the american dream thesis

James Truslow Adams: Dreaming up the American Dream

Background on James Truslow Adams, who coined the phrase The American Dream.

With the 2016 Presidential election approaching, we can all be sure we’ll be hearing about the American Dream a lot in the coming months. Where did the concept come from?

There was, in fact, a founding father of the American Dream. He was James Truslow Adams and he coined the phrase in his 1931 bestseller The Epic of America . Adams, who was no relation to the Presidential Adamses, had actually wanted to name the book after his central thesis, but his publisher thought that a book called The American Dream wouldn’t sell well during the Great Depression.

Adams’s definition: “a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

He put it more succinctly elsewhere in the book: a “dream of a better, richer and happier life for all our citizens of every rank.” This contemporary review of Epic notes that Adams alluded to the idea in fifty or more passages in the book. The unnamed reviewer thought Adams believed the dream to be “our greatest contribution to the thought of the world.”

Adams himself was born fortuitously into a wealthy Brooklyn family and became a successful investment banker before transforming himself into a best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. This  short essay on Chief Justice John Marshall  published in  The American Scholar  shows he didn’t talk down to a popular audience. The piece is dense and closely-argued, and goes to the heart of the question about just what kind of democracy we have, and might have in the future—his notion that the nation-state was on the way out may have been premature.

Calling something a dream is a tricky proposition, since matching “a better, richer and happier life for all” to today’s economic disparities, limited social mobility, and the overweening power of money in politics makes it sound like a far-fetched fantasy indeed.

Adams himself was clear-eyed: he wrote the American Dream “has been realized more fully in actual life here than anywhere else, though very imperfectly even among ourselves.”

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American Dream

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American Dream , ideal that the United States is a land of opportunity that allows the possibility of upward mobility , freedom , and equality for people of all classes who work hard and have the will to succeed.

The roots of the American Dream lie in the goals and aspirations of the first European settlers and colonizers . Most of these people came to the North American continent to escape tyranny , religious and political persecution, or poverty . In 1776 their reasons for coming were captured by the Founders in the Declaration of Independence : “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These lines have often been cited by groups seeking equal standing in American society.

While the idea of the American Dream may have originated well before 1776, the phrase itself was coined by American businessman and historian James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book The Epic of America . That work defines the past and future of the American Dream, which, according to Adams, is:

“not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

To Adams, the American Dream is about aspiring to be one’s best self and to rise above the station one was born into. It is not about simply acquiring wealth and material possessions.

Despite Adams’s optimism about the United States as a land of opportunity, his book warns of flaws in the American way of life. It calls out the dangers of unbridled capitalism and mass consumption . The worker, he wrote, gets “into a treadmill in which he earns, not that he may enjoy, but that he may spend, in order that the owners of the factories may grow richer.” Adams’s book also cites dangers to “the intellectual worker” who must adjust his or her work “to the needs of business or mass consumption.” The result of this accommodation, according to Adams, “is to lower the quality of…thought,” as represented in newspapers and journals, “to that of the least common denominator of the minds of the millions of consumers.” In addition, Adams’s book calls out the devotion to accumulation of wealth without regard for the good of society:

“A system that steadily increases the gulf between the ordinary man and the super-rich, that permits the resources of society to be gathered into personal fortunes that afford their owners millions of income a year, with only the chance that here and there a few may be moved to confer some of their surplus upon the public in ways chosen wholly by themselves, is assuredly a wasteful and unjust system. It is, perhaps, as inimical as anything could be to the American dream.”

What Adams foresaw appears to have become a reality in 21st-century America: consumerism and materialism abound, threatening the environment and the political structure. Intellectualism has become tribalized. The gulf between rich and poor continues to increase. In addition, it is becoming more and more difficult to attain the American Dream for many people, including religious and ethnic minorities , women, and the poor. Hard work alone is often not enough for families or their children to get ahead, especially if they are low-wage earners. Black and Hispanic women are least likely to move upward. In fact, roughly one in six Black Americans do not believe in the American Dream at all. Certain areas of the country, in particular the Southeast and the Midwestern Rust Belt , have trended much lower in economic mobility than other areas. According to one study, 92 percent of children born in 1940 earned more money than their parents. However, only 50 percent of children born in the 1980s have done so. Sentiment among Millennials , Generation Z , and Generation X , as captured in a 2020 opinion poll , reflected these trends, indicating that 46 percent, 52 percent, and 53 percent of each group, respectively, felt that the American Dream is attainable. On the basis of these trends, policy groups are working to improve the probability of upward mobility in the United States.

While the American Dream may be increasingly difficult to attain in the United States, the idea has arguably been exported successfully. Around the world, people are fulfilling their own version of the American Dream. Many countries are working toward more-just economic, educational, and legal systems to support equality and upward mobility .

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The Great Gatsby

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The American Dream—that hard work can lead one from rags to riches—has been a core facet of American identity since its inception. Settlers came west to America from Europe seeking wealth and freedom. The pioneers headed west for the same reason. The Great Gatsby shows the tide turning east, as hordes flock to New York City seeking stock market fortunes. The Great Gatsby portrays this shift as a symbol of the American Dream's corruption. It's no longer a vision of building a life; it's just about getting rich.

Gatsby symbolizes both the corrupted Dream and the original uncorrupted Dream. He sees wealth as the solution to his problems, pursues money via shady schemes, and reinvents himself so much that he becomes hollow, disconnected from his past. Yet Gatsby's corrupt dream of wealth is motivated by an incorruptible love for Daisy . Gatsby's failure does not prove the folly of the American Dream—rather it proves the folly of short-cutting that dream by allowing corruption and materialism to prevail over hard work, integrity, and real love. And the dream of love that remains at Gatsby's core condemns nearly every other character in the novel, all of whom are empty beyond just their lust for money.

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Best Analysis: The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but it's most commonly understood as a pessimistic critique of the American Dream. In the novel, Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an incredible amount of money and a limited amount of social cache in 1920s NYC, only to be rejected by the "old money" crowd. He then gets killed after being tangled up with them.

Through Gatsby's life, as well as that of the Wilsons', Fitzgerald critiques the idea that America is a meritocracy where anyone can rise to the top with enough hard work. We will explore how this theme plays out in the plot, briefly analyze some key quotes about it, as well as do some character analysis and broader analysis of topics surrounding the American Dream in The Great Gatsby .

What is the American Dream? The American Dream in the Great Gatsby plot Key American Dream quotes Analyzing characters via the American Dream Common discussion and essay topics

Quick Note on Our Citations

Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book.

To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text.

What Exactly Is "The American Dream"?

The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (read: rich) if they just work hard enough. The American Dream thus presents a pretty rosy view of American society that ignores problems like systemic racism and misogyny, xenophobia, tax evasion or state tax avoidance, and income inequality. It also presumes a myth of class equality, when the reality is America has a pretty well-developed class hierarchy.

The 1920s in particular was a pretty tumultuous time due to increased immigration (and the accompanying xenophobia), changing women's roles (spurred by the right to vote, which was won in 1919), and extraordinary income inequality.

The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could "strike it rich" on Wall Street. However, this rapid economic growth was built on a bubble which popped in 1929. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, well before the crash, but through its wry descriptions of the ultra-wealthy, it seems to somehow predict that the fantastic wealth on display in 1920s New York was just as ephemeral as one of Gatsby's parties.

In any case, the novel, just by being set in the 1920s, is unlikely to present an optimistic view of the American Dream, or at least a version of the dream that's inclusive to all genders, ethnicities, and incomes. With that background in mind, let's jump into the plot!

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1 places us in a particular year—1922—and gives us some background about WWI.  This is relevant, since the 1920s is presented as a time of hollow decadence among the wealthy, as evidenced especially by the parties in Chapters 2 and 3. And as we mentioned above, the 1920s were a particularly tense time in America.

We also meet George and Myrtle Wilson in Chapter 2 , both working class people who are working to improve their lot in life, George through his work, and Myrtle through her affair with Tom Buchanan.

We learn about Gatsby's goal in Chapter 4 : to win Daisy back. Despite everything he owns, including fantastic amounts of money and an over-the-top mansion, for Gatsby, Daisy is the ultimate status symbol. So in Chapter 5 , when Daisy and Gatsby reunite and begin an affair, it seems like Gatsby could, in fact, achieve his goal.

In Chapter 6 , we learn about Gatsby's less-than-wealthy past, which not only makes him look like the star of a rags-to-riches story, it makes Gatsby himself seem like someone in pursuit of the American Dream, and for him the personification of that dream is Daisy.

However, in Chapters 7 and 8 , everything comes crashing down: Daisy refuses to leave Tom, Myrtle is killed, and George breaks down and kills Gatsby and then himself, leaving all of the "strivers" dead and the old money crowd safe. Furthermore, we learn in those last chapters that Gatsby didn't even achieve all his wealth through hard work, like the American Dream would stipulate—instead, he earned his money through crime. (He did work hard and honestly under Dan Cody, but lost Dan Cody's inheritance to his ex-wife.)

In short, things do not turn out well for our dreamers in the novel! Thus, the novel ends with Nick's sad meditation on the lost promise of the American Dream. You can read a detailed analysis of these last lines in our summary of the novel's ending .

Key American Dream Quotes

In this section we analyze some of the most important quotes that relate to the American Dream in the book.

But I didn't call to him for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone--he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. (1.152)

In our first glimpse of Jay Gatsby, we see him reaching towards something far off, something in sight but definitely out of reach. This famous image of the green light is often understood as part of The Great Gatsby 's meditation on The American Dream—the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach . You can read more about this in our post all about the green light .

The fact that this yearning image is our introduction to Gatsby foreshadows his unhappy end and also marks him as a dreamer, rather than people like Tom or Daisy who were born with money and don't need to strive for anything so far off.

Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.

A dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms, followed by two carriages with drawn blinds and by more cheerful carriages for friends. The friends looked out at us with the tragic eyes and short upper lips of south-eastern Europe, and I was glad that the sight of Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday. As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry.

"Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge," I thought; "anything at all. . . ."

Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder. (4.55-8)

Early in the novel, we get this mostly optimistic illustration of the American Dream—we see people of different races and nationalities racing towards NYC, a city of unfathomable possibility. This moment has all the classic elements of the American Dream—economic possibility, racial and religious diversity, a carefree attitude. At this moment, it does feel like "anything can happen," even a happy ending.

However, this rosy view eventually gets undermined by the tragic events later in the novel. And even at this point, Nick's condescension towards the people in the other cars reinforces America's racial hierarchy that disrupts the idea of the American Dream. There is even a little competition at play, a "haughty rivalry" at play between Gatsby's car and the one bearing the "modish Negroes."

Nick "laughs aloud" at this moment, suggesting he thinks it's amusing that the passengers in this other car see them as equals, or even rivals to be bested. In other words, he seems to firmly believe in the racial hierarchy Tom defends in Chapter 1, even if it doesn't admit it honestly.

His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. (6.134)

This moment explicitly ties Daisy to all of Gatsby's larger dreams for a better life —to his American Dream. This sets the stage for the novel's tragic ending, since Daisy cannot hold up under the weight of the dream Gatsby projects onto her. Instead, she stays with Tom Buchanan, despite her feelings for Gatsby. Thus when Gatsby fails to win over Daisy, he also fails to achieve his version of the American Dream. This is why so many people read the novel as a somber or pessimistic take on the American Dream, rather than an optimistic one.  

...as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes--a fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.

And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." (9.151-152)

The closing pages of the novel reflect at length on the American Dream, in an attitude that seems simultaneously mournful, appreciative, and pessimistic. It also ties back to our first glimpse of Gatsby, reaching out over the water towards the Buchanan's green light. Nick notes that Gatsby's dream was "already behind him" then (or in other words, it was impossible to attain). But still, he finds something to admire in how Gatsby still hoped for a better life, and constantly reached out toward that brighter future.

For a full consideration of these last lines and what they could mean, see our analysis of the novel's ending .

Analyzing Characters Through the American Dream

An analysis of the characters in terms of the American Dream usually leads to a pretty cynical take on the American Dream.

