Xavier Journal of Undergraduate Research

Volume 3 Article 2

2015

The Reality of the American Dream Madeline High Xavier University

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Recommended Citation High, Madeline (2015) “The Reality of the American Dream,” Xavier Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 3 , Article 2. Available at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/xjur/vol3/iss1/2

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XJUR Vol. 3 (2015)

The Reality of the American Dream

Finding The Good Life in the 21st Century Madeline High

he American Dream is best defined by James Truslow Adams as a “dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with the opportunity for each

according to his ability or achievement” (Adams 404). Throughout the centuries of the United States, a better and fuller life has meant different things to different people. Today, a better and fuller life is often viewed in terms of economic and material prosperity such as buying your dream house or car. Since the founding of the United States, the American Dream has continued to become more and more materialistic. The value of people’s success is not measured in their quality of life, but through the amount of property they have. Our society is very consumer driven and greatly emphasizes the importance of material gain. It is undeniable that the material prosperity of our country has made life easier and more efficient for many people and that it plays an important role in the American Dream: economic success can help people attain certain dreams such as financial security. However, I believe that people’s view of a better and fuller life is grossly unbalanced and narrowly defined. Many people tend to associate the Dream only with economic prosperity. The association of the Dream with quality of life is largely neglected. I argue that two of the greatest challenges facing the American Dream today are 1) the emphasis on material prosperity and 2) the wealth inequality in the United States. In order for the American Dream to

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become fully available to more people, there needs to be a balance between economic prosperity and the quality of life. The focus on material gain instead of the quality of life has created an unequa