Izzo 1 Caitlyn Izzo Professor Stevens English 102 4 March 2012 Views of the “American Dream” The “American Dream” is something all of us as Americans aim or hope to achieve everyday of our lives. We all create this ideal life for ourselves in our heads, and while some of us are not willing to work for it, many of us are and hope our hard work and determination pays off in the future. The “American Dream” is a major theme in the famous novel by Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman. Throughout the course of the story, we realize that the main character, Willy Loman has blind faith in what he perceives to be the “American Dream.” To Willy Loman, the “American Dream” is being a well-liked, personally attractive business man whose hard work and success has earned him the material comforts, or the “finer things” in life. Unfortunately, his preoccupation with the superficial qualities of attractiveness and popularity is at odds with a more realistic and rewarding perception of the “American Dream,” and this identifies that hard work without complaints is the key to success.
This issue makes me think of my father, who often tells me that in one of his most important business decisions, he relied on his ‘gut feeling’ instead of his rational self and still made one of his best decisions ever. Another human virtue in Rand’s list is productiveness, which I cannot argue with. Where would the world be without productive people? I am a strong believer in work and productivity- I think that human beings would perish without being productive and the only way for someone to
One’s first interest is self-preservation, but “Lockean self-interest proves to be inseparable from service to others.” (West, 2008, p. 594) Locke also speaks of Biblical principles where a man born free must work for himself and not live off the labor of others. Men have duties as well as rights and one of those duties is that of citizenship, or civic duty. (West, 2008) This is a point missed by many Americans today. With today’s fast-paced and hectic life style, many are just trying to survive the day-to-day grind. Every American is equal under the law and they can all quote you their rights, but many do not realize that political participation and civic involvement are a duty and not an option.
Jack Martin English 11—Period 1 7-29-14 Thomas Paine Thomas Paine once said “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph, what we obtain too cheap we esteem to lightly.” I couldn’t agree more. Not only is this is a motivational piece, but it’s also telling the truth, it also lets people know that hard work pays off. Thomas pains quote is a motivational piece because it’s telling people that in order to get something you will value, you will have to work hard to get it. That is a life lesson some people miss. Hard work pays off in the long run.
After Chris Gardner was evicted from his home, his mind evolved on the world around him. The thing that saved him and his son, was Chris’s intelligence with numbers and people. His mind set him to a higher goal in life; happiness. Many things we succeed in require our minds to be used properly. As said by our third president, Thomas Jefferson, “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.
In his books he wrote “property” instead of “happiness”, until Thomas Jefferson replaced property with happiness, because happiness is a more general pursuit then property is. I would say that the american dream is to an extent, the same as the pursuit of happiness. Because it’s all about improving the quality of life. However it can only be achieved through hard work and dedication, like Chris Gardner in the movie. As an individual you can feel that you deserve success in life as much as you want, but if you are not willing to work for it, you will never achieve it.
Willy has a dream that he refuses to give up even when it becomes clear that his dream is shallow, unrealistic and unattainable. The American Dream, a belief that any man can achieve material greatness and subsequent happiness if he works hard enough, if he fights for it, had a personal connotation for Miller, whose uncle was a travelling salesman, and whose father was a wealthy manufacturer before losing his wealth in the Great Depression. His family’s ongoing struggle with poverty certainly influenced this particular work, and others. Willy genuinely believes that that personal attractiveness (constant references to the importance of being “Well liked”) and hard work is enough to guarantee success. His view of success was inspired by Dave Singleman, who at the age of 84 could sell anything to anyone from his hotel room and whose funeral was attended by hundreds of people.
Our generation is under heavy pressure than our parents or our grand-parents to achieve more in live. Unfortunately, to accomplish and such achievement, we sometime resort to being dishonest. We respect people in society that have done well, and conquered fame. So much pressure, it is not a surprise that people of all ages are dishonest. In our economy, only thing that matter is the result, it is not how we achieve the result but did we make the result at all cost.
Gatsby is closely related to the American Dream, which is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America if they just work hard enough. Gatsby comes from a poor background and due to social inequality, he was unable to marry the love of his life, Daisy. This drives Gatsby do anything to move up the social ladder and partake in illegal activities to do so. Although in the end, “The Great Gatsby’s meditation on The American Dream is the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach”, regarding Gatsby’s introduction, with him reaching out towards the green light. – (Wulick, 2016)3 In the book, Jay Gatsby, the character, is so unfathomable, so much a conjecture of the novel's narrator, and yet Leonardo DiCaprio makes him understandable and genuine.
He seems like a very hard working man and is determined to live the American dream. However he works night and day just to pay the bills. No matter he is very determined and ambitious for success. Uncle Willy has strong feelings of love and pride toward Biff while he barely gives Happy any attention. He seems very insecure and acts like he lives in a world of his own.