The American Dream: A Critical Analysis

This essay critically analyzes the American Dream through the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Truslow Adams, Martin Luther King, John Kenneth White, and Sandra L. Hanson, and David Kamp. It discusses the origin and evolution of the American Dream, its relevance in defining and shaping the day-to-day lives of the people, and the struggles and price paid by the common people to achieve it. The essay also highlights the importance of invoking the past to ensure success in the future years, the spirit of perseverance, the cultivation of a common ideal defining a nation, and the adoption of a critical thinking attitude.

Running head: THE AMERICAN DREAM
The American Dream
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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The very mention of the ideal of the American Dream is incomplete without invoking the
inputs provided by three notable personalities, namely, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Truslow
Adams and Martin Luther King. Each of them had at different points of time in the American
history, infused their visions into the ideal as a response to the needs of the time. The ideal of the
American Dream had gained currency with the publication of Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great
Gatsby, in the year 1920, wherein he had associated the vision with prospects of better life by
acquiring material requisites of life. Adams’ definition in 1931 on the other hand had
emphasized on enriching the quality of life by making the social conditions conducive to both
growth and development for all sections of the society. Martin Luther King had added the
dimension of equality amongst the races in 1964, to draw attention towards the grave injustices
perpetrated on the Blacks.
Apart from their pioneering intellectual labour, there are other scholars who have
expressed their understanding and concern on the relevance of the American Dream. In this
essay two such scholarly works shall be discussed in the following sections with a reflective
undertone, justifying why the elements specifically highlighted have been chosen to be passed
down to my successors. For the purpose, the articles, “The making and persistence of the
American dream” by John Kenneth White and Sandra L. Hanson; and, "Rethinking the American
dream" by David Kamp shall be discussed.
White and Hanson (2011) traces the origin of the ideal of the American Dream from
antiquity to the contemporary times with a stress on the relevance of the ideals in defining and
shaping the day to day lives of the people. They opine that the very essence of the American
Dream was very much immanent in the watershed episode of America winning freedom from the
yoke of colonialism in the year 1776, which made it very clear that the Americans could by

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means of self-reliance achieve even the seemingly impossible. Their article provides an
evidential account of how the ideal of the American Dream has from time to time materialized
itself. A vivid account of America successfully overcoming the period of the Great Depression,
and Obama becoming the first non-white President of America in the article is quite inspiring.
David Kamp’s article, ‘Rethinking the American Dream’ (2009), is a critical insight into
the saga of success that America had witnessed over the years post the achievement of
independence from foreign occupation. It very blatantly hints at the struggles and the price which
the common people had to pay in order to sway through the times of distress. That brings one to
question as to, whether the dream is of individual concern or of the collectivity. Kamp had been
very assertive of the fact that the American Dream had relevance to the lives a section of the
people, while another section of the American society who languished in the quagmire of misery.
Having provided an overview of the two articles, the discussion shall focus now on two
ideals extracted from each of them to be handed down to my successors, on the basis of my
personal judgement. The messages of, invoking the past to ensure success in the future years, and
the spirit of perseverance is quite noteworthy in the article by White and Hanson. I would try to
reconcile my successors to the fact that whatever we are today is but a derivative, a gift of the
determination and enterprise of our predecessors, hence we must look up to them, emulate them,
and carry forward their legacy in order to achieve success. By this, it is not being meant that the
future course of actions are supposed to be an exact replica of the model followed by the great
persons in the yesteryears. Modification of the approach, by keeping the spirit intact is ideally
the suitable method, which retains the element of being futuristic without compromising with the
core values. Secondly, just having a vision and not working to achieve that is not something
which had happened in America. The upcoming generations must learn that the destiny of human

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beings lies in their own capacities. The Americans had exhibited a broad vision which enabled
them to emphasize not just on the economic aspect at the face of the Great Depression. They had
also expressed concern on the social aspect, which made recovery from the perils possible
effectively. Had it not been the perseverance to transform the social order of the country which
was essentially hostile to the Blacks, Obama would never have been the President of the country.
Kamp’s sensational article conveys two messages of utmost importance I shall expect of
my successors to devote due consideration in order to render an ideal having relevance in its
truest sense. First of all, the spirit of a common ideal defining a nation must be cultivated. The
young generation must keep in mind that a nation comprises of people and it survives because
the people channelize their efforts towards its upkeep. Consequently, the perks and perils
incurred by the nation should be evenly distributed without exerting either of the influences on
any particular section, as that goes against the spirit of justice. Secondly, the attitude of critical
thinking must also be adopted by the future generation. Those who are children today, shall
become adults tomorrow and take over the reins of managing the affairs of the country. Since
America has been a multicultural society which respects, acknowledges and guarantees the
freedom of expression and dignity of each and every human life residing within its territorial
boundary, the issue is even more important. Often the injustices hurled upon the minorities is
overlooked. That is owing to the lack of critical approach towards the principle of
majoritarianism. I want my immediate younger generation and all other young folks of the
country to realize that they must be intuitive enough to understand that simply because
something suits the majority does not imply that it is just.

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References
Hanson, Sandra L., and John Kenneth White. "The making and persistence of the American
dream." The American dream in the 21st Century (2011): 1-16.
Kamp, David. "Rethinking the American dream." Vanity Fair (2009).