How would you describe the American Dream?
The American Dream is something very personal to me, because my family immigrated here in the 19th century from Germany. First of all, I think that just being able to live in The United States of America is something that some citizens take for granted, and all of the freedoms that we enjoy are all because of the sacrifices of others. I define the American Dream as the opportunity to live in a country where people with absolutely nothing can become fiscally wealthy. In the United States, wealth is obtainable with almost any characteristic, such as being intelligent, comprehension of certain systems, and simply working harder than others. One of the most important characteristics of America is the fact that we practice an economic system of capitalism. Capitalism is defined as, "An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state" (Webster). By complying within the law and using the system of capitalism, many Americans are able to obtain wealth. For instance, one of the most prominent aspects in which citizens are able to fully achieve the American Dream is by starting up a business. Business and the sale of services or products is very important in America, because customers are able to chose freely about what they purchase. Now, time to talk about how citizens use these systems within the United States to become wealthy and achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is not only an obtainable economic stance, but it is a mental ideological belief in which millions of people hold. For example, if someone has immigrated legally to the United States, they are most likely hoping to start off from scratch and achieve this 'American Dream'. The entire ideological belief of these people is enough for them to come to work everyday and work hard in hopes of advancing for the benefit of themselves and/or their family. For most adults in America, they wish for absolutely everything for their family, thus the American Dream to them is the ability to provide a stable and well deserved economic stance. In my life, the American Dream is something that I have been wishing for since I was young, and hopefully I will be able to work hard enough to obtain it. Another key attribute of the American Dream is the ability to work hard, solely for the purpose of achieving more wealth. For instance, in a free society which practices capitalism, employees are able to work harder than those around them and advance into a position which obtains more wealth. Overall, I am very proud to be an American because of the fact that the 'American Dream' is possible for me and my family.
