The American Dream - Essay Example

of the English of the Teacher 31 March The American Dream There is no denying the fact that in a simplistic context the American dream tends to be an assortment of a range of human, social political and economic rights, opportunities and values that are fundamental to the development and growth of the essential human potential, irrespective of the race, class, religion, ethnicity or social status one affiliates to. It is this yearning for a better life not merely in a material context, but also in terms of the quintessential human rights and values that attracted diverse groups to the New World in the past and is doing so in the present also.

Thereby, if one accesses the viability of achieving the American Dream in the current times, it seems pragmatic to assert that the American Dream does not seem as much of an achievable option today. A range of social, political and economic facts corroborate to this belief. There is no doubt that the people in America do enjoy a better quality of life as compared to many other nations. It would also be safe to say that the poor in America today are better off as compared to the past. However, it is also a reality that economic class in America is something that is getting more rigid and difficult to transcend.

The gap between the rich and the poor in America is further augmenting and the poor are not poor because they are less hard working or less willing to work. Class mobility has become an aspect of the American life that has really ossified (Kamolnick 114). The other things is that though the confidence and trust of the people in their nation’s innate capacity and fertility has traditionally been subservient to the imminent economic circumstances, still it is worth mentioning that the current economic meltdown has indeed shaken the people’s faith in the American dream.

This is not because the people have lost faith in the values and beliefs underlying the American society. It is because people have largely come to believe that the rich and the powerful do have the power to get away with anything (Alpasian & Mitroff 143). They have the power to bring the national economy down on its knees, and the irony is that they will not be penalized for it but will rather be rescued by commensurate economic bailouts and privileges (Alpasian & Mitroff 157). One scarcely finds the trust and belief in many of the contemporary Americans that one traces in the works of Anne Bradstreet, a belief in the possibility for individual growth and the maturity of personal talent, irrespective of the imminent constraints and shortcomings.

It appears that somewhere many of the Americans have lost that resilience, tenacity and faith of the Pilgrims. A sense of despondency and cynicism has taken over the national psyche. Hence, the American Dream is not as viable a possibility today as it happened to be in the days of the yore. The American society has become more vulnerable to the dictates of the rich and the powerful. Works Cited Alpasian, Can M & Mitroff, Ian I. Swans, Swine and Swindlers. Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books, 2011. Print. Kamolnick, Paul.

The Just Meritocracy. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2010. Print.