The American Dream

Thomas Grabeel

Mrs. Wampler

English 12

April 12, 2018

The American Dream

As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, The American Dream is “an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity, also , the prosperity of life that is the realization of this ideal.” Although, the populous of The United States has roughly 325.7 million different definitions that are vastly different from everyone else’s. The American Dream has been morphed by the different generations who have adopted it. Originally The American Dream painted a picture of freedom from British Oppression, after the bloodshed of the revolutionary war it shifted to a dream of stability for a newly emerged nation. After a couple hundred years The American people had adopted a newfound vision of a house in a subdivision flying the American flag, a white picket fence, a dog and two kids, and cookouts in the backyard with neighbors. Lately however, The american Dream has become less of a centralized idea and more of a personal opinion.

My idea of The American Dream is more than likely very similar to that of many people but at the same time very different. When i think of this generational dream I think of a happy life of service to the people around me, and a retirement on a beach where i can grow old with the people I love near me.

The American Dream has mutated from a centralized idea to a personal opinion, which is unique to each holder of this dream. While some people may share similar versions of this apparition which has eluded Americans for generations, I honestly do not think that there are two opinions which are exactly the same in composition. The American Dream is less of a dream and more of a hope for prosperity, or that circumstances will improve for each holder.