The American Dream Synthesis Essay

American Dream Synthesis Essay

My Father comes from a true blue collar family. He comes from a family who barely recognize high school diplomas, let alone college degrees. As a teenager, his dad left the house. This was a vital time for him too, since he hoped to pursue a college degree. However, now he had a dream which looked impossible to pursue. So, naturally, he did not do fantastic in high school which might as well have been a failure because that meant little to no scholarships. He settled at a community college and with a lack of financial support he sought out a job. Learning from his failures and using his resources he worked during the day and went to classes at night. My father transformed what was formerly a blue collar family
into a college educated family because the American Dream allowed him to do so. The American Dream is still possible because we have the ability to work hard to achieve success, the ability to become something from nothing, and the ability to pick yourself up when you fall down. We, as Americans need to work hard to achieve the American Dream. We are able to take our future into our own hands and create a better future for our children. However, this is only possible if we “... work hard to get ahead…” (SB 78). From this idea of working hard to get ahead, we can infer that the idea of “getting ahead” refers to the idea that those of us who work hard early can enjoy the end of their life comfortably. For example, those who work hard and save money are able to have money when retirement comes calling. This idea of working hard and “a penny saved is a penny earned” is a cornerstone for the American Dream. The next quote is from David Wallechinsky in the article “Is the American Dream Still Possible” when he highlights stories of American citizens, particularly that of the middle-class 75% of which “say they take responsibility for their own financial destiny and believe that they will succeed or fail based on their own efforts” (SB 56). This illustrates that even we, the people, believe that hard work is the only way to achieve financial stability. More importantly, that this stability is even possible. An example of how this is possible comes through sports. The American Dream not only refers to business but also connects to the sports world. In sports, the American Dream is the idea that we can grind to defeat anyone who may be more talented. No story exemplifies this better than Steve Largent’s. Steve Largent is a former Seahawks wide receiver who was commonly referred to as too short and too slow. He is a prime example for the idea that it is still possible for hard work to help achieve greatness because he was rejected by many due to critics suggesting his physical abilities would prevent him from achieving his dream. However, through that determination and old-fashioned American drive he became a hall-of-famer. Overall, these examples emphasize that hard work is a key to the American Dream. The American Dream is still possible because we are given the resources to succeed even if we are nothing.
As Barack Obama said at the 2004 Democratic National Convention years prior to his election, “They [his parents] imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential” () This quote was preceded by a story that speaks of the hardships his father endured, first getting educated in a tin shack in Kenya and then getting the opportunity of a lifetime in America. The most important part of this story however, is that his father did not take these opportunities for granted. He used his resources such as scholarships in order to make his last name known in America. Although some may argue that these resources are impossible in the modern era for someone who comes from a low wage family. However, there are always resources available to us in America, with free education and free transit with which to travel to school. The problem resides, then, in the successful use of these resources in order to become something from nothing. The next example comes from Hansberry’s play, “A Raisin in the Sun” when Ruth tells Mama, “Ain’t nobody business people till they go into business.” () This conveys the idea that in America it does not matter who you are or where you are from, it matters what you do and what kind of person you are. This is strikingly similar to the story of Bill
Gates. Bill Gates was a harvard student whose major was mathematics, however, he entered the business world. It was all very novel to him and he didn’t have much of a name in the business world. Although, as many know, he succeeded in pioneering in software design. The lesson which can come from the stories of Bill Gates and Barack Obama is that the American Dream is possible through correct use of resources and ability to take risks. The reason which our society fails to accomplish what they set out to do is because we fail to use our resources to our advantage and to take the needed risks to achieve the next level.
The American Dream is still possible because we are given the ability to overcome failure to succeed. The third and final reason why the American Dream is possible comes through the idea that failure is the key to success. William Zinsser exemplifies this in his essay “The Right to Fail” when he states “... ‘Don’t be afraid to fail!’ Failure isn’t fatal.” William Zinsser reveals an idea that has been lurking in the shadows in modern society, the fact that failure is not something to be afraid of. In our society, failure is almost a curse word, an F on a transcript is the end of the world. An F, rather, should be granted to those who achieve a sub-par grade but fail to learn from it. This connects to the attainability American Dream because it identifies that those who fail, are more likely to succeed. Another example is the idea that “success can be dangerous-you feel you know it all. I’ve learned a great deal from my failures.” This implements a new idea, why success is so dangerous. At many points in society, and humanity in general, our own worst enemy is ourselves. An ego, for instance, is the quickest path to multiple failures, not the kind of failures that are necessarily easy to bounce back from. On the other hand, none of this would even be worth talking about if we didn’t learn from our failures. To analyze the second portion of this quote, we need only to look at the not so distant past towards Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was famously cut from his high school basketball team, but after this all he wanted to do was get better because he had a dream. As a result, he asked to train with the varsity and JV squads because he wanted to learn why he failed to make the team. The consequence, becoming an NBA star. This connects to the idea of achieving the American Dream because it develops this idea that contradicts the social norms of our society. No one in our society learns from our mistakes because we want to hide them like the memories of that final play in Super Bowl XLIX. This results in a forever repeating process. The American Dream is still possible if we are determined enough to achieve success, if we take risks to change the stereotype of who we are and if we strive through our failures to success.
In conclusion, the American Dream is still possible if we correctly use what is in front of us. The reason we have this argument is because people fail to see the opportunity this country provides them. We always must remember three big points not outlined in my thesis. Use the resources given, remember that scholarships and the ROTC program are there for a reason. Next, take risks, capitalism is built for entrepreneurs, take advantage of that. Finally, that we must always learn from our mistakes because as soon as we stop doing that, we stop growing. Those three points, combined with my thesis, create the six keys to the American Dream. For example, just look at my Father, he showed all of these qualities and it paid off with a middle-class job and, more importantly, a steady home and income for his children. The real question is, are you going to sit idly by and watch your potential wither away? Or act, and create better environments for your children than you grew up
in?