Most character analysis centered on the American Dream will necessarily focus on Gatsby, George, or Myrtle (the true strivers in the novel), though as we'll discuss below, the Buchanans can also provide some interesting layers of discussion. For character analysis that incorporates the American Dream, carefully consider your chosen character's motivations and desires, and how the novel does (or doesn't!) provide glimpses of the dream's fulfillment for them.

Gatsby himself is obviously the best candidate for writing about the American Dream—he comes from humble roots (he's the son of poor farmers from North Dakota) and rises to be notoriously wealthy, only for everything to slip away from him in the end. Many people also incorporate Daisy into their analyses as the physical representation of Gatsby's dream.

However, definitely consider the fact that in the traditional American Dream, people achieve their goals through honest hard work, but in Gatsby's case, he very quickly acquires a large amount of money through crime . Gatsby does attempt the hard work approach, through his years of service to Dan Cody, but that doesn't work out since Cody's ex-wife ends up with the entire inheritance. So instead he turns to crime, and only then does he manage to achieve his desired wealth.

So while Gatsby's story arc resembles a traditional rags-to-riches tale, the fact that he gained his money immorally complicates the idea that he is a perfect avatar for the American Dream . Furthermore, his success obviously doesn't last—he still pines for Daisy and loses everything in his attempt to get her back. In other words, Gatsby's huge dreams, all precariously wedded to Daisy  ("He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God" (6.134)) are as flimsy and flight as Daisy herself.

George and Myrtle Wilson

This couple also represents people aiming at the dream— George owns his own shop and is doing his best to get business, though is increasingly worn down by the harsh demands of his life, while Myrtle chases after wealth and status through an affair with Tom.

Both are disempowered due to the lack of money at their own disposal —Myrtle certainly has access to some of the "finer things" through Tom but has to deal with his abuse, while George is unable to leave his current life and move West since he doesn't have the funds available. He even has to make himself servile to Tom in an attempt to get Tom to sell his car, a fact that could even cause him to overlook the evidence of his wife's affair. So neither character is on the upward trajectory that the American Dream promises, at least during the novel.

In the end, everything goes horribly wrong for both George and Myrtle, suggesting that in this world, it's dangerous to strive for more than you're given.

George and Myrtle's deadly fates, along with Gatsby's, help illustrate the novel's pessimistic attitude toward the American Dream. After all, how unfair is it that the couple working to improve their position in society (George and Myrtle) both end up dead, while Tom, who dragged Myrtle into an increasingly dangerous situation, and Daisy, who killed her, don't face any consequences? And on top of that they are fabulously wealthy? The American Dream certainly is not alive and well for the poor Wilsons.

Tom and Daisy as Antagonists to the American Dream

We've talked quite a bit already about Gatsby, George, and Myrtle—the three characters who come from humble roots and try to climb the ranks in 1920s New York. But what about the other major characters, especially the ones born with money? What is their relationship to the American Dream?

Specifically, Tom and Daisy have old money, and thus they don't need the American Dream, since they were born with America already at their feet.

Perhaps because of this, they seem to directly antagonize the dream—Daisy by refusing Gatsby, and Tom by helping to drag the Wilsons into tragedy .

This is especially interesting because unlike Gatsby, Myrtle, and George, who actively hope and dream of a better life, Daisy and Tom are described as bored and "careless," and end up instigating a large amount of tragedy through their own recklessness.

In other words, income inequality and the vastly different starts in life the characters have strongly affected their outcomes. The way they choose to live their lives, their morality (or lack thereof), and how much they dream doesn't seem to matter. This, of course, is tragic and antithetical to the idea of the American Dream, which claims that class should be irrelevant and anyone can rise to the top.

Daisy as a Personification of the American Dream

As we discuss in our post on money and materialism in The Great Gatsby , Daisy's voice is explicitly tied to money by Gatsby:

"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly.

That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money--that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . . (7.105-6)

If Daisy's voice promises money, and the American Dream is explicitly linked to wealth, it's not hard to argue that Daisy herself—along with the green light at the end of her dock —stands in for the American Dream. In fact, as Nick goes on to describe Daisy as "High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl," he also seems to literally describe Daisy as a prize, much like the princess at the end of a fairy tale (or even Princess Peach at the end of a Mario game!).

But Daisy, of course, is only human—flawed, flighty, and ultimately unable to embody the huge fantasy Gatsby projects onto her. So this, in turn, means that the American Dream itself is just a fantasy, a concept too flimsy to actually hold weight, especially in the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world of 1920s America.

Furthermore, you should definitely consider the tension between the fact that Daisy represents Gatsby's ultimate goal, but at the same time (as we discussed above), her actual life is the opposite of the American Dream : she is born with money and privilege, likely dies with it all intact, and there are no consequences to how she chooses to live her life in between.

Can Female Characters Achieve the American Dream?

Finally, it's interesting to compare and contrast some of the female characters using the lens of the American Dream.

Let's start with Daisy, who is unhappy in her marriage and, despite a brief attempt to leave it, remains with Tom, unwilling to give up the status and security their marriage provides. At first, it may seem like Daisy doesn't dream at all, so of course she ends up unhappy. But consider the fact that Daisy was already born into the highest level of American society. The expectation placed on her, as a wealthy woman, was never to pursue something greater, but simply to maintain her status. She did that by marrying Tom, and it's understandable why she wouldn't risk the uncertainty and loss of status that would come through divorce and marriage to a bootlegger. Again, Daisy seems to typify the "anti-American" dream, in that she was born into a kind of aristocracy and simply has to maintain her position, not fight for something better.

In contrast, Myrtle, aside from Gatsby, seems to be the most ambitiously in pursuit of getting more than she was given in life. She parlays her affair with Tom into an apartment, nice clothes, and parties, and seems to revel in her newfound status. But of course, she is knocked down the hardest, killed for her involvement with the Buchanans, and specifically for wrongfully assuming she had value to them. Considering that Gatsby did have a chance to leave New York and distance himself from the unfolding tragedy, but Myrtle was the first to be killed, you could argue the novel presents an even bleaker view of the American Dream where women are concerned.

Even Jordan Baker , who seems to be living out a kind of dream by playing golf and being relatively independent, is tied to her family's money and insulated from consequences by it , making her a pretty poor representation of the dream. And of course, since her end game also seems to be marriage, she doesn't push the boundaries of women's roles as far as she might wish.

So while the women all push the boundaries of society's expectations of them in certain ways, they either fall in line or are killed, which definitely undermines the rosy of idea that anyone, regardless of gender, can make it in America. The American Dream as shown in Gatsby becomes even more pessimistic through the lens of the female characters.  

Common Essay Questions/Discussion Topics

Now let's work through some of the more frequently brought up subjects for discussion.

#1: Was Gatsby's dream worth it? Was all the work, time, and patience worth it for him?

Like me, you might immediately think "of course it wasn't worth it! Gatsby lost everything, not to mention the Wilsons got caught up in the tragedy and ended up dead!" So if you want to make the more obvious "the dream wasn't worth it" argument, you could point to the unraveling that happens at the end of the novel (including the deaths of Myrtle, Gatsby and George) and how all Gatsby's achievements are for nothing, as evidenced by the sparse attendance of his funeral.

However, you could definitely take the less obvious route and argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, despite the tragic end . First of all, consider Jay's unique characterization in the story: "He was a son of God--a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that--and he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty" (6.7). In other words, Gatsby has a larger-than-life persona and he never would have been content to remain in North Dakota to be poor farmers like his parents.

Even if he ends up living a shorter life, he certainly lived a full one full of adventure. His dreams of wealth and status took him all over the world on Dan Cody's yacht, to Louisville where he met and fell in love with Daisy, to the battlefields of WWI, to the halls of Oxford University, and then to the fast-paced world of Manhattan in the early 1920s, when he earned a fortune as a bootlegger. In fact, it seems Jay lived several lives in the space of just half a normal lifespan. In short, to argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, you should point to his larger-than-life conception of himself and the fact that he could have only sought happiness through striving for something greater than himself, even if that ended up being deadly in the end.

#2: In the Langston Hughes poem "A Dream Deferred," Hughes asks questions about what happens to postponed dreams. How does Fitzgerald examine this issue of deferred dreams? What do you think are the effects of postponing our dreams? How can you apply this lesson to your own life?

If you're thinking about "deferred dreams" in The Great Gatsby , the big one is obviously Gatsby's deferred dream for Daisy—nearly five years pass between his initial infatuation and his attempt in the novel to win her back, an attempt that obviously backfires. You can examine various aspects of Gatsby's dream—the flashbacks to his first memories of Daisy in Chapter 8 , the moment when they reunite in Chapter 5 , or the disastrous consequences of the confrontation of Chapter 7 —to illustrate Gatsby's deferred dream.

You could also look at George Wilson's postponed dream of going West, or Myrtle's dream of marrying a wealthy man of "breeding"—George never gets the funds to go West, and is instead mired in the Valley of Ashes, while Myrtle's attempt to achieve her dream after 12 years of marriage through an affair ends in tragedy. Apparently, dreams deferred are dreams doomed to fail.

As Nick Carraway says, "you can't repeat the past"—the novel seems to imply there is a small window for certain dreams, and when the window closes, they can no longer be attained. This is pretty pessimistic, and for the prompt's personal reflection aspect, I wouldn't say you should necessarily "apply this lesson to your own life" straightforwardly. But it is worth noting that certain opportunities are fleeting, and perhaps it's wiser to seek out newer and/or more attainable ones, rather than pining over a lost chance.

Any prompt like this one which has a section of more personal reflection gives you freedom to tie in your own experiences and point of view, so be thoughtful and think of good examples from your own life!

#3: Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the American Dream. Is the main theme of Gatsby indeed "the withering American Dream"? What does the novel offer about American identity?

In this prompt, another one that zeroes in on the dead or dying American Dream, you could discuss how the destruction of three lives (Gatsby, George, Myrtle) and the cynical portrayal of the old money crowd illustrates a dead, or dying American Dream . After all, if the characters who dream end up dead, and the ones who were born into life with money and privilege get to keep it without consequence, is there any room at all for the idea that less-privileged people can work their way up?

In terms of what the novel says about American identity, there are a few threads you could pick up—one is Nick's comment in Chapter 9 about the novel really being a story about (mid)westerners trying (and failing) to go East : "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after all--Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (9.125). This observation suggests an American identity that is determined by birthplace, and that within the American identity there are smaller, inescapable points of identification.

Furthermore, for those in the novel not born into money, the American identity seems to be about striving to end up with more wealth and status. But in terms of the portrayal of the old money set, particularly Daisy, Tom, and Jordan, the novel presents a segment of American society that is essentially aristocratic—you have to be born into it. In that regard, too, the novel presents a fractured American identity, with different lives possible based on how much money you are born with.

In short, I think the novel disrupts the idea of a unified American identity or American dream, by instead presenting a tragic, fractured, and rigid American society, one that is divided based on both geographic location and social class.

#4: Most would consider dreams to be positive motivators to achieve success, but the characters in the novel often take their dreams of ideal lives too far. Explain how characters' American Dreams cause them to have pain when they could have been content with more modest ambitions.

Gatsby is an obvious choice here—his pursuit of money and status, particularly through Daisy, leads him to ruin. There were many points when perhaps Gatsby ;could have been happy with what he achieved (especially after his apparently successful endeavors in the war, if he had remained at Oxford, or even after amassing a great amount of wealth as a bootlegger) but instead he kept striving upward, which ultimately lead to his downfall. You can flesh this argument out with the quotations in Chapters 6 and 8 about Gatsby's past, along with his tragic death.

Myrtle would be another good choice for this type of prompt. In a sense, she seems to be living her ideal life in her affair with Tom—she has a fancy NYC apartment, hosts parties, and gets to act sophisticated—but these pleasures end up gravely hurting George, and of course her association with Tom Buchanan gets her killed.

Nick, too, if he had been happy with his family's respectable fortune and his girlfriend out west, might have avoided the pain of knowing Gatsby and the general sense of despair he was left with.

