American Dream

College Composition

Are you really living the American Dream?

Throughout literature there have been countless stories of tremendous life changes and miraculous tales of people making it from rags to riches. These stories, although very inspirational, can blind a person from reality. The negative effects of the American Dream myth overrule the inspirational factors. The myth raises children from a young age thinking they can achieve anything in the world. It also makes people lose sight of issues such as racism and sexism. Finally, the "American Dream" falsifies what it takes to achieve dreams so people make mistakes on life-altering choices in hopes of achieving those dreams.

Growing up, children always hear fairy-tales, Cinderella being the one examined here. In it, a very unfortunate poor girl has a horrible life but good morals, and in the end she gets everything she ever wanted barely having to do anything. This story has been told millions of times to poor children that do not even realize they are being introduced to the american dream.

Small tales like that one make is seem like anything in life can be achieved if you look at like with a positive attitude, always tell the truth and be a good person, however in life there are many people that demonstrate all those characteristics and have horrible lives. For example, there was recently a show on television where a boy named Jenks took the time to get to know a homeless girl. While trying to adjust to her lifestyle Jenks got to know this girl on a veyr personal level, he came to realize that not only was she a very caring person, she came from a broken home and ranaway with false hopes of achieveing the "american dream", Her horrible reality was that she ended up being homeless for over ten years. This is a prime example how the falsification of stories to make people hopeful and inspired can be devestating to a a human beings life.

Now it can be acknowledged that the american dream is...