what is the american dream ?

Question

i need it for english essay for the story "Of Mice and Men"

Answer 1

Is it that they dream they can go a whole day with-out pissing off the rest of the world?

Or is it the capitalist ideal that everybody can be stinking rich by stealing everybody else's money, that there are no poor, just rich rich rich. It works too, there's no poor in America.

Seriously, I think it is the dream of being of independent means; it's just a shame that not everybody can know this ideal in a capitalist society (like America). Own a ranch, keep some animals (you know...Guantanamo Bay)

Answer 2

It is rather odd that you have not discussed this in class if you are being asked to write an essay on it.
Briefly, the American Dream is the dream of the ordinary American worker that they will one day own their own piece of land or property and be independent.
The whole story of 'Of Mice and Men'is about George and Lennie's dream to live off the fat of the land and not be labourers any longer.
Other men on the ranch try to get in on the dream. They all know in their hearts that it is very unlikely that they will succeed, but the dream is the only thing that makes life bearable.
Even Curley's wife dreams of becoming a film star to get away from the domination of Curley.
Read the book carefully and look for examples to demonstrate this idea.

Answer 3

the yankee Dream became unsustainable from the getgo. Do your justifiable percentage and also you'll get a efficient abode interior the suburbs, artwork till you're sixty 5, retire, obtain loose funds from the authorities once you retire. regrettably, this isn't obtainable interior the international of truth. in case you at the instantaneous are not generating any wealth for an monetary gadget, and take funds out from that exact same monetary gadget, then that produces a adverse result. In any monetary gadget, that adverse stability will capture up and the rustic isn't able to pay the bill on that's personal monetary gadget. So the rustic borrows, is now in debt to a special u . s ., and turns round to do the exact same element. This dream has been in a warfare for existence for a lengthy time period now, and it really is taking that's totally last blow from this poor monetary situation.

Answer 4

Well, the American Dream is a subjective concept. But generally it is understood to mean the idea that in America it is possible to work hard and succeed, that everyone has the opportunity to become accomplished. From what I remember from Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are motivated by their own American Dream. That is why they are willing to slog away at various menial jobs - they hope to eventually buy their own farm and live off it. That is their idea of success. Their American Dream collapses, however, once Lennie has killed, even if accidentally, Curley's wife. There is no hope for him escaping the men or authorities.

Answer 5

The origin of the American Dream, a term coined by James Truslow Adams in his book "The Epics of America" (1931), stems from the departure in government and economics from the models of the Old World. Additionally, from the American Revolutionary War well into the later half of the eighteenth century, many of America's physical resources were unclaimed and held out the promise of land ownership and lucky investment in land or industry in the nineteenth century. The development of the Industrial Revolution combined with the great natural resources of the enormous and as yet unsettled (by Europeans) continent created the possibility of achieving wealth and transitioning "from rags to riches".

Answer 6

READ THE BOOK "OF MICE AND MEN" so that you will have a perspective on the American Dream as it pertains to this great work of American Literature. On the other hand, the American Dream is usually referred to when noting one's FINANCIAL success in one's professional, business venture, political career or scholastic endeavor. It is exactly what one's dream is and achieving it.

Answer 7

rather than me diggin out my books i'll tell you what i would do for the essay. i would find quotes of the typical american dream and relate it to the dream lenny and george have. i would then discuss how this has changed over the years from the setting of the book to the date of the quote (of the modern american dream) you could also make it intresting by finding quotes from the american dream from lenny's era. there dream was a simple dream and looking into it they dreamt of freedom and tranquility where as today most dream of wealth.
looking at curley's wife she has the dream they crave but she tends to walk around the ranch like a ghost unnoticed and unloved by all so will this dream really bring around happiness?

Answer 8

oh gosh; i did this last year, and now i've got to remember it...

the american dream is that of bettering yourself and your life: getting a better job, better wages, better house, better car, freedom, whatever. the name basically comes from the american pioneers and 20th century immigrants who went in search of a better life in america. i don't know if you've read 'a view from the bridge' by arthur miller, but that expresses the dream quite well - marco and rodolpho in search of a better life.

as it connects to 'of mice and men', the american dream is shown in george and lennie's dream of a bit of land of their own - 'live off the fatta the lan'' - and also in the other characters' dreams: candy really wants to join into the dream to save himself from being 'canned', crooks does too but is too proud, curley's wife dreams of being in the pictures, the ranchhands dream of being cool like their magazines, etc.

like the american dream, the dreams of the characters in the book are necessary for the hard life they have to fulfil. otherwise they'd just all give up. hope is necessary for them (and us) to live.

however, also like the american dream, the character's dreams are futile and will never happen. curley's wife can't be in the pictures due to her nasal voice, lennie is too simple and prone to doing bad things, etc.

the dream is futile as none of the characters can escape from the circle in which they were born. The ranchhands, for example, earn their money, then go and spend it in the whorehouse or on alcohol. this is also symbolised in the 1st and 6th chapters when the watersnake keeps being eaten - a never ending cycle.

so basically this is about the futility of trying in life, and the futility of the american dream, yet the necessity of dreaming to keep being happy - cheerful!

other themes include: loneliness, racism/sexism/ageism etc.

hope this helps!

rachel

Answer 9

i was told when studying psychology as part of my degree that the "american dream" is, quite simply the day to day struggle of achieving 'success'. however the american idea of success is measured purely in capita- how much wealth one has accumulated over ones lifetime. the more money you have, the closer you are to achieving the "american dream". and when you have all material gains at your feet you HAVE achieved the dream. (e.g.- a big house, a car, great job, nice clothes etc). family, love and happiness dont really come into it sadly enough. i recommend you watch 'in pursuit of happyness' at the cinema because its the classic tale of poor guy(willsmith) gets rich, thus achieving the dream.

Answer 10

the american dream refers to the idea that the people who moved to america from ireland, england and europe to settle there had the chance to succeed and make money; america, as a new country, had the potential to be a classless society where all were equal with equal opportunities to make money. the reality was that many settlers who had left their homelands to escape poverty found that they remained in poverty. the dream persisted, america continued to be seen as the land of opportunity, but this dream was never realised for many of the impoverished working class people who emigrated.

american authors wrote about this dream and the harsh reality to expose the truth that many people never raised their quality of life, and in fact, the struggle just to survive was the reality, contrary to the 'dream'. of mice and men portrays the struggle for farmers in the depression, for whom there was no opportunity to become wealthy.

you could also read and refer to 'death of a salesman', in which the central character, willy loman, fails to make money as a travelling salesman and eventually dies without ever having realised his 'american dream'. that should get you extra marks!

hope this helps.