You might be wondering about George—after all, isn't he someone also dreaming of a better life? However, there aren't many instances of George taking his dreams of an ideal life "too far." In fact, he struggles just to make one car sale so that he can finally move out West with Myrtle. Also, given that his current situation in the Valley of Ashes is quite bleak, it's hard to say that striving upward gave him pain.

#5: The Great Gatsby is, among other things, a sobering and even ominous commentary on the dark side of the American dream. Discuss this theme, incorporating the conflicts of East Egg vs. West Egg and old money vs. new money. What does the American dream mean to Gatsby? What did the American Dream mean to Fitzgerald? How does morality fit into achieving the American dream?

This prompt allows you to consider pretty broadly the novel's attitude toward the American Dream, with emphasis on "sobering and even ominous" commentary. Note that Fitzgerald seems to be specifically mocking the stereotypical rags to riches story here—;especially since he draws the Dan Cody narrative almost note for note from the work of someone like Horatio Alger, whose books were almost universally about rich men schooling young, entrepreneurial boys in the ways of the world. In other words, you should discuss how the Great Gatsby seems to turn the idea of the American Dream as described in the quote on its head: Gatsby does achieve a rags-to-riches rise, but it doesn't last.

All of Gatsby's hard work for Dan Cody, after all, didn't pay off since he lost the inheritance. So instead, Gatsby turned to crime after the war to quickly gain a ton of money. Especially since Gatsby finally achieves his great wealth through dubious means, the novel further undermines the classic image of someone working hard and honestly to go from rags to riches.

If you're addressing this prompt or a similar one, make sure to focus on the darker aspects of the American Dream, including the dark conclusion to the novel and Daisy and Tom's protection from any real consequences . (This would also allow you to considering morality, and how morally bankrupt the characters are.)

#6: What is the current state of the American Dream?

This is a more outward-looking prompt, that allows you to consider current events today to either be generally optimistic (the American dream is alive and well) or pessimistic (it's as dead as it is in The Great Gatsby).

You have dozens of potential current events to use as evidence for either argument, but consider especially immigration and immigration reform, mass incarceration, income inequality, education, and health care in America as good potential examples to use as you argue about the current state of the American Dream. Your writing will be especially powerful if you can point to some specific current events to support your argument.

What's Next?

In this post, we discussed how important money is to the novel's version of the American Dream. You can read even more about money and materialism in The Great Gatsby right here .

Want to indulge in a little materialism of your own? Take a look through these 15 must-have items for any Great Gatsby fan .

Get complete guides to Jay Gatsby , George Wilson and Myrtle Wilson to get even more background on the "dreamers" in the novel.

Like we discussed above, the green light is often seen as a stand-in for the idea of the American Dream. Read more about this crucial symbol here .

Need help getting to grips with other literary works? Take a spin through our analyses of The Crucible , The Cask of Amontillado , and " Do not go gentle into this good night " to see analysis in action. You might also find our explanations of point of view , rhetorical devices , imagery , and literary elements and devices helpful.

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Writing a Powerful American Dream Essay: Examples, Tips, and Topics

By: Tasha Kolesnikova

Living in the United States is inseparable from the idea of the American dream. The term first appeared in a 1931 bestseller by James Truslow Adams called "The Epic of America". The book was issued during a dark time in American history known as the Great Depression and discusses the questions of democracy. Using an expressive term, the author of the book mentions " the American Dream of a better , richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank". Later on, this phrase developed into an ideology of the entire country.

American Dream Argumentative Essay Sample

Introduction, american dream essay topics.

No wonder that an American Dream paper is a common assignment at high schools, universities, and colleges. If you are clueless about how to get started with such a task, you've come to the right place. At Studybay, we have prepared samples and tips to help you write an essay to describe the iconic concept of the American dream. Read on for all the information!

The story of the Great Gatsby is often used in connection with the American Dream as a topic for research papers and essays. Suppose you received the following prompt:

Argue whether F. Scott Fitzgerald presents the idea of the American dream as revolving around money and status or equal opportunities for all in his novel "The Great Gatsby".

Below, you will see an essay example written by Mia, a high school student from Texas, followed up by effective tips on improving it.

At first glance, F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" may seem to be a beautiful love story and nothing more. However, the author does not focus only on the romantic side of the plot. Fitzgerald's masterpiece talks about the pursuit of happiness, beauty, human flaws and even tackles the concept of the American Dream.

In my opinion, the American Dream means achieving as much wealth as possible in the story about Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald manages to showcase the difference in perception of the American dream depending on the person's social status. Gatsby himself has been growing in a poor environment yet built up his affluence and spent the rest of his life as a rich person in West Egg. He chose to spend his money extravagantly to reconnect with his long-lost love.

The people living in the industrial Valley of Ashes like George and Myrtle wished to reach a better life. While Geroge believed it could be done through hard work, Myrtle was trying to achieve it through making connections with people from a higher social class, such as Tom.

The Buchanans, on the other hand, were living in East Egg, a part of New York where people born into wealth stayed. They are a bright example of spending selfishly as much as they wanted on whatever they desired as an integral part of the American dream.

However, regardless of the area where they lived and their goals, "The Great Gatsby" characters' American Dream was connected with wealth.

How to Make This American Dream Essay an A+ Written Work?

You have just read a good example of an American dream essay. However, it is not likely to receive an excellent grade. Before we focus on the downsides of Mia's text, let's take a look at the positive features of this essay:

• Interesting analysis of the topic
• A clear opinion with substantial arguments
• An evident knowledge of the novel's plot and characters
• A logical flow

These positive aspects create a basis for a great essay. However, some parts of Mia's written work still need improvement.

The main downside of the introduction of Mia's essay is that it is not quite clear where it ends. The structure is extremely important when it comes to essay writing. Therefore, it is crucial that the introductory paragraph hooks the reader, gives short general information on the topic, and provides a straightforward thesis statement. Here is how it could be done in Mia's essay:

F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby" allows the reader to dive into the bustling atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. Apart from a beautiful representation of the Jazz Age and a touching love story, Fitzgerald's masterpiece tackles topics, such as beauty, human flaws, and the pursuit of happiness. However, what we know as the American dream does not appear as the concept of equality and a better life for everyone in the novel but rather as a race for wealth and extravagant spendings.

This introduction is engaging for the readers, gradually taking them from the novel's setting to the essay's thesis.

The main body of an argumentative essay must consist of points supporting the thesis statement. Mia's essay is successfully featuring such paragraphs. However, her arguments are lacking facts to prove the opinion expressed. For instance, a more persuasive essay part could look like this:

Even though Myrtle and George both lived in the Valley of Ashes, each of them had a different version of the American dream in mind. While George was focusing on hard work to earn his way to wealth, Myrtle says the following about her husband: "I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn't fit to lick my shoe." To her, social status is of utmost importance, and her idea of the American dream lies in having influential connections and spending money on luxurious items.

This argument is more weighty than the one in Mia's example because it contains a quote from the novel and its brief analysis.

It is vital to ensure that the essay's conclusion proves the point mentioned in the thesis statement. The final paragraph of Mia's statement doesn't contain a powerful message and seems to cut off the text without wrapping it up logically. Here is an example of a better conclusion:

Therefore, regardless of the character's social status, their American dream was far from Martin Luther King's idea of a land where all ethnicities are treated equally. It also has nothing to do with Arthur Miller's ideology of equal chances of succeeding in life. The American dream in the post-World War setting of "The Great Gatsby" is all about a quest for money and acquiring wealth for oneself.

This version of a conclusion demonstrates comparison with renowned ideas and confirms the thesis from the beginning of the essay, leaving the reader space for thought.

Using the mentioned tips and examples, you will be able to produce excellent written work. Read on for a selection of the most interesting topics for your American dream essay.

If you don't have a clear prompt and have the freedom of choosing the topic of your American dream essay yourself, this list is perfect for your inspiration:

• Martin Luther King's Idea of the American Dream
• The Modern Concept of the American Dream
• Arthur Miller's American Dream Ideology
• What Made the "American Dream" a National Ethos
• The Most Influential Ideas on the American Dream Concept
• The American Dream as Described By James Truslow Adams

Select the topic that makes you the most excited to do research or come up with an essay theme of your own! However, if diving into such a fundamental subject seems too overwhelming, you can always rely on essay help . Our expert writers are happy to help with brainstorming, proofreading, editing, and writing your essay .

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It's so interesting to observe how the definition of american dream changes throughout history. From the free land where everyone has equal opportunity to the land where everyone just cares about making money and their social status. Thanks guys here!

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American Dream Essay: Guidelines for an A+ Paper

• Icon Calendar 9 July 2024
• Icon Page 4108 words
• Icon Clock 19 min read

The American Dream is a recurring controversial topic in modern society. Individuals have developed different arguments to deconstruct what an American Dream essay is in a particular context of day-to-day life. In an academic setting, learners who engage in this discourse hold a particular weight of a proper expression of their arguments. Further on, a structured essay and its format are analyzed with a focus on an introduction, main body, and conclusion of a five-paragraph template. Moreover, a unique process of topic selection, outline development, and structured writing is exemplified using an essay titled “The Promise of the American Dream.” Other recommendations on narrow-scoped topics in order to explore a concept are provided as a starting point that students can use when writing their papers.

General Aspects

In contemporary discourse, there is much controversy over a simple meaning of the American Dream. Basically, people hold different positions on multiple aspects of such a concept in their essays and research papers. During schooling years, it is important to acquire writing skills and benefit significantly from reflecting on a particular influence of students’ recently acquired knowledge on their position regarding controversial topics. Upon completing a reflection essay process, a particular expression of one’s newly defined position is a next step in order to obtain writing skills. As such, a common format of an American Dream essay is presented to introduce readers to basic principles behind a concept. Moreover, a typical structure of a five-paragraph essay is explored with a valid support of an outline and a template. Finally, students may include different ideas in their compositions and need to avoid common mistakes.

What Is an American Dream Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, an American Dream essay explores unique ideals and aspirations that define a particular concept of the American Dream, which is rooted in a belief that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success and recognition through hard work, determination, and initiative. The main purpose of writing an American Dream Essay is to critically examine a unique concept of the American Dream from various perspectives, considering its meaning, historical origins, evolution, and current relevance (Rogers, 2024). Such a composition involves analyzing social, economic, and political factors, and they shape people’s ability to achieve their goals and possible opportunities and barriers that some of them may face. In writing, an American Dream essay aims to offer a deeper understanding of what the American Dream means to different individuals and communities and encourages readers to learn about its impact on their lives and society in general (Cogni, 2019). In terms of pages and words, the length of an American Dream essay depends on academic levels and specific writing requirements, while general guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 2-4 pages
• Word Count: 500-1,000 words

College (Undergraduate)

• Length: 4-6 pages
• Word Count: 1,000-1,500 words

University (Advanced Undergraduate)

• Length: 6-10 pages
• Word Count: 1,500-2,500 words

Master’s

• Length: 14-24 pages
• Word Count: 3,500-6,000 words
• Length: 24-52 pages (as part of a dissertation or another research paper)
• Word Count: 6,000-13,000 words

Note: Some sections of an American Dream essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, while a particular number of body paragraphs depends on writing instructions. In turn, to start an American Dream essay, authors begin with a compelling introduction that defines a particular concept of the American Dream, presents its significance, and introduces their thesis statements, setting up a stage for a thoughtful exploration of a given topic.

Steps on How to Write an American Dream Essay

To write an American Dream essay, people thoroughly research a particular topic, develop a clear thesis, support their arguments with historical context, valid examples, and credible evidence, address various perspectives, and conclude by summarizing key points and reflecting on an actual relevance of success today.

