Creating Up The Equation Of The American Dream

This is exactly what I thought. Since our house was so large, we couldn’t pay rent for a couple of months. Eventually, our lawyer, Richard, came to our residence and told us we are getting out house taken away from us, assuming that was what “foreclosed upon” ment, and the way mother’s face looked like crinkled up tin foil. The next few months went by slowly, we packed our clothes and our closest belongings and set out on foot. Eventually, we made a nice little house-hut and began growing our own food.

What is the American Dream? Is it home ownership, gaining fame or wealth, having a great family or is it gaining a peace of mind? Many people have different versions of what the American Dream is, some people believe the dream is lost, and some people are right in the middle and still believe the American Dream is still alive. “The American Dream” by Brandon King debates about what the true state is left in the American Dream now. Throughout the essay, King asks if the American Dream is dead, alive, on hold or just changing due to economic hardship. King believes that the American Dream is still alive even though there are people who believe it's not, and is defined today as the ability to work hard, plan for the forthcoming and have a

The American Dream was a well thought idea during the creation of the Declaration of Independence; in fact, the original belief of the American Dream was that all Americans could pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (McQuade and Atwan). Furthermore, today the American Dream is an ideal thought to the overall strive for success. According to Kimberly Amadeo, a well-known author, she elaborated in her article What is the American Dream Today “… a focus on more of what really matters, such as creating a meaningful life, contributing to community and society, valuing nature, and spending time with friends and family” (Kimberly Amadeo). Creating the American Dream, controlling decisions, and building a life that can carry out success

Foreclosures happened often and left families suffering. The process for banks to get back their money from borrowers who cannot pay their loans is called foreclosures. Farmers had to take out loans to buy land and machinery. “Merle couldn’t pay off his loan, so the bank sold his farm at an auction. But Merle was luckier than most. He kept farming- only now he was a renter rather than an owner of the farm” (Ganzel). This quote shows that this was a real life situation for

That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”(quoted in “In Search of the American Dream”) For some, Truslow Adam’s definition of the American Dream leaves out the reality of how one’s socioeconomic status, on average, determines one’s wealth in American society. History shows that people born without certain privileges can’t ascend the figurative ladder to success with ease like their counterparts. Among these privileges were generational wealth and being White. A time when this was most evident was the 1920s: a time of mass spending, lavish lifestyles, and materialistic attitudes. Literary works like “In Search of the American Dream” by Jonas Clark, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and “One Christmas Eve” by Langston Hughes, show how the roaring culture of the 1920s caused an economic boom which widened the gap between the rich and the middle class, making it even more difficult for the majority of Americans to attain a sense of social and financial security. By the 1920s, the American Dream begins to lose its inclusive message and transform into an exclusive one in where one’s socioeconomic status mainly determines if one attains the Dream.

The economic crisis that hit the country took many jobs or people had their hours cut. With this situation happening, many people were finding themselves short on their mortgage payments and needing to go into foreclosure or having a short sale on their homes. Either option the homeowner chose or had chosen for them, they found themselves with poor credit and no way to become homeowners again. However, most wait times before was a minimum of two years up to seven years before that previous owner could be eligible for traditional loans.

6. Unable to sell the home: The borrower(s) may already recognize that they are in a situation that requires them to sell the home. One problem is the home has been on the market longer than the homeowner(s) can afford and there are no interested buyers. Another problem that could exist occurs when the property is worth less than the outstanding principal balance on the mortgage loan.

The desire for home ownership is something embedded in our DNA. Claiming property and owning a house is a critical part of the “American Dream.” Home ownership represents more than just a place to rest your head at night. Your home is the environment that serves as a setting for your journey through life. It’s the place of your children’s first steps, family birthdays, barbeques, amongst many other significant events. Your home is the backdrop that describes you and your family. Although many American’s were financially hurt by the trillions lost in the home equity market during the housing bubble, there is and will always be a desire to own a home. The most vital part is that American’s who lost their homes during the crash, learn from their past, so that they do not repeat a foreclosure.

I often used to watch a show called “Extreme Makeover” where a team of builders would come to a neighborhood, build a need worthy family a beautiful new home, and then just give it to them. “Wow! What a lucky family,” I would say. “How fortunate.” However, as time went by, that same family would be in the news again. Why? The house was in foreclosure. The people had gone to the bank and taken out a mortgage against the home, then spent all the money they got for it on other things.

Banks such as Wells Fargo gain full ownership of foreclosed homes after they were unsuccessful selling the property at auction, explains Investopedia. The common term for bank-owned homes is real estate owned properties, or REO.

Owning that little home on the corner with the white picket fence and big oak tree in the front yard has always been the American dream, but for some unfortunate home owners hit by the recession and housing crisis several years ago, it now seemed more like a nightmare. Imagine, after years of hard work, finally having your very own home only to have it ripped out from under you through foreclosure or short sale. This very scenario happened to countless thousands in towns across the country.

Fitzgerald demonstrates flashback through Jay Gatsby by associating him to self-identity and the American dream. The American Dream is known as a personal happiness and comforted by material things. Gatsby’s goal was to gain respect, to have a known reputation of wealth. He filled his days with big festive parties. Gatsby’s identity was once hidden, in his young days Gatsby did not know what he wanted to accomplish. When he was a teen he met a man named Dan Cody. He made Gatsby the man he became; he told him how to dress, and how to approach people. He taught Gatsby everything that he knew. Gatsby wasn’t looking to have a good time; he was looking for his true love, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby dream would soon turn into a nightmare.

“The American Dream” means many different things to many different people. Immigrants might think of just freedom as “The American Dream”. Then there are people that live in America that just think they’re “oppressed” and think of “not being oppressed”, religious freedom/general rights. I could go on for hours about the possibilities of the “American Dream.”

The “American Dream” is a cultural ideal in today’s society that reflects our values as a country. It is generally thought of as a merit-based system where no man or woman is above another. This system is flawless in theory, because it instills the idea that hard work alone can help citizens achieve their goals. As our country has evolved, the “American Dream” that once defined us as a country has died due to the rising costs of higher education and diminishing career opportunities.

Even though Dexter has had a privileged life, his point of view in the story represents the common man working towards an ‘American Dream.’ His view of the world is often rose colored and does not see the world for what it truly is until his dream is ripped from his hands. This effects the text because at first the reader lives in his shoes as Dexter blissfully allows himself to be seduced by his ‘American Dream,’ Judy Jones. Fitzgerald writes, “‘I don't know what's the matter with me. Last night I thought I was in love with a man and to-night I think I'm in love with you----’--it seemed to him a beautiful and romantic thing to say. It was the exquisite excitability that for the moment he controlled and owned. But a week later he was compelled to view this same quality in a different light. She took him in her roadster to a picnic supper, and after supper she disappeared, likewise in her roadster, with another man,” (5). In the moment, he allows himself to believe that she is in love with him. After all, if a beautiful girl who has a history of tempting men tells him she loves him, it must be true. As the text is told from Dexter’s point of view, the reader sees his foggy motivation and drive to keep chasing after Judy. The only thing that matters is whether or not she is with him, despite words she says may seem rude or unfaithful to anyone outside of his point of view. Even though Fitzgerald does not write the story in first person, he makes a great point of letting the