The American Dream is the faith held by many in the United States of America that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to subsequent generations. What the American Dream has become is a question under constant discussion, and some believe that it has led to an emphasis on material wealth as a measure of success and/or happiness.
This nation of ours is unique. You may not realize it and most of us surely take it for granted. We may complain about the economy but just try explaining the Price Club to a Russian or a Cuban or a Nigerian! We may complain about our government or our President but in how many other countries is the press free to report the leaders indiscretions. We have so much and yet we complain so much... actually I think it is the ability to complain that makes America great. It is the freedom to dissent, to rail against the incumbent powers. This freedom to disagree is what makes us so special and it is this very freedom that is the very essence of America. What is the American dream? Surely it is different for everyone. For some it is wealth and power. For others it is religious freedom and justice.
In his "Letters from an American Farmer," how does Crevecoeur define "the American, this new man" (402)?
His answer has two main aspects: that of the blending of earlier nationalities and ethnicities, and that of economic opportunity for all. Crevecoeur begins with a rhetorical question asking "what attachment" a poor person can have to "a country where he had nothing" (402)...............