• Choose a Particular Focus: Decide on a specific aspect of a quest for success to write about, such as its definition, historical evolution, or relevance today.
• Conduct Research: Gather information from credible sources, like books, academic articles, and reputable websites to support your essay and its writing.
• Develop a Thesis Statement: Provide a clear, well-structured, and concise thesis statement and cover your main argument or perspective on a pursuit of opportunity.
• Create a Brief Outline: Organize your main points and supporting evidence into a structured outline to guide your writing.
• Write an Introduction: Introduce a particular concept of the American Dream, provide some background information, and present your thesis statement.
• Compose Body Paragraphs: Write detailed paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect of a vision of success, supported by evidence and analysis.
• Include Personal Examples: If applicable, incorporate personal examples or experiences to illustrate your points and make your essay more personal.
• Address Counterarguments: Consider and address opposing viewpoints to strengthen your argument and provide a balanced perspective.
• Write a Conclusion: Summarize key points discussed, restate a thesis in light of the evidence presented, and offer final reflections.
• Edit and Revise: Review your American Dream essay for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy, making necessary writing revisions to improve an overall quality.

Characteristics

The American Dream is a widely known concept, but there are some characteristics that can be identified as correct, comprehensive, and precise. For example, the American Dream is a complex national ethos that represents a unique belief that anyone, regardless of their roots or circumstances, can achieve success and recognition through hard work, determination, and initiative, reflecting ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity (Strain, 2020). Basically, freedom and opportunity are the most critical aspects of an essay on the American Dream to write about. In this case, freedom is essential to achieving goals because it provides an individual with a unique space to live freely without any oppression from their peers or the government (Wolak & Peterson, 2020). Moreover, equal access to opportunity allows each individual to pursue happiness and prosperity regardless of social class, gender, race, and other social or cultural factors that stratify society. Therefore, this concept may be defined as a set of beliefs, and they explain specific experiences of lives many people are expected to have in an ideal situation where their freedoms are protected, while no opportunity barriers exist (Mortimer et al., 2019). In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a good American Dream essay include:

• The American Dream, often considered a symbol of hope and opportunity, represents a specific belief that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success through hard work.
• From its historical roots in the early days of a nation to its modern interpretations, a quest for success supports positive aspirations and ideals of a diverse and dynamic population.
• In a country built on essential principles of freedom and equality, a unique pursuit of opportunity has served as a powerful motivator for countless individuals seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
• For many immigrants, a pursuit of happiness is a light that draws them to the United States (US), promising a chance to build a prosperous future through dedication and initiative.
• At its essence, a success quest embodies a unique idea that, with hard work and ambition, anyone can find a successful path above their circumstances and achieve their fullest potential.
• While a unique vision of opportunity has been a guiding force for many individuals, its interpretation varies widely, reflecting diverse experiences and aspirations of people across a nation.
• A whole evolution of a dream of prosperity over time mirrors social, economic, and political changes that have shaped the United States, revealing both progress and persistent challenges.
• In today’s world, a real relevance of a national aspiration and an ability to achieve such a goal are subjects of intense debate, prompting a reevaluation of its meaning and implications.
• Exploring historical origins of the American Dream provides more insight into how this powerful concept has influenced a nation’s identity and inspired many generations of US citizens.
• Despite facing numerous obstacles and setbacks, an ongoing attraction to a pursuit of happiness continues to inspire individuals to strive for success and contribute to a broader narrative of people’s experiences.

Unique Experiences

People are born into families that provide them with a unique starting point for their pursuit of desired goals. For example, a particular financial capability, level of education, and cultural beliefs of an individual’s parents define a foundation on which a person begins to achieve desired goals (Hoyt et al., 2021). As a result, all people may be pursuing the same ideas when writing essays. In turn, it is not a level playing field because some individuals may find themselves in better circumstances than others. Furthermore, it is differentiated at a personal level because individuals with relatively similar starting points may have distinct outcomes (Mortimer et al., 2019). Based on this perspective, it is highly unlikely that any two individuals can attest to going through identical experiences when writing an essay. In turn, an example of a good hook for an American Dream essay might be: “Imagine a place where limitless opportunities await anyone willing to dream big and work hard — this is a real essence of the American Dream.”

Belief Systems

Besides particular circumstances of starting points, an individual’s belief system plays a significant role in their strategy of achieving desired goals. For instance, happiness and prosperity are broad terms that have contrasting meanings for individuals because there is no standardized scale for measuring happiness or prosperity (Strain, 2020). Moreover, one person may consider owning a car and house to be a sign of prosperity to write about. In contrast, another person may believe that providing his or her children with a college education is prosperity. Hence, these beliefs are imposed on desires and goals, which results in variations in a concept’s meaning for each individual to be covered in an essay. In turn, desires and goals are affected to a large extent by an individual’s beliefs regarding the things that make them happy or prosperous (Wolak & Peterson, 2020). Finally, an example of a good thesis statement for an American Dream essay might be: “The American Dream, while historically rooted in ideals of freedom and opportunity, reflects contemporary aspirations and challenges, making it a complex concept that continues to shape a nation’s identity.”

Topic Selection

Challenges of Topic Selection

The American Dream is a concept that people can examine from a variety of perspectives, which makes a particular selection of an essay topic for an American Dream paper quite challenging. During a possible selection of an essay topic, it is essential to remember that no point of view is superior or more correct than another (Cogni, 2019). In this case, a particular weight of a single claim proposed in an American Dream argumentative essay is dependent on a writer’s ability to explain a position logically and convincingly. Moreover, in a presentation of a specific argument in any essay, it is important to adequately consider competing counterarguments that may arise in audience’s minds when writing essays (Rogers, 2024). In turn, a common failure to evaluate counterarguments critically may undercut an authority of an author, especially when writing for an academic audience.

Equally important, writers should select a topic that has a link with their personal experiences. For instance, an argument concerning an essay about the American Dream gains a sense of authenticity when writers discuss an issue that resonates with their beliefs (Cogni, 2019). It is essential because some passion is embedded in an essay. Furthermore, as a starting point for identifying an essay’s topic, writers may identify a “main concept” under review, such as equal opportunity. They can also think through their life experiences and single out events they consider invaluable in a particular position taken concerning a main concept (see an example of a simple brainstorming template). Finally, people should settle on writing a unique topic that is specific and can be argued out entirely within potential constraints of essay’s requirements.

Simple Brainstorming Template

• State a main concept.
• How has it affected you?
• How has it affected other people in your life?
• Do you think the events mentioned above are in line with the American Dream?
• Specify an issue.
• Describe an ideal situation while writing.
• Can this situation be improved?

3-Part Outline

Part 1: Introduction (Approximately 10% of the Word Count)

• It is a first statement in an introductory paragraph.
• A statement should capture an attention of a reader, like, a unique fact about an assigned topic.

Overview of a Topic

• It comprises of two or more sentences.
• Some statements should contain adequate detail for a reader to understand a thesis statement.

Thesis Statement

• It is a single statement that appears at the end of an introductory paragraph.
• This statement provides an answer to an essay prompt in a form of writing a single argument, which summarises a provided evidence or rationale presented in a main body.

Part 2: Main Body (Approximately 80% of the Word Count)

A typical creation of paragraphs in this section is based on a separation of ideas to ensure each paragraph presents one original idea. In turn, writing each paragraph in this section must follow a sandwich rule, which dictates a specific organization of paragraph elements:

• Topic sentence – States a main idea in a single paragraph.
• Evidence – Provides specific information that is crucial to a paragraph’s idea.
• Evaluation of evidence – Explains an actual relevance of the evidence and offers an interpretation of a cited information.
• Transition statement – Summarises a single paragraph and links it to a thesis statement or a next paragraph.

Part 3: Conclusion (Approximately 10% of the Word Count)

Restating a Main Argument

• A first statement in a concluding paragraph should repeat a main argument presented in a thesis statement.
• It should not contain the same words as a thesis statement, but keywords can be reused.
• Provide a detailed overview of essay’s main points logically.
• Demonstrate an actual value of main points in answering an essay’s prompt.

5-Paragraph Template

Introduction

Paragraph 1

• Hook: Besides common differences in American populations, they are similar because they pursue the same dream.
• Overview of a topic: Outline some of the differences in American populations.
• Thesis statement: Creating equal opportunities allows individuals to achieve upward mobility.

Paragraph 2

• Topic sentence: Breaking down social mobility and its quantification.
• Evidence: Definition and measures of social mobility.
• Evaluation of evidence: Write about how upward social mobility is achieved while referring to potentail measures.
• Transition statement: Introduces a real need for self-improvement and social mobility to occur.

Paragraph 3

• Topic sentence: Opportunity is a requirement for social mobility.
• Evidence: The role of education in equipping an individual to utilize opportunities.
• Evaluation of evidence: Write about a direct link between education, access to jobs, and an ability to improve an individual’s quality of life.
• Transition statement: Recognize that there are socially constructed limitations on an accessibility of opportunities.

Paragraph 4

• Topic sentence: Discriminative practices affect an individual’s access to opportunities for social mobility.
• Evidence: Identify some forms of discrimination and explain a particular occurrence of discriminative practices.
• Evaluation of evidence: Write about an actual value of government and organization’s role in managing discriminative practices using policies that uphold equality.
• Transition statement: Stress a centrality of equality in an argument for opportunity access and upward mobility.

Paragraph 5

• Restating a main argument: Emphasize a real importance of equality in securing opportunities for upward mobility and an attainment of a quest for success.
• Summary: Allude to possible measures of social mobility, an interaction between discriminative practices and opportunities, and a particular relief provided by policies on equality.

American Dream Essay Example

Topic: The Promise of the American Dream

Although we are different, we share a single dream. In this case, the American population is composed of people of different genders, races, education levels, religions, and disability statuses. Nonetheless, each American is entitled to a unique opportunity to make themselves better regardless of their underlying differences. Thus, an American Dream thesis statement is that it is founded on a particular promise of equal opportunity for upward social mobility.

Social Mobility

Social mobility is a multidimensional concept. It can be assessed using a variety of measures that attempt to quantify a particular change occurring in an individual’s life. For example, an ability of an individual to move along a specific social hierarchy may be described as social mobility. In turn, there are different measures of social mobility. However, each one is focused on a specific aspect of an average American’s livelihood:

• Health Status – A susceptibility of an individual to diseases.
• Education – An individual’s highest level of education.
• Homeownership – A capability of an individual to acquire permanent housing.

Upward social mobility implies people can improve their position in a social hierarchy by improving their performance on any of the measures of social mobility. Therefore, upward social mobility is a desired outcome of a successful pursuit of desired goals because it suggests some form of self-improvement.

Opportunity

A real opportunity for upward mobility is vital in pursuing desired goals. Basically, access to opportunity is facilitated by some factors, such as access to quality education. In this case, an individual who has attended school and acquired necessary skills has a higher likelihood of securing a well-paid job. If people acquire jobs, it becomes easier to secure health insurance, buy homes, and improve an overall quality of life for their families. Moreover, they can only attain what they want if they are provided access to basic education, which prepares them to maximize any opportunities. However, it is difficult for an average individual to pursue opportunities without the government’s efforts to increase an ease of access to basic needs.

Equality Policies

Many barriers affect an average American’s ability to access positive opportunities, and they manifest in a particular form of discriminative practices in society. In this case, discrimination in society may occur based on a variety of issues, like gender, disability, religion, and race. Basically, personal biases create ideological differences regarding superiority in a social hierarchy. It pushes individuals to deny others access to opportunities and necessary skills to exploit those opportunities. Moreover, state and organizational policies against discrimination are created and enforced to maintain equality among Americans. These laws serve to eliminate potential barriers that exist between hard-working people and the American Dream. Consequently, equality among individuals ensures all individuals can take advantage of opportunities regardless of their gender, disability status, religion, race, and other social differences that tend to create boundaries between social groups.

Equality is crucial in a typical pursuit of the American Dream because it provides each individual with a unique opportunity to move up a social hierarchy. In this case, people can access upward social mobility by using various measures, which quantify an individual’s quality of life. Moreover, opportunities may exist, but individuals need to be assisted in developing themselves to a level where they can utilize the available opportunities. Hence, equality policies are useful in curtailing an actual power of discriminative practices in reinforcing social mobility barriers.

