Something that everyone who lives in America strives for is the American dream. The one universal definition of this would be freedom and success. But what does that really mean? Every person has his or her own definitions of what freedom and success means. This is where the true meaning of the American dream can get a little tricky.
Some may say that everyone who lives in America already has the part of freedom towards the dream. This may not always be true. Some people do not have the right to marriage; others may not be treated as equally as others are, such as African Americans or even women in the work force. We are always told about all the freedom we have but sometimes it is not actually present. Sometimes there are points where us as Americans need to stand up and fight for our freedom. But in the end freedom is a big part of this dream and even though it is not present all the time I feel as though it is needed to fully achieve the American dream.
The number one thing contributing to the American dream is success. But this topic gets even more questionable. Success has so many definitions for different people. For most people success would mean being wealthy money wise. Even though this can contribute to someone's happiness and success, it is not the only thing that matters. While trying to obtain success many people may forget about the other stuff that is important. To completely acquire the American dream people need to remember everything that was and is important to them and not just focus on money. Friends, family, and just being socially interactive is a big part of being happy and when one just focuses on money and forgets about these things you can never truly be happy.
Some may also say that the concept is becoming impossible. The thought of someone actually coming from a poor background and then going out and becoming wealthy in all senses seems like a crazy idea. The American dream becoming impossible has only recently started happening. Back when the economy was better and everything was not the way it is today, people could actually come over to America and make a life for themselves. Now a days though it is much harder to make a living for yourself even if you are middle class.
By Betsy Barrows
