The American Dream Is Dead Analysis

The American Dream is core to the American worldview. Though people from schoolteachers to presidential candidates have spoken on this topic, there seems to be no consensus as to whether it is dead or alive. One of the many articles written on the Dream is “The American Dream is Dead—Here’s Where It Went” by Adelle Peters, and as the title suggests, Peters argues that the American Dream is dead. According to her, low upward mobility, caused by unequal education and a gaping income inequality, has made the American Dream obsolete. In quoting economist Paul Krugman, Peters says, “[D]umb rich kids are more likely to graduate than poor smart kids” (Peters 2). Schools in the United States are often paid for by local property taxes, so usually, the
For example, in “Is the American Dream Withering or Just Changing,” Dan Kadlec says though the older generation believes the American Dream to be dead, the youth of America see a future of opportunity—the American Dream. According to a Heartland Monitor Poll, “Most [adults] believe today’s kids will have a poorer chance of holding a steady job… owning a home… and [achieving] a comfortable retirement” (Kadlec 1). These three items—steady job, home ownership, and comfortable retirement—are manifestations of the previous generation’s American Dream. Therefore, the home bust and the decreasing feasibility of secure retirement cause adults to see the Dream as dead. However, today’s teens have a different view of the future. According to the same poll, “half say that when they are their parents’ age they will have more opportunity—not less” (Kadlec 1). They see a bright future for themselves as opposed to the depressing view held by their parents. Why? The American Dream has changed. Teens do not see the future the same way adults do, measuring success using a different set of standards. They don’t need to own a home or the assurance of comfortable retirement to call themselves accomplished. To them, the Dream is