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What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Lack of Clear Thesis: Failing to present a clear and concise thesis statement, which must guide an essay’s argument.
• Insufficient Evidence: Not providing enough supporting evidence or examples to back up main points.
• Ignoring Historical Context: Overlooking historical origins and evolution of a path to prosperity, which are crucial in case of understanding its current meaning.
• One-Sided Perspective: Presenting a biased view by not considering multiple interpretations or counterarguments when writing about a quest for success.
• Vague Definitions: Offering an unclear or overly broad definition of the American Dream, leading to a lack of focus in an essay.
• Neglecting Structure: Failing to organize an essay into clear sections, such as introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, which can confuse readers.
• Overgeneralization: Making sweeping statements about a promise of prosperity without acknowledging different experiences and perspectives to write about.
• Ignoring Current Relevance: Not discussing how a national aspiration applies to contemporary society or its relevance to today’s issues.
• Poor Use of Sources: Relying on unreliable sources or not properly citing references, which undermines an essay’s credibility.
• Grammar and Spelling Errors: Allowing grammatical mistakes and spelling errors to distract from an essay’s content and weaken its overall writing quality.

A typical capacity of a person to participate in a discourse on a controversial essay topic is nurtured through a continuous practice of structured essay writing. Basically, a particular concept of the American Dream may be approached from a different perspective, depending on the individual’s beliefs and personal experiences. Nonetheless, a written presentation of these points of view is achieved through a correct use of structured essays. In turn, a five-paragraph American Dream essay example examined in this article is a useful tool for a valid expression of any argument on such a topic.

Cogni, M. (2019). From sentences to essays: A guide to reflective writing through reflective thinking . Vernon Press.

Hoyt, C. L., Burnette, J. L., Forsyth, R. B., Parry, M., & DeShields, B. H. (2021). Believing in the American Dream sustains negative attitudes toward those in poverty. Social Psychology Quarterly , 84 (3), 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/01902725211022319

Mortimer, J. T., Mont’Alvao, A., & Aronson, P. (2019). Decline of “The American Dream”? Outlook toward the future across three generations of Midwest families. Social Forces , 98 (4), 1403–1435. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soz130

Rogers, D. (2024). Writing better essays: A rhetorical guide to writing and revision . Equinox Publishing Ltd.

Strain, M. R. (2020). The American Dream is not dead: (But populism could kill it) . Templeton Press.

Wolak, J., & Peterson, D. A. (2020). The dynamic American dream. American Journal of Political Science , 64 (4), 968–981. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12522

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Is the American dream really dead?

Subscribe to global connection, carol graham carol graham senior fellow - economic studies.

June 20, 2017

This piece was originally published on The Guardian on June 20, 2017.

T he United States has a long-held reputation for exceptional tolerance of income inequality, explained by its high levels of social mobility. This combination underpins the American dream – initially conceived of by Thomas Jefferson as each citizen’s right to the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This dream is not about guaranteed outcomes, of course, but the  pursuit  of opportunities. The dream found a persona in the fictional characters of the 19th-century writer  Horatio Alger Jr  – in which young working-class protagonists go from from rags to riches (or at least become middle class) in part due to entrepreneurial spirit and hard work.

Yet the opportunity to live the American dream is much less widely shared today than it was several decades ago. While 90% of the children born in 1940 ended up in higher ranks of the income distribution than their parents,  only 40% of those born in 1980 have done so .

Attitudes about inequality have also changed. In 2001, a study found the only Americans who reported lower levels of happiness amid greater inequality were left-leaning rich people – with  the poor seeing inequality as a sign of future opportunity . Such optimism has since been substantially tempered: in 2016, only 38% of Americans thought their children would be better off than they are.

In the meantime, the public discussion about inequality has completely by-passed a critical element of the American dream:  luck .

Just as in many of Alger’s stories the main character benefits from the assistance of a generous philanthropist, there are countless real examples of success in the US where different forms of luck have played a major role. And yet, social support for the unlucky – in particular, the poor who cannot stay in full-time employment – has been falling substantially in recent years, and is facing even more threats today. 

In short, from  new research  based on some novel metrics of wellbeing, I find strong evidence that the American dream is in tatters, at least.

White despair, minority hope

My research began by comparing mobility attitudes in the US with those in Latin America, a region long known for high levels of poverty and inequality (although with progress in the past decades). I explored a question in the Gallup world poll, which asks respondents a classic American dream question: “Can an individual who works hard in this country get ahead?”

I found very large gaps between the responses of ‘the rich’ and ‘the poor’ in the US (represented by the top and bottom 20% income distributions of the Gallup respondents). This was in stark contrast to Latin America, where there was no significant difference in attitudes across income groups. Poor people in the US were 20 times less likely to believe hard work would get them ahead than were the poor in Latin America, even though the latter are significantly worse off in material terms.

Another question in the poll explores whether or not respondents experience stress on a daily basis. Stress is a marker of poor health, and the kind of stress typically experienced by the poor – usually due to negative shocks that are beyond their control (“bad stress”) – is significantly worse for well being than “good stress”: that which is associated with goal achievement, for those who feel able to focus on their future.

In general, Latin Americans experience significantly less stress – and also smile more – on a daily basis than Americans. The gaps between the poor and rich in the US were significantly wider (by 1.5 times on a 0–1 score) than those in Latin America, with the poor in the US experiencing more stress than either the rich or poor in Latin America.

The gaps between the expectations and sentiments of rich and poor in the US are also greater than in many other countries in east Asia and Europe (the other regions studied). It seems that being poor in a very wealthy and unequal country – which prides itself on being a meritocracy, and eschews social support for those who fall behind – results in especially high levels of stress and desperation.

But my research also yielded some surprises. With the low levels of belief in the value of hard work and high levels of stress among poor respondents in the US as a starting point, I compared optimism about the future across poor respondents of different races. This was based on a question in the US Gallup daily poll that asks respondents where they think they will be five years from now on a 0-10 step life satisfaction ladder.

I found that poor minorities – and particularly black people – were much more optimistic about the future than poor white people. Indeed, poor black respondents were three times as likely to be a point higher up on the optimism ladder than were poor whites, while poor Hispanic people were one and a half times more optimistic than whites. Poor black people were also half as likely as poor whites to experience stress the previous day, while poor Hispanics were only two-thirds as likely as poor whites.

What explains the higher levels of optimism among minorities, who have traditionally faced discrimination and associated challenges? There is no simple answer.

One factor is that poor minorities have stronger informal safety nets and social support, such as families and churches, than do their white counterparts. Psychologists also find that minorities are more resilient and much less likely to report depression or commit suicide than are whites in the face of negative shocks, perhaps due to a longer trajectory of dealing with negative shocks and challenges.

Another critical issue is the threat and reality of downward mobility for blue-collar whites, particularly in the heartland of the country where manufacturing, mining, and other jobs have hollowed out. Andrew Cherlin of Johns Hopkins University finds that poor black and Hispanic people are  much more likely than poor white people  to report that they live better than their parents did. Poor whites are more likely to say they live worse than their parents did; they, in particular, seem to be living the erosion of the American dream.

The American problem

Why does this matter? My research from a decade ago – since confirmed by other studies – found that individuals who were optimistic about their futures tended to have better health and employment outcomes. Those who believe in their futures tend to invest in those futures, while those who are consumed with stress, daily struggles and a lack of hope, not only have less means to make such investments, but also have much less confidence that they will pay off.

The starkest marker of lack of hope in the US is a significant increase in premature mortality in the past decade – driven by an increase in suicides and drug and alcohol poisoning and a stalling of progress against heart disease and lung cancer – primarily but not only among middle-aged uneducated white people. Mortality rates for black and Hispanic people, while higher on average than those for whites, continued to fall during the same time period.

The reasons for this trend are multi-faceted. One is the coincidence of an all-too-readily-available supply of drugs such as opioids, heroin and fentanyl, with the shrinking of blue-collar jobs – and identities – primarily due to technological change. Fifteen per cent of prime age males are out of the labour force today; with that figure projected to increase to 25% by 2050. The identity of the blue-collar worker seems to be stronger for white people than for minorities, meanwhile. While there are now increased employment opportunities in services such as health, white males are far less likely to take them up than are their minority counterparts.

Lack of hope also contributes to rising mortality rates, as evidenced in  my latest research with Sergio Pinto . On average, individuals with lower optimism for the future are more likely to live in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with higher mortality rates for 45- to 54-year-olds.

Desperate people are more likely to die prematurely, but living with a lot of premature death can also erode hope. Higher average levels of optimism in metropolitan areas are also associated with lower premature mortality rates. These same places tend to be more racially diverse, healthier (as gauged by fewer respondents who smoke and more who exercise), and more likely to be urban and economically vibrant.

Technology-driven growth is not unique to the US, and low-skilled workers face challenges in many OECD countries. Yet by contrast, away from the US, they have not had a similar increase in premature mortality. One reason may be stronger social welfare systems – and stronger norms of collective social responsibility for those who fall behind – in Europe.

Ironically, part of the problem may actually  be  the American dream. Blue-collar white people – whose parents lived the American dream and who expected their children to do so as well – are the ones who seem most devastated by its erosion and yet, on average, tend to vote against government programmes. In contrast, minorities, who have been struggling for years and have more experience multi-tasking on the employment front and relying on family and community support when needed – are more resilient and hopeful, precisely because they still see a chance for moving up the ladder.

There are high costs to being poor in America, where winners win big but losers fall hard. Indeed, the dream, with its focus on individual initiative in a meritocracy, has resulted in far less public support than there is in other countries for safety nets, vocational training, and community support for those with disadvantage or bad luck. Such strategies are woefully necessary now, particularly in the heartland where some of Alger’s characters might have come from, but their kind have long since run out of luck.

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Pros and Cons of the American Dream Essay

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• Introduction: Pros and Cons of the American Dream

Negative Effects of the American Dream

Advantages of the american dream, conclusion: why is the american dream bad, introduction: positives and negatives of the american dream.

The American dream is one of the most revered ideals of the nation and it has become a part of the American national identity. This national philosophy states that the United States of America is a land of opportunity and every person has equal opportunity, regardless of their socio-economic background, for prosperity and success if they use their talents and work hard. Inevitably, the American Dream has influenced generations of citizens who seek to obtain richer and better lives in accordance with the dream.

However, the US has experienced significant inequality and poverty even as more people pursue this dream. These issues have led to questions as to whether the American Dream is a good or a bad thing for the dreamer and the society. This paper will argue that the American Dream is bad because it ignores the growing inequalities, promotes individualism and encourages materialism by the American people.

The American Dream creates an illusion of equality while the reality is that power and wealth influence the socio-economic outcomes of an individual in the United States. The perception that the US offers equal opportunities for was first articulated in the Declaration of Independence.

In this document, Thomas Jefferson affirmed the ideal of equal rights and opportunities for all by declaring, “All men are created equal” (376). This ideal is echoed by Lincoln in the “Gettysburg Address” where he stresses on the importance of liberty and equality in the formation of the United States (1). As such, the American Dream proposes that each person has equal opportunity in the US in spite of his or her backgrounds. As such, even a child born and brought up in poverty has an opportunity to achieve great wealth in the country.

However, this is not the case and a person’s socioeconomic roots greatly determine their future prosperity. This statement is reinforced by the fact that the nation’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals and the gap between the rich and the poor is ever widening in the country. The Dream is therefore a bad thing since it downplays the reality that the US is a land where power and wealth influence a lot.

The American Dream encourages individualism and a lack of concern for the poorer members of the society. The ideals promote the ethos of personal achievement through hard work. Because the dream asserts that everyone has equal opportunity and can prosper if they work hard, the “nation’s losers” are blamed for their problems.

The proponents of this dream propose that any person can succeed if they transform themselves and use their talent in this land of opportunity. From the assumption that everyone has equal opportunities to prosper, all individuals are expected to achieve success if they work hard.

Such an outlook ignores the lack of opportunities that individuals from poor backgrounds often face. Since failing to be successful is blamed on the individual and not the system in place, the government and other community members are not inclined to do anything to remedy the situation. People are only concerned with their wellbeing therefore creating a society that does not care for its less fortunate.

