The American Dream

This is a graph published in 2011. In this image we can see a lot of percentages. It's a poll about the American Dream. There are very importants information. First, we notice that 57% of people think that they are achieving the American dream according to them, it's means with their definition. 62% of people think that their parents have achieved the American Dream. We can explain this number because the graph's young generation ( people who are between 18 and 40 years old) have parents who had lived at the times of the beginning of the American Dream. During this period, the consumer society was very important and present in the population mind. So a lot of people were living an "American Dream life" based on the American Model. Then, we see the percentages of people who want to achieve the American Dream and who don't. I'm very surprised because 54% is a lot. I could never have imagined that so many American people don't believe in the American Dream. However, the other number seems to me more comprehensible. 

Therefore, all of them have a most important goal to achieve the American Dream way of life. The most popular reason is having money for the retirement, it seems logical because when we think that in America the gorvernement doesn't give money to retired people, so the population has to save money for the future by themselves. The second most important goal is owning a home. It's true that in American movies, we often see characters owning their big houses in the suburbs. It's a true American Dream. Finally, we see information about the poll, how many men and women have answered and their age.


Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17th, 1706. He was a printer, writer and a American politician man. He was one of the most famous self made men and he is part of the American Dream. When he was young he left Boston to go to Philadelphia, even if it was very complicated in his times he reached it and became an apprentice printer, and his first dream came true. When he was older he started working actively for independence. He was elected by the Second Continental Congress and worked on a committee of five that helped to draft the Declaration of Independence with John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson.  In 1776 he signed the Declaration of Independence. This declaration is very important to the freedom of America because she says that the United States is not a British colony. Franklin died on April 17th, 1790. In the American Dream and in the US philosophy,  freedom is one of the most important values. The economic freedom or the professional freedom (being one's own boss) are two aspects of the American ideal beliefs. So, Benjamin Franklin is a model to follow because of his career, in fact he was the son of a soap maker and he became a very powerful politician by his own means, and also because of his importance in the contruction of the foundation of the American dream.


Conclusion about the American Dream.

First of all, the American Dream is a very strong belief for everyone, it is the symbol of hope to the immigrants and the ideal life for american people.  Nevertheless, it is also a very idealistic notion. At the beginning of the American Dream, all was very new and it was a new conception of life for the people. After the war, an affluent society was developped and a new way of life appeared. There is a goal to achieve which would be being his own boss, having his own house or having money for retirement. To sum-up, it is to be free. Nowadays, we can think that the American Dream belongs to the past but it seems that people's goals are the same, the only difference is that we don't call them : the American Dream.  

Two videos about The American Dream.

Speaker Series: The Future of the American Dream - Excerpt

This videos is about the future of the american dream. A man, Bob Herbert tells us that the most important aspect of the American dream is having a good Job. This is the basis of all others things. He says that to realise their dreams, the people have to be support by a good job which enables gain monney. He takes the example of the childrens on the school who are better prepared to become writters journalist or lawyers. Because thanks to this kind of job they can gain monney and reach to better way of life. According to him, having a good job, is the future of the American dream, and the belief of the news generations. 

In America - Trailer

This film takes place in New-York. It is about a family who leaves in this new city because they lost one of their childrens. They try to build a new life but it is very dificult because the father doesn't find a job. This movie gather lots of very important point of the American Dream. First, it seems that the importance of the family is very present. Because there is two little sister who try to understand this system and the father looks like  desperate. Then, the idea of the employement is here too, by the father. Finally, the black man who can be the symbol of the Hope, represents the ideal of the American dream beliefs, a land of opportunities to everyone. However, I think that it is a pessimist point of vue of the american dream, maybe even a criticism but I am not sure.