The U.S. For some it is the dream of freedom and equality, for others it is the dream of a fulfilled life or even the dream of fame and wealth. Its tenets can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”