The ideals of the American Dream wrongly equate economic prosperity with happiness. The American Dream is based on the ideals of creating a more successful life by working hard and earning more money. It suggests that once one achieves success, economic expansion, and social mobility, he/she will experience happiness and contentment.

The dream exhorts materialism above everything else and this may be harmful for the society. The American Dream has become a nightmare in reality since compassion for human beings has all but disappeared as more people become preoccupied with making more money.

In Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams”, the young confident and hardworking Dexter Green is dedicated to gaining wealth and status, well in line with the American Dream. He is convinced that achieving this will give him joy and satisfaction. However, once Dexter achieves his goals of wealth and power, he realizes that his dreams are illusory and he will never get the happiness he seeks through achieving wealth and status (Fitzgerald 23).

The American Dream has been used as a justification for questionable conduct by individuals who are trying to achieve some goals or ambitions that are in line with the ideals of the dream. The Dream is not a well-defined concept and it has been stretched and adapted to fit all kinds of people and historical circumstances.

The dream has accommodated immigrants, drug dealers, as well as ambitious youths yearning to make a better life for themselves. The prominent Civil Rights Activist figure Martin Luther King used the American Dream to justify the civil disobedience that he was advocating (608). From these examples, it is clear that the American Dream can be used to justify both noble and questionable causes.

On the positive side, the American Dream has been used as a tool for progress and the promotion of unity. The idea of the American Dream was very instrumental in the establishment of the United States as a country independent from Britain. The American Dream was an underlying theme in the Declaration of Independence that is linked to freedom of the American people (Jefferson 377). The dream also served as a tool to overcome slavery in the 18th century.

Because the dream stated that equality and freedom were prerequisites for all American’s, the abolitionists used the American Dream to champion the emancipation of the slaves. President Lincoln referenced the American Dream in his attempt to unify the warring citizens and remind them that they all fought for the ideals it represented.

The American Dream has also served as inspiration for people to fight for their rights and promote equality in the society. This is best exemplified by Martin Luther King who fought for the dream of equality. King believed that all people in the US should have the same rights and opportunities as it is granted in the Declaration of Independence (622).

With such a deep conviction, he was able to mobilize people and eventually achieve the civil rights for the African-American population in the US. The American dream therefore inspired people to fight for their rights in the country.

The American Dream has promoted the capitalistic economic system, which is the most favorable system for economic growth and development. The dream promotes the ideals of Capitalism where each person is rewarded based on their efforts.

People are therefore encouraged to work hard and their efforts are rewarded through better pay and/or career advancement. The American Dream therefore contributes to the growth of the country’s economy since when individuals pursue and achieve their dreams; the economic outcomes of the country are improved.

Despite being the richest country in the world, there is significant poverty and socio-economic inequality in the US. This situation can partly be blamed on the American Dream. The American Dream is not one dream but a set of ideals that have been developed over time. While the dream constitutes a wide range of ideas, they are all based on achieving prospering, success, and living a good life.

This Dream is not realizable since individuals will always want more than what they have and therefore end up in a state of discontent. In addition to this, the dream diminishes social cohesion since it encourages individualism and an overemphasis on material possessions. The capitalistic system promoted by the American Dream favors the minority capital contributors at the expense of the working class. Capitalism also encourages exploitation of others in order to make more money.

This paper set out to argue that the American Dream is bad for the individual and the society as a whole. To this end, it set out to highlight the negative outcomes of the dream. The American dream creates a false sense of equality and promotes individualism. This paper has demonstrated that the American Dream has gone astray and is today out of reach for most Americans.

The United States is a land of opportunity and liberty, but these opportunities are not available equally. Instead of promoting the universal prosperity and equality, it assumes to uphold, the American dream has encouraged immense inequality within this great nation.

Fitzgerald, Scott. “Winter Dreams”. The Blair Reader: Exploring Issues and Ideas . Ed. Kirszner, Laurie and Mandell, Stephen. Vancouver, Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Jefferson Thomas “The declaration of Independence.” The Blair Reader: Exploring Issues and Ideas . Ed. Kirszner, Laurie and Mandell, Stephen. Vancouver, Prentice Hall, 2010. 375-378. Print.

King, Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The Blair Reader: Exploring Issues and Ideas . Ed. Kirszner, Laurie and Mandell, Stephen. Vancouver, Prentice Hall, 2010. 608-622. Print.

Lincoln, Abraham. The Gettysburg address . 1863. Web.

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Cal Jillson . Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion over Four Centuries. (American Political Thought.) Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 2004. Pp. xv, 347. $34.95.

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Gary Cross, Cal Jillson . Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion over Four Centuries. (American Political Thought.) Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. 2004. Pp. xv, 347. $34.95., The American Historical Review , Volume 111, Issue 2, April 2006, Pages 466–467, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.111.2.466

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Cal Jillson offers us an informed if very broad history of the American Dream, that “shimmering vision of a fruitful country open to all who come, learn, work, save, invest, and play by the rules.” While assuming basic constancy in the dream, Jillson divides its history into seven conventional historical periods, addressing in each four themes (social landscape, articulation of the dream, the dream in law and institution, and “faces of exclusion”). The result is a primer in American history with concepts and trends well defined, but not necessarily resulting in daring insights or dramatic conclusions.

Each section takes us through the familiar history of economic conditions, population (especially immigration) trends, and, to a lesser degree, technological innovations. Jillson offers the conventional view of the contrasting visions of “small man” individualism and government action presented by Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, and Alexander Hamilton, and the Whigs, respectively, before Abraham Lincoln and later the two Roosevelts combined them. In addition, he efficiently and lucidly recounts the full range of major legislation affecting economic opportunity (from tariff, bank, transportation, and corporation law to immigration, emancipation, land, and education legislation). He clearly and compactly rehearses also the legal and social restrictions on full equality of access to the American Dream in suffrage restrictions, slave laws, Indian removal acts, and even the culture of separate gender spheres. The author reviews all the important legislation of the New Deal, Great Society, and Reagan and Clinton years. He wraps up his book with a detailed analysis of the current state of the American Dream, suggesting continuing gaps in its fulfillment especially in work time and family leave, education, and immigration legislation.

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The American Dream Without a House? Believe It

As housing costs soar, younger adults are trying to reimagine prosperity — without the white picket fence.

Credit... Photo illustration by Pablo Delcan

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By Anna Kodé

• Published Sept. 7, 2024 Updated Sept. 8, 2024

“American Dream Properties” is the name of a McMansion developer in New Jersey. About a decade ago, Arlington, Texas, rebranded itself as “The American Dream City,” promising “diverse neighborhoods where the housing dollar stretches further than most cities.” At a campaign rally in York County, Pa., last month, Donald J. Trump said, “We’re going to bring back a thing called the American dream.”

The American dream symbolizes many abstract ideals: hard work, assimilation, equal opportunity. But for generations it has meant one particular path in life: Get a job, save up for a down payment, and achieve the fairy-tale ending of domestic bliss and monthly mortgage payments.

Now, though, with soaring housing costs — along with student loan debt and inflation — homeownership is becoming increasingly inaccessible for young Americans. As of June, according to Redfin, nearly one in 10 homes in the country were worth $1 million or more — a share that more than doubled since June 2019. And as prices rise, people are becoming first-time homeowners later in life. In a 2023 report from the National Association of Realtors, the median age for a first-time home buyer was 35. In 1981, it was 29.

Even before the current housing crisis, people have been arguing that the American dream was disappearing, deteriorating, dying or dead. But perhaps it is simply changing.

Over the past month, I’ve been speaking with millennials and zoomers across the country to learn how they think about the American dream. My survey was nonscientific, but it dovetailed with recent polling: Many of the people I spoke with expressed how today’s exorbitantly high prices have made homeownership feel unattainable, and that in such an uncertain world — plagued by pandemics, political turmoil, war, climate change and other disasters — it felt foolish to pinch pennies for the goal of one day buying property. Instead, many young people are placing more value on community and family, growing their wealth in other ways, or spending more on everyday pleasures.

When the concept of the American dream first emerged, it was meant to be an ideal for people to mold into whatever fit their lives. Over time, it became a more rigid model, cementing homeownership at its core. Now, young Americans have been forced into a turning point for the American dream, one that might not have a house in it at all.

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Americans surveyed by a Washington-based public policy research center have doubts about the American dream. (MoMo Productions/Getty Images

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Almost 70% of voters believe the American dream has become less attainable, according to a new report from the Rainey Center, a Washington-based public policy research organization.

Only 20% of American voters said they believe they have achieved the American dream , and just 26% believe their family has. Almost half of young people agreed the American dream is out of reach, according to the survey of 1,010 respondents over online panels from July 14-15, but released Friday.

Homeownership, reasonable taxes, and the ability to provide a better life for future generations were the aspects of the American dream respondents said were unattainable.

“America has unfortunately delved into a period of toxic national pessimism based on the affordability crisis plaguing our country,” Rainey Center President Sarah Hunt told The Daily Signal. “Inflation is through the roof, interest rates are still rising, and runaway spending is out of control.

“However, there is hope on the horizon—the Rainey Center and our network of elected officials are constantly advancing innovative policies to best address the issues Americans face most,” Hunt continued.

More than half of Americans polled said freedom and individual rights were the most important aspects of the American dream.

Older Americans particularly valued the ability to state one’s opinions freely.

Forty percent of American voters said the American dream has become “much less attainable” over the past 10 years, while a further 26% say it has become “somewhat less attainable.”

Less than 10% said it has become more attainable.

Latinos and white voters are more likely than black voters to say the American dream is much less attainable now. Women were more likely to take that position than men.

Republicans, at 46%, are more likely than Democrats, at 37%, to say the dream has become “much less” attainable.

Forty percent of those surveyed said the American dream is out of reach for themselves, 40% say they are on the way to achieving it, and the other 20% said they have successfully achieved it.

Americans were a little more optimistic about the American dream for their families. Thirty-five percent said the American dream is out of reach for their families, while 39% say they are on their way to it.

Almost 60% of voters said America is a place where people can expect “a fair shake,” and 56% agreed there is equal opportunity for all.

Those surveyed were split on whether the American dream is real or a myth: 54% said it is mostly or somewhat real, while 39% said it is mostly or somewhat a myth.

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Home — Essay Samples — Economics — American Dream — The American Dream Argumentative

The American Dream Argumentative

• Categories: American Dream Social Mobility

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Words: 565 |

Published: Mar 13, 2024

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The growing gap between the rich and the poor, the decline of social mobility, the persistence of systemic barriers to success, in conclusion.

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‘I came here for the American Dream’: Kansas City welcomes hundreds of new citizens

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Royals have Thursday off, but the K was still packed for a naturalization ceremony, welcoming 616 new citizens to the United States. Even though the boys weren’t playing ball, there were still plenty of wins on the diamond.

The naturalization ceremony included transplants from 94 different countries, joined by family and friends. The ceremony included a sworn oath, pledge of allegiance, and welcoming remarks.

One of the 616 Americans taking the oath was a teacher at Notre Dame de Sion High School, Jason Lee.

Lee is originally from the United Kingdom and has lived in the United States for 10 years with a green card.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Lee said. “I came to this country for prosperity and the American dream and the 600-plus people here today with their family and friends must be following that same dream. It’s so inspirational to be here.”

Everyone at the ceremony passed a written exam as a requirement of U.S. citizenship. Lee said he’s looking forward to his right to vote.

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Does Taylor Fritz have what it takes to realise the American dream? Premium

The 26-year-old from california believes his run to the us open final is repeatable. is his assessment of his ability and his chances in a new era of men’s tennis reasonable and can he end a two-decade-long wait for a male singles grand slam champion from the usa.

Published - September 13, 2024 11:54 pm IST

Breaking through:  Although Taylor Fritz couldn’t keep up with champion Jannik Sinner, the progress he made in New York was undeniable. He beat two top-10 opponents en route to his first Grand Slam final. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Jannik Sinner’s straightforward win over Taylor Fritz in the final of the US Open ended the possibility of a longstanding American dream being realised. There hasn’t been a male singles Grand Slam champion from the USA in 21 years, and Fritz’s run to the summit clash had raised hope among American tennis fans that the drought would finally be over.

