Jim Cullen s The American Dream - 965 Words

What is the American Dream? Some describe the American Dream as a two parent family with two kids and a dog living in a home with a white picket fence. Others declare having millions of dollars and a beach home is the ultimate goal. So, what exactly is the American Dream? In the Conservative conference speech â€Å"We Will Be a City upon a Hill†, Ronald Reagan demanded that traditional values defined the American Dream while President Obama argued equality was quintessential. In both presidential speeches, they each discussed two vastly drastic interpretations of the American Dream however, their speeches both themed constructs seen in Jim Cullen’s book to support their arguments. Jim Cullen, author of The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation, made an argument that there is no concise definition of the American Dream. He argued the nation s transition over the centuries have modified Americans’ aspirations in life. Additionally, he cat egorized the American Dream into six specific versions— Good Life, I, II, III, Freedom/ Independence, Equality, and Home/Land ownership— gave notion that those all versions composed the American Dream. In President Reagan’s 1974 speech, he disputed that a shift in American goals has occurred as America has grown (Reagan). One construct referenced throughout the entire speech is what Cullen called the Good Life I. In Reagan s speech, he defined it as the Puritan Dream based on fundamental ideas of discipline andShow MoreRelatedJim Cullen And The American Dream2081 Words   |  9 Pages The American Dream, as defined by Cullen, is starting your goal off with a little and ending with more; it s like a business, you invest in it in order to gain more money. Usually, people will define the American Dream as being able to achieve your goal because everyone is offered opportunities. Cullen does acknowledge that people are born with different opportunities, so he talks about the good life. The good life describes different factors that determine your opportunities. Throughout the otherRead MoreAmerican Dream Obstacles Essay1092 Words   |  5 PagesAccessibility to the Dream In America, the american dream is interpreted in millions of different ways. One American citizen dreams for millions while another hopes for contentment and a family in the future. Though its rarity is observed, every american is given an opportunity to achieve the american dream if they are devoted to doing so. The american dream is very much alive and could be awfully easy to attain. Saying that obstacles are not present when attempting to achieve the dream is absolutelyRead MoreWhite Supremacy And The Jim Crow Laws1369 Words   |  6 PagesWhite supremacy and the Jim Crow laws of the south continued the bondage and did not bring the Promised Land they envisioned. In 1890, white supremacy in the south where ninety percent of African Americans lived until the Great Migration north that gave way to the Harlem Renaissance. Which was a movement in the 1920 s and 1930 s that opened the discussion on a minority in America. This movement gave a voice to civilians who were slaves sixty years earlier. Even though the Harlem Renaissance wasRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : African American Culture758 Words   |  4 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance: African American Culture The Harlem Renaissance was an era where African American culture flourished. African American music, art, theatre, literature, food, fashion, and creativity dominated in the 1920’s. It was a movement to redefine what being â€Å"black† meant to destroy the stereotypes of that society has affiliated with being a negro. At this time, African American artists used their talents to take advantage of this opportunity to make a better life for themselves, whileRead MoreThe American Dream By Jim Cullen1265 Words   |  6 PagesInterpreted in multiple ways and forms, a quintessential aspiration has been the blueprint for Americans when engaging in perfection in politics, economics, and society. This â€Å"American Dream†, depicted by Jim Cullen, is a Puritan-inspired strive for opportunity presenting itself as an universal standard that constitutes to ultimate success. The reality of this Dream is a flawed repetition of a continuous pursuit of happiness, where one bleeds and sacrifices to be â€Å"happy†, and the constant modificationRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1110 Words   |  5 Pagesidentity with pursuing the American Dream. Through Willy Loman’s dreamlike mind, Miller shows how denial casts blindness to the reality of his life, family, and loss of identity. Thus, this play shows how social achievement and economic success affects the truly imp ortant aspects of life; family and love. Miller reflects the theme of the American Dream by showing the ongoing dreams of success and greatness Willy Lowman wanted so much for his family. â€Å"The American Dream is defined as, the belief inRead MoreWhat Was The Overall Impact Of The Harlem Renaissance1110 Words   |  5 Pagesthe end of the Harlem Renaissance? The financial support of African Americans by rich whites came to end after the Wall Street Crash. 22. Who is the author of Their Eyes Were Watching God and when was it published? The author of Their Eyes Was Watching God is Zora Neal Hurston and was published in 1973. 23. What was the overall impact of the Harlem Renaissance? The Harlem Renaissance help to how American view African American and their culture. The integration of black and white cultures duringRead MoreThe Roaring Twenties3168 Words   |  13 PagesThe dawning of the 1920’s in America left a need in the citizens’ hearts to return to a state of normalcy after the devastating effects of the Great War. However, the new era of isolationism spawned a cultural revolution that can only be described as anything but â€Å"normal†. Heavy losses over seas left Americans turned off to problems occurring outside of United States borders. As the citizens’ averted their eyes from the problems of the world, they were left to focus their attention of forming theRead MorePoverty and the American Dream4620 Words   |  19 Pagesâ€Å"The American Dream† as defined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward soci al mobility achieved through hard work. Truslow states life should be worse and poorer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of IndependenceRead More Writers of the Harlem Renaissance Essay2535 Words   |  11 PagesWriters of the Harlem Renaissance During the 1920?s, a ?flowering of creativity,? as many have called it, began to sweep the nation. The movement, now known as ?The Harlem Renaissance,? caught like wildfire. Harlem, a part of Manhattan in New York City, became a hugely successful showcase for African American talent. Starting with black literature, the Harlem Renaissance quickly grew to incredible proportions. W.E.B. Du Bois, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes, along with many other