Katharine R.

Winiewicz

Ms. Price

English 1

20th March 2019

The Modern American Dream

What is society’s definition of the American dream today? In 1931 James Truslow

Adams used the phrase “American Dream” in his book Epic of America saying, “ there has been

also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller

for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” In today’s

society does that definition of the American dream hold up in modern life? Society’s American

Dream is seen as a safe community that is accepting of all and provides equal opportunity for all.

A place where freedom is truly free and where Americans can not only write their own story but

live it.

The classic American Dream still exists today however not all have lived this idealized

American dream. This is because there are Americans today who live in extreme conditions

making it hard for them to achieve this American Dream. Even if some do have decent living

conditions, they are still socially excluded, leaving them in the same situation. Cyril Ramaphosa

writes,“There are still millions in our society who live in poverty, who are socially excluded and

economically marginalised. We cannot speak of true freedom when the constitutionally

guaranteed rights to quality health care, to quality education, to decent housing and to a clean

environment continue not to be enjoyed by many South Africans.” This article states that there

are people still in society who are excluded for many different reasons. It states that freedom will

not ever be true freedom without equality for all. Cyril goes into detail on why modern life can
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not speak true freedom when modern society overall does not have much of free rights. Cyril

Ramaphosa also writes, “In our search for a just and equal society, we also need to

fundamentally transform gender relations. We cannot have a free society, we cannot have a

peaceful world, for as long as women are discriminated against, exploited, neglected and abused.

We cannot tolerate the social norms and cultural practices that diminish, in any way, the equal

rights and equal worth of women.” Ramaphosa goes in depth on who is discriminated in society;

he states that no one will ever have a free society because society continues to discriminate

against differences between men and women. If discrimination does still continue it would cause

more problems in the future for future generations. More so, inequality still does appear in

differences it also exists in opportunities.

In society today, there are still people who are not given the chance to write their own story.

There are children whose parents are not able to provide for them leaving them neglected. This

leaves them at a young age trying to fend for themselves because they too want to write their

own story. These young children are determined to make the most of their world to turn it around

in order to write their story. Richard V. Reeves writes in his article ,“ The Simple bargain at the

heart of the American dream offers opportunity to every American who takes the responsibility

to make the most of it. That bargain is the great source of American strength, because it

unleashes the amazing talent and determination of our people. As our people seize the

opportunity to build a better life, they build a stronger country.” Reeves talks about how every

American is given the opportunity to write their own story they just have to bite the bait.

Children are not able to receive good education or even an education at all. This is all because of

their living conditions. Due to the fact that some kids live in poorer neighborhoods and unsafe

communities they are not given the best education. John F. Kerry writes in his article, “The
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shameful truth is that too often the quality of a child's education depends on the wealth of that

child's neighborhood. Our best public schools are the best schools in the world, but too many

children go to schools that just don't work. Too many

children who beat the odds and succeed in school can not afford to go to college.” His article

states that because of a child's living conditions or area, they are not given an equal chance to

attend good school. The awful truth is that without an education most kids do not succeed in life,

just because of their geographic location. But why are the communities unsafe and underserved

for these children?

One of the reasons that these communities are seen as unsafe is because of the way the

citizens are treated. Society is in constant disagreement with almost everything leaving a

constant battle between opposing sides. But how will peace help this condition? Having peace in

a community would bring people together and aspire to form a consensus to help underserved

kids have a better life. Cyril Ramaphosa writes in his article, “While we tend to speak about

peace as a condition between nations or across a society as a whole, we often do not pay

sufficient attention to peace in individual communities and in the lives of the individual citizens

who make up such communities.” Ramaphosa goes on about how society as a whole needs to

pay more attention to the peace between individual communities. He states that Americans

shouldn't be paying attention to nations as a whole but instead individual communities.

Ramaphosa goes on in his article about how society as a whole can live American dream. If

Americans do continue to ignore this ongoing issue it will cause problems in the future.

Ramaphosa also states “This requires a change in attitude and consciousness, a social movement

that reaches into every home, classroom, workplace and relationship. It requires policies and

programmes to ensure that every girl child attends school and has every opportunity to excel, that
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there are no impediments for young women to complete their school and go on to higher

education or training.” This last piece of evidence concludes the ideas of the American dream.

Ramaphosa goes in depth on how everyone should be able to get a chance to bite the bait in

order to not only write their own story but truly live it. This last quote has concluded my main

points of this paragraphs and more because it explains many of the points made.

All in all, every American has the right to dream. Although people are seen as unequal

and inequality between differences still exists, Americans may continue to strive in order to

achieve the American dream. Not all children are given the chance to get an education due to

their living conditions they still have hope. Even though there is still disagreement in this world

one by one Americans can come together at the community level to bring peace. Those who are

willing to fight to live the American dream can have it. In conclusion, the American Dream does

still exist, but has since changed to more represent the modern day life and qualities.

Works Cited

● Address by CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, President, South Africa, Peace Is Not

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Possible in an Unequal World: NO SOCIETY CAN BE AT PEACE UNLESS

ALL ITS PEOPLE HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND

AN EQUAL QUALITY OF LIFE.,

http://web.a.ebscohost.com/src_ic/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13&sid=324b3c4c-

0813-44ab-b1f6-0e142799e38a%40sdc-v-sessmgr04,Accessed November 1st

2018

● John F. Kerry ,The promise of opportunity,

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_L

IST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosi

tion=12&docId=GALE%7CA123135242&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&co

ntentSegment=ZGPP-

MOD1&prodId=ITOF&contentSet=GALE%7CA123135242&searchId=R3&user

GroupName=ncowl&inPS=true, Accessed October 2004

● Richard V. Reeves, Equality, Opportunity, and the American Dream,

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T003&resultListType=RESULT_L

IST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosi

tion=1&docId=GALE%7CA379327277&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&con

tentSegment=ZGPP-

MOD1&prodId=ITOF&contentSet=GALE%7CA379327277&searchId=R2&user

GroupName=ncowl&inPS=true, Accessed August 20th 2014