Friday, April 27, 2012

En 12: Friday, 27 April

Please comment on the American Dream.

13 comments:

  1. The 'American Dream" this that stereotyped image of how Americans want to live. The "white picket fence" can argued to be the most stereotypical part. The notion of kids, animals, you owe cut of paradise. For the husband to be able to sustain his household and come home to his charming family and to have dinner waiting. In most cases the "American Dream" was resented by the people still impacted by the previous war and couldn't afford to live that dream. In the play "The death of a sales man" Its kind of shows us how that life attempted by this 60 year old salesman. Nowadays the dream has shifted and the majority don't follow that old fashioned theme.

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  2. I believe the "American Dream" is what most people want, and where they would like to be when their older and not working anymore. Sadly I feel as though that's a dream thats just out of reach for a lot of people and something that will never happen. Also it seems slowly and slowly that "American Dream" is dying and now people want to own condos and child free and not worry about a spouse. People are realizing the down falls of having kids and would rather save the time and money for something else like going on vacation every year and getting a nice new sports car. There are still a good majority of the world that see the dream and can't wait to have a family a nice house with the perfect yard, so yeah maybe the "American Dream" is coming something else, but there are still people who look at the old one and hope for that one day.

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  3. The American Dream is, in essence, a perfect world; house, kids, cars, etc. However it is only the perfect world in the middle and upper class society. The idea of being close to, but not in the city, to most americans, was the place to be to raise a family. The suburbs in the U.S were, and still are crowded places, and in the modern era, they don't look like the places to live. But in their time, they were the "necessity" of the average american.

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  4. I think that "Death of a Salesmen" by Arthur Miller, is a interesting look at how post-war life is like in America. The imagery created by the opening description just wanted me to read on. The family the play focuses on, isn't exactly living the "American Dream". They suffer from poverty more than anything. I am interested to see how they go from rags to riches, throughout the next act.

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  5. As we start "Death of a Salesman" we must note the history these characters have endured. Although World War Two has just finished, the suffering, loss and pain are still present. But the end of the war introduced the American Dream, a new era demanding prosperity and success. For some American people, self sufficiency is now attainable through educations, rebuilding the economy, and the hope and promise of the future. But this didn't reach all Americans. A large number were stuck in pre-war like struggles and this is where we start "Death of a Salesman."

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  6. The American Dream was something that almost everybody in the 50's wanted. A new house with a white picked fence to outline there own piece of America and that it is their property. Not only one car was a cool thing but two cars was better to have. living between the country side and the city was nice so that the husband would be close to work but children would be raised outside of the city. That wasn't always the case though for some people. Some people could not afford it or it was sort of like a fantasy to them considering the depression and war was just to an end; it just wasn't "in the cards for them". Others either had other "dreams" they wanted to follow. When I think about it now in this time, the reality is that not everybody can own that sort of place or have two cars, and to some people not even one. More people would rather live in the city rather than the country side because of school or jobs and such. Never the less, living the American Dream was what society wanted then but in reality in this day shows a different idea of society like condos or townhouses.

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  7. Awhile ago, the "American dream" was something most people aspired for. To me, the dream was to have a family, a white picket fence, and to live a comfortable and happy life. I believe nowadays we still want those things but it's less about the family and perfect home. Now, we aspire for the latest in technology. Young adults want to expand their minds by going to post-secondary schools that will help them succeed in life.

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  8. The "American Dream" is how every person wanted to live. With the white picket fences in front of a nice house and to have a good family is what everyone strived for. The parents wanted their kids to grow up and get a good job so they could raise their own family. However, not everyone lived that way and some would never reach it. In "Death of a Salesman" I think that Willy is let down by his son Biff because he doesn't have a good job so he's not bringing in any money to start his own family and to live the "American Dream".

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  9. I believe the "American Dream" was a dream that many parents wanted to see their children grow up with and have for themselves. It was having a big house filled with a family pet and a wife for the husband to come home to and many children. It was about being educated and high up in the office. Many people wanted the picture perfect life although it wasnt always easy to get.

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  10. The "American Dream" refers to the high quality of life that everyone works hard to achieve and how this brings about success. This stereotype of the "white picket fence" is perceived as a perfect household, family and business. But nowadays, these aren't the priorities of many people. The cost of living and to raise a family is growing to be extremely expensive and many people are turning away from the aspect of having this dream at all.

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  11. The american dream is when you have a gold vault and keep your trophy money that sit and do nothing but entertain you. It's when you own some gold cars that you drive and don't know what the simple name of them are when someone asks, speaking from experience. And of course a mansion where you hide from people and still be able to rule all 69 of your companies.

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  12. The notion of the "American dream" is a bit cliche, yet it still seems to resonate today. At its root seems to be the desire for happiness and success - as if the two are inextricably linked. I'm not so sure they are. As I re-read "Death of a Salesman" I am struck by the lack of happiness that exists in the Loman home. It's ironic that even Happy, isn't. I am interested to see if the play will have any impact on the way you will view the world at this dynamic time in your lives as you get ready to graduate high school.

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  13. The American Dream puts the idea of a picture perfect life style in our minds. The whole concept is to have the 'white picket fence' with it's big house and a car in the garage and a wife and kids. Taking a look at society today we know that this is only just a single way of living. The reality of it is that it all depends on what class you grow up in or bring yourself to. One can not achieve the American Dream when they are stuck in poverty. And some have other goals such as traveling the world and not being stuck to one place. Others want to be rock stars and party and not have that burden of spouse and children. The American Dream may be the route for some and is a good goal for middle class working families, but not everyone.

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