It is, indeed, quite a dry spell for a country accustomed to celebrating the triumphs of American men for decades. From the 1970s to the early 2000s, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi claimed 41 Major titles between them.

Grand tradition

American tennis supporters of an older vintage witnessed the establishment of a grand tradition, with Bill Tilden, who dominated the 1920s and became the first man to win 10 Grand Slam crowns, and Don Budge, who collected a record six Majors in a row (1937-38), following Richard Sears and William Larned, who had claimed seven Majors each.

But the rich catalogue of American men winning tennis’ four biggest tournaments hasn’t had an entry since 2003, when Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows. Fritz was five years old at the time. The last man before Fritz to even contest a Grand Slam final was also Roddick, who lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. 

“I would love nothing more,” Roddick said on his podcast before the final, “than for an American to win on Sunday. ... I get this anxious feeling every time they have to answer for it.”

Although Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, couldn’t keep up with Sinner, the progress he made in New York was undeniable. He beat two top-10 opponents — former finalists Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev — en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal, where he took down compatriot Frances Tiafoe. After four unsuccessful quarterfinal appearances at the Majors, which suggested he had hit a ceiling, it was just the breakthrough Fritz wanted.

“I know we have been waiting for a champion for a long time so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time,” he told a supportive crowd after his runner-up finish. “But I’m going to keep working and hopefully I’ll get it done next time.”

Does Fritz have what it takes, however, to “get it done next time”?

The big game:  At 6’5”, the American is armed with a powerful serve and forehand — not uncommon at the elite level but enough to work with. | Photo credit: Getty Images

At 6’5”, the American is armed with a powerful serve and forehand — these aren’t uncommon traits at the top level of men’s tennis. “Big serve, very solid from the back of the court, he can hit strong, he can hit with rotation, he can mix it up,” Sinner said, assessing Fritz’s game, but he could easily have been talking about a dozen other players in the top-30. So while Fritz doesn’t appear to have a quality that marks him out as an outlier and greatly improves his chances of winning big events, he certainly has enough to get within range.

Sustainable run

Encouragingly for Fritz, he believes his performance at New York is repeatable; at no point was his play inexplicably above his potential. “It is a great feeling to have gotten to this point, knowing that I’m playing well, but I’m playing very within myself, and I feel like it’s repeatable,” he said. “I don’t think I, at any point, was, like, wow, I’m playing incredible, or I’m playing out of my mind. 

“There’s still a lot of room for improvement. And something I’ve said throughout my entire career, whether it’s when I won my first ATP point or I won my first Challenger or whatever it is, I’ve always said once I do something once, I just feel a lot more confident in being able to do it again.”

Michael Russell, Fritz’s coach, thought the keys in the final were that his charge made too many groundstroke errors, particularly on forehands, missed his spots too often on serves and perhaps should have tried to get to the net more than 19 times (he won 13 of those points).

“That’s just kind of how it goes, when you’re playing ... the best player in the world right now,” Fritz said. “My ‘Plan A’ is not working. The ‘Plan B’ that I fall back on would normally be just bringing everything in, being a little bit safer, grinding it out. That works, along with my serve, against a lot of other players. But against him ... he’s just going to bully me a little bit too much.”

Interestingly, Fritz had responded well when he was bullied on court in the semifinal by the explosive Tiafoe, a friend from their junior days. “He overwhelmed me at the start and I was freaking out a little,” said Fritz, who fought back for a 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. “I just told myself to stay in it, hold serve and apply scoreboard pressure. I did all I could to stay in it.”

Tiafoe, who has known Fritz since they were 12 or 13, said the changes in Fritz since then are remarkable. “When I first met him, Taylor was an odd cat, a different cat. I definitely wasn’t thinking he was going to do what he’s done,” Tiafoe said. “He’s changed his body unbelievably. He’s just really talented. He was a part-time player; then he started putting more time into it.”

A son of two ex-pros — his mother, Kathy May, reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and French Open — Fritz achieved a mental turnaround in New York. His 0-4 record in the last-eight stage at the Majors needed addressing, and a bout of introspection did the trick; he realised he wasn’t being completely honest with himself.

Eyeing opportunities:  Fritz believes that the Majors are more open than ever and backs his chances of ending the USA’s dry spell. | Photo credit: Getty Images

“I think the mental coping I was doing was, well, every time I was in the quarters I played Djokovic,” he said. “That was my way to protect my ego. But then I got a look at Wimbledon where I didn’t play Novak in a quarter. I played [Lorenzo] Musetti and he outplayed me. I think that’s when I was, like, okay, maybe that excuse doesn’t quite work anymore.”

Open season

As a result, he was mentally switched on and better able to take advantage of the Week 1 losses by Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, which created a hole in the draw. This is a situation that is increasingly likely to happen, as men’s tennis opens up after the Big Three. With Federer retired, Nadal playing sparingly and Djokovic enduring his first season since 2017 without at least one Grand Slam trophy, there are more chances for new faces.

Indeed, Fritz believes that the Majors are more open than ever. “I don’t think you have to play unbelievable to go deep in tournaments and contend, although to beat the top guys you still need to bring your best game.”

He also feels that American men’s tennis is on the brink of a new golden age, with five players — Fritz, Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda — in the top 20. “It gives hope and shows that we’re knocking on the door of winning a Slam,” Fritz said. “Whenever one of us does something, the others get belief from it. I think this is just the start for all of us.”

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Dave Grohl Announces Birth of Daughter “Outside of My Marriage”

Mötley crüe announce intimate 2024 club shows, dream theater announce 2025 north american leg of 40th anniversary tour, black label society announce first new song since 2021, linkin park announce 2024 world tour dates with dead sara’s emily armstrong, oasis add two more london shows due to overwhelming demand, oasis add dates to 2025 stadium tour, slipknot, bring me the horizon headlining rock am ring, rock im park 2025, oasis reunite, announce 2025 stadium tour dates, review + photos: avril lavigne shows capacity crowd in jersey just how many hits she has, mötley crüe confirm new ep ‘cancelled’, watch: creed reveal new music video for “are you ready”, ‘detroit rock city’ turns 25: a cult classic that embodied rock culture, knocked loose announce more 2024 headlining shows, watch: pearl jam reveal live video for “wreckage”, mark tremonti reveals new single “just too much,” announces 2025 tour, review + photos: metallica return to north america and rip it up at gillette stadium, aerosmith retire from touring, officially cancel final ‘peace out’ tour, jack white confirms new album ‘no name’, review + photos: foo fighters in spectacular form at sold-out hershey show.

The run begins in Philadelphia next February

After previously announcing their 40th Anniversary Tour across Europe and the UK, Dream Theater have confirmed a North American run for next year. A tour announcement that has been fourteen years in the making, the GRAMMY®-winning progressive metal titans Presented as An Evening With Dream Theater, the run is the band’s first outing since drummer Mike Portnoy’s return to the lineup, joining vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

The 40th Anniversary Tour begins with a European leg that kicks off this fall, consists of stops in 23 cities and kicks off on October 20   and runs through November 24. The North American run will begin on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, wrapping up on March 22 at Radio City Music Hall. Dream Theater will be performing classics and fan favorites from their catalog in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of music.

Check out the full tour itinerary below.

“The excitement we have felt from the fans since the first tour was announced has been overwhelming,” Dream Theater said in a statement. “Now we get to bring the show to our home country and play a bunch of cities that we haven’t been together in for more than a decade. We can’t wait to continue this historic celebration of 40 years together with everyone in North America next year. We still have plenty of more exciting Dream Theater news to share in the coming weeks.”

The “more exciting Dream Theater news” is quite possibly a new song, and an album update. The band has been in their DTHQ studio working on their sixteenth studio album. The record will be the band’s first with Portnoy since 2009’s  Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

Last October, it was announced that Portnoy was back in Dream Theater. A founding member of the group, Portnoy left the band in 2010. Now, over a decade later, he has rejoined the storied progressive metal pioneers. He replaced Mike Mangini, who took over for Portnoy thirteen years ago.

“I am overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers,” Portnoy said in a statement. “There is so much shared history between us all…so many memories, so much music…to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!”

Mangini gracefully articulated his exit from the group after more than a decade behind the kit.

“I understand Dream Theater’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time,” Mangini said. “As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there’s the GRAMMY® win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best.”  

“Mike Mangini’s drumming is otherworldly and I’m extremely grateful for the time he spent with us in Dream Theater. I’m very proud of all the amazing music we made together that culminated in our first GRAMMY win last year and the countless magical moments that we’ve shared on stage over the past 13 years. I wish him all the best of success in his future musical endeavors,” explains guitarist John Petrucci. “I’m incredibly excited to welcome Mike Portnoy back into Dream Theater! As an original founding member, longtime friend and incredibly talented and creative drummer,  I know that his return will bring a renewed spirit, passion and energy into DT that all of us, including our fans, will joyfully welcome. I can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get back into the studio together!”

“It’s great to be back true to form with our original drummer Mike Portnoy. We started playing together as Majesty almost 40 years ago and I am excited to see what this next phase of Dream Theater creates for the future.  I wish nothing but the best for Mike Mangini for all the blood, sweat and tears he put into DT during his 13-year tenure with the band,” adds John Myung. 

“Having Mike Mangini with us all these years has been, quite simply, a terrific ride. He is one of the most amazing and naturally gifted drummers I have had the pleasure of working with. Thank you Mike. Life is a very strange ride and I guess that’s what makes it all the more interesting and forever engaging. Having Mike Portnoy back in the band is exactly where we and things should be. Things have a way of going full circle and in this case, it makes perfect sense. I am excited with the prospects of this classic DT lineup being reunited. I can say with absolute confidence this will be the final incarnation of DT with many chapters still to be written well into our future. Onward and upward guys!! Welcome back MP,” states James LaBrie. 

“Mike Mangini is one of the most exceptional drummers on earth and I feel privileged that we got to create a whole body of work with him. I will always be grateful for the time we shared in the Dream Theater Universe,” Jordan Rudess continues. “We are so excited to reunite the core Dream Theater family. There is a resonance of spirit and vision that is unique and goes beyond words within our relationship with Mike Portnoy. On the stage and off there is no denying the magic that happens when we are together. I’m thankful we have the opportunity to work together again as Dream Theater and am looking forward to sharing our excitement and passion with our amazing fans for a long time to come.”

Progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater share a unique bond with one of the most passionate fan bases around the globe as evidenced by their three GRAMMY® Award nominations, 2022 GRAMMY® Award win in the Best Metal Performance category for “The Alien” and 15 million records sold worldwide. The 1992 opus  Images & Words  received a gold certification and landed on  Rolling Stone ’s coveted  “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All-Time . ”Guitar World  placed the follow-up  Awake  at #1 on  “Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994 . ”  1996’s  A Change of Seasons  notably soundtracked NBC’s coverage of Downhill Skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Fans voted the 1999  Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory  the  “Number One All-Time Progressive Rock Album”  in a 2012  Rolling Stone  poll. Not to mention, it ranked as the  “15th Greatest Concept Album”  by  Classic Rock . 2009 saw  Black Clouds & Silver Linings  crash the  Billboard  Top 200 at #6 as  A Dramatic Turn of Events  [2011] and  Dream Theater  [2013] maintained a three-peat in the chart’s Top 10. In 2016, the band returned with their second concept album and sci-fi novel of the same name,  The Astonishing . 

Beyond three platinum and two gold videos, the group was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2019, the band continued to expand its audience when they released  Distance Over Time  to critical and commercial acclaim. On their 15th full-length and second studio release for InsideOutMusic / Sony Music,  A View From The Top Of The World  the band continue to challenge themselves and push their musical envelope – something they have done for over 30-years performing together. The band launched the inaugural  DREAMSONIC  Tour in 2023 – a traveling progressive music spectacle that will return for more runs in the future. In 2024, founding drummer Mike Portnoy reunited with the iconic lineup of guitarist John Petrucci, vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess to overwhelming fanfare. Dream Theater has been in the studio currently working on their upcoming 16th studio album and first for this lineup in over 15 years.

