Idealism+vs.+Realism+Theme+Research

We all have things we want to achieve in life. George and Lennie both wanted to own a little place they could call there own. This thought is what drove the pair, idealism, the thought of their dream coming true. Many people in this world come to America seeking the American Dream which consist of owning a house, having a family, and being at some stat of wealth. This is where our little friend realism comes in because in reality less than 60% of all Americans reach this dream

What is the American Dream? "As a teenager, the American dream for me, and most others I knew was to hProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 e a better life than my parents, and figure out some way to go to college and eventually support a family." That is the American dream as defined by my father Joseph. There are many different forms of the American dream, as defined by people with different lifestyles, upbringings, and outlooks on life. The dictionary defines the American dream as this: -noun 1. The ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American. 2. A life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.

Lower middle class individuals generally seek simplicity, and the ability to provide for their families. Those with higher incomes desire fancy, expensive, and frivolous clothing, furniture, and cars. Many Americans feel the need to compete with their neighbors and peers on a societal level. It almost seems like as the economy gets worse, we just want bigger and better. Those who live modestly are seemingly dissatisfied with their posessions. And although they may be financially secure, have a nice family, and be able to pay the bills, an empty feeling remains. The Americans up to their necks in debt, are somehow living the idealist life because they have superficial things that can compete with their neighbors, families, and friends.

Competition seems to be our nature, and having our ideal of perfection provides us with a sense of closure. Even though most of us have the idealist lifestyle desired by others less fortunate, we still want more and will never be 100% satisfied. The "dream" has transformed from simply living better than our parents to a direct correlation with happiness by way of fame, luck, and fortune.

"American Dream." //www.dictionary.com//. 2009. Random House, Inc. . 09 Apr