Reaffirmation And Subversion Of The American Dream By James Truslow Adams
1605 Words7 Pages
The American Dream, as defined by James Truslow Adams is, “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” However, in recent times, American citizens and other nations dispute whether this definition fully encompasses the American identity. Differences in the American public's background, attitudes, and accomplishments all help or fail to help the nation in striving towards Adams's opportunity-abundant construction of the American Dream. In his journal article titled “Reaffirmation and Subversion of the American Dream,” published in the Quarterly Journal of Speech (1973), communication studies scholar Walter R. Fisher, emphasizes a dystopic description of the American Dream. He argues the American Dream is in fact a socially-constructed myth, categorized as two separate dreams, that is a a necessary combination critical to the country's survival. He supports this claim maintaining that disruption of Americans' goals creates a constant need for the nation to reestablish its identity, harming citizens who feel disconnected from their country in the process. In this essay, I will examine what happens when the American…show more content… It appears those victimized by the American Dream are more likely to reference how the Constitution has not fully protected them, while those appreciative of the American Dream are more likely to view the injustice of inequality as related to those individuals inability to work hard enough (161). Therefore, the role of the American Dream is a personal matter affecting families, whom despite their efforts in working towards a future full of opportunity, are failing to see the materialistic and moralistic rewards of money and happiness when these two dreams are out of