October 20 – London, England – The O2 October 22 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Eats Music Hall October 23 – Koln, Germany – Palladium October 25 – Milan, Italy – Forum October 26 – Rome, Italy – Palazzo dello Sport October 28 – Munich, Germany – Zenith October 29 – Zagreb, Croatia – Arena Zagreb November 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena  November 2 – Prague – Czech Republic – Fortuna Arena November 3 – Lodz, Poland – Atlas Arena  November 6 – Helsinki, Finland – Metro Areena November 8 – Stockholm. Sweden – Waterfront November 9 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum  November 10 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Poolen November 12 – Luxembourg – Rockhal  November 13 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall  November 14 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier November 16 – Lisbon, Portugal – MEO Arena November 17 – Madrid, Spain – La Cubierta de Leganés November 20 – Stuttgart, Germany – Beethovensaal November 21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhundderthalle November 23 – Paris, France – Adidas Arena November 24 – Amsterdam – AFAS Live February 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met February 8 – Raleigh, NC – Martin Marietta Center February 10 – Nashville, TN – Opry House February 11 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy February 12 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Café February 14 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall February 15 – Dallas, TX – Texas Trust CU February 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic  February 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Center February 19 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater February 21 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea   February 22 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater February 24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic February 25 – Sacramento, CA – Safe Credit Union Performing February 27 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater February 28 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium March 2 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra  March 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center March 6 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom March 8 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre  March 9 – Cleveland, OH – MGM Northfield Park March 11 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum  March 12 – Montreal, QC – Place des Arts March 14 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theater March 15 – Boston. MA – Boch Center March 17 – Rochester, NY – Kodak March 18 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theater March 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Brady Music Center March 21 – Washington, DC – The Anthem March 22 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall

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90 day fiancé: "con man" 10 ways michael tricked gullible angela to get his shot at the american dream.

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20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now

90 day fiancé: can michael ilesanmi work in the united states (why didn't he close gofundme campaign after the goal was met), 90 day fiancé: loren brovarnik called a "grifter" after launching new money-making gig.

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90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? star Michael Ilesanmi might just be the greatest conman reality TV has ever seen with the way he tricked Angela Deem for seven years. Michael from Nigeria is a 34-year-old man who first starred in 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days season 2 with Angela from Georgia. The grandmother of six had previously been married to a man for three years and had two grown daughters with him. Angela’s first marriage to her first love was a very bad experience. She never wanted to get married again, but everything changed when Michael came along.

Angela now wants to get her second marriage annulled after three years. She planned to originally bring Michael to the U.S. on a K-1 visa, but after Michael faced rejection, a spousal visa helped him come to America in December 2023. Michael lived in Hazlehurst for two months, during which he claims to have been allegedly abused by Angela. He left her without telling her and Angela thought Michael was missing, but he’d just moved to Texas to start over. Michael now wants a divorce and expects Angela to support him for the rest of his life.

10 Michael Targeted Angela Deem On Facebook

Michael saw that angela was older & vulnerable.

Michael and Angela met on Facebook in 2017. Their romance started with Michael sending Angela a friend request. Michael never told his side of the story, about how he’d come across Angela’s profile and whether she was in his friend suggestions on the website. However, Angela had noticed that Michael had several other American women on his friend list. Michael could have actively been trying to find profiles of elderly American women he thought he could date and find a way to come to the U.S. to marry them. He even sent Angela a generic message.

“Hello. You look pretty today, good morning.”

Michael had told Angela she looked pretty and wished her good morning. It was obvious that Angela was starved for attention. She didn’t know who he was, but she thought his profile picture looked “ cute. ” The picture in question was of a shirtless Michael with his shirt casually thrown over his shoulder and he had his headphones in. The picture didn’t look like it was of a 30-year-old Michael. He looked much younger in it. However, he’d known just how to get Angela to fall for him .

9 Michael Gaslighted Angela About Other Women

Michael lied to angela about how he knew these women.

Michael got away with doing a lot of shady things by maintaining a “poor me” expression on his face. Angela caught him being suspicious several times and yelled at him about it, but she also believed all the explanations he had. Michael was gaslighting Angela from the start with his excuses. More recently, he tried to tell her that his “ Paradise Men ” WhatsApp group was for men like him who were waiting for their visas to be approved. However, he also had met a woman named Cheetah through the group , so he was certainly lying.

Michael was also caught in a lie when he revealed why he was chatting with Cheetah. He told two different stories on two occasions. When Angela’s Private Detective questioned him, he said Cheetah had contacted her because her mother was applying for a K-1 visa. Angela said that she’d never heard about Cheetah’s mother . “ It was her husband you said ,” Angela added. Interestingly, it does appear Michael is lying about Cheetah since during his ET interview, he said that Cheetah “ is a member of the group. She has a husband here. She stays here, that’s it. ”

8 Scammer Michael Asked Angela For Money

Michael lived a luxurious life in lagos by taking money from angela.

It is believed that Angela had made Michael quit his job and sit at home so he could keep an eye on him. She didn’t want Michael talking to other women and making him stay at home was a tactic she’d figured would stop him from straying. Angela and Michael made money from the show, along with platforms like Cameo and social media brand endorsements. Angela seemed to be giving Michael his share and that was their source of income. However, greedy Michael wanted more. He wanted affairs on the side and a whole lot of money.

In 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Michael made an Instagram account which he used to chat with random women. Angela also didn’t like Michael using social media because of his unfaithfulness. He tried convincing her that he was using Instagram to become an influencer and make extra money. When Angela still didn’t listen, Michael tried to make her give him $5000 to delete IG . It was just one instance of Michael demanding money from Angela that was caught on camera. He could have been blackmailing her every time he was caught doing something she didn’t approve of.

7 Michael Always Acted Like A Victim

Michael successfully made angela the villain in everyone's eyes.

Angela’s abuse towards Michael cannot be overlooked. She has treated him horribly for years and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by viewers. However, Michael also used Angela’s anger to his advantage. There were times when he seemed to be provoking Angela. He knew exactly how to push her buttons, especially when they were on camera. He was scamming Angela and was faking her love for him, although it didn’t mean it was okay for her to be abusive . Still, Michael knew Angela was vulnerable. She was not going to let years of being in a relationship with him on TV go to waste.

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Angela was going to bring Michael to the U.S. no matter how much she screamed at him, and he knew it. It’s not true that Michael scammed Angela only because she was abusive towards him. He has money and fame on his mind. He’s been desperate to find a source of income that keeps him in the limelight, and he will do everything in his might to get there.

Michael won’t be able to keep up with the act for long. He only needs to find a new vulnerable person who’ll fall for his charm and be his next victim.

6 Michael Kept The Romance Act Up For Way Too Long

Michael could have walked away anytime he wanted.

Michael made it look like he cared about Angela, but he had not even bothered to check on her while she recovered from a life-threatening surgery in 90 Day Fiancé' s Happily Ever After? season 7. Angela wanted to lose weight for Michael . It was never about her wanting to look good for herself. She wanted to look younger, so Michael wouldn’t leave her for a younger American woman when he got there. She used Botox and other cosmetic treatments to please him, but Michael never cared. He was the one not giving her the attention that she wanted.

When Angela told Michael that her weight loss procedure involved breast reduction, he declared he was against it. Michael didn’t want Angela to change perhaps the only thing about her that he liked. Angela had to get breast implants to keep Michael happy. He was always overlooking her efforts to save the marriage. Angela was trying her best to keep Michael satisfied and not stray. However, her vicious personality ended up masking all of Michael’s negative traits.

5 Michael Wanted Angela To Tote A Baby

He pushed angela into asking her daughter skyla deem to carry his baby.

Michael had wanted a baby from Angela despite knowing it was impossible for her due to her age. He blamed it on his family, saying they wanted to see him having kids of his own and Angela had no option but to ask her daughter Skyla Deem if she could carry Michael’s child for her. Skyla put her foot down and Michael suggested he marry a younger woman who could give him a baby. Michael was threatening Angela and pushing her to give him a kid. He’d even wanted her to consider IVF.

Michael was unhappy when Angela decided to get bariatric surgery instead of undergoing IVF treatment. Michael’s visa wasn’t getting approved, and he perhaps thought that if Angela had his baby, there was no chance she would pull the visa if they had a fallout, no matter how long it took. Having a baby with Angela would have given him hope that she would keep trying to bring him to America, come what may. Now that Angela is his past, Michael is free to have a baby with anyone he chooses to date.

4 Michael Kept Trying To Use Social Media

Michael had secret instagram accounts he used to chat with women.

Angela only allowed Michael to access Instagram to her account. Her @deemangela page even had a profile photo of both of them, and it was supposed to be a joint couples account. Whenever Michael tried to make an Instagram, Angela made him delete it or worse, even asked fans to report it as fake. The pages seemed to belong to Michael because, in 2019, Angela asked fans to report a page @babakeke26_ claiming it was someone impersonating him . Michael created several accounts and tried convincing Angela to let him use social media.

Still, Angela knew that Michael wanted it to connect with other women. When he was caught cheating on her in 2022, Michael said he was flirting with the woman just for fun, out of boredom. He said he wanted to feel happy and that the flirting meant nothing. It was an excuse any cheater would have given to manipulate their partner and Angela kept believing Michael would change . He could have kept in touch with some of his Instagram friends who he’s now free to mingle with in the U.S.

3 Michael's Started Humiliating Angela In America

Michael wants angela to burn with jealousy.

Michael started taking his revenge on Angela once he came to America. He stayed with her only until they could film the Tell All, and then it was time for him to run and never look back. Michael used the Tell All to his advantage by showing the world how Angela treated him. Angela thought she could expose Michael’s true colors by hiring a PI, but it ended up working in Michael’s favor. The detective proved Michael was not cheating or scamming Angela, but the only evidence was Michael’s “ social media ” mentions from two years.

It's not like he had accessed Michael’s phone or WhatsApp to find out what he was chatting about with his “ Paradise Men ” friends or where his “ Piggy Bank ” money was going. The detective cleared Michael’s name and Michael was able to sway more of the audience to support him along with almost all cast members.

2 Michael Is A Green Card Hunter

He just needed angela to get to america.

Michael had been searching for life insurance policies for elderly people on his phone. He claimed it was just an ad on the browser but only a previous search for the topic could have thrown a relevant ad at Michael. He could never really tell why he was looking up insurance details and also why he had photos of Angela’s tax documents on his phone which he was seemingly sending someone else. Michael knew exactly what he was doing, but being an expert gas lighter , he succeeded with his plans.

If not Angela, it could have been some other American woman who could have become his prey. If not for Angela, Michael could never have been a part of 90 Day Fiancé . Michael might not have even wanted fame at the start, since going on the show was Angela’s idea. However, it was thanks to Angela that Michael now had both a green card and reality TV fame.

1 Michael Is Stealing Angela's Fans With His GoFundMe

Will michael misuse the hard earned money fans are sending him.

Angela filed for an annulment in June 2024. Michael launched his GoFundMe in August 2024. He said he needed money for legal expenses, but why could Michael have started his fundraiser in June itself? Michael was waiting to see if the Tell All would make him look helpless. As soon as Michael realized that Angela looked like a monster at the reunion, he knew that the fundraiser would fetch him thousands of dollars from millions of fans worldwide.

Michael had even predicted that he would be able to collect over $50,000. That’s what he had set his goal to. When he noticed fans discussing why he needed so much money, Michael changed the amount needed to $25,000. Michael is a greedy man. If he still doesn’t get what he wants after his relationship with Angela is finally over, the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? star will soon reveal some other crooked way to hustle in the U.S.

90 Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on TLC.

Source: ET , 90 Day Fiancé /YouTube,

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

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90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? follows couples from '90 Day Fiancé' as they continue to navigate their lives together post-marriage, addressing challenges and triumphs that come with cross-cultural relationships and adjusting to new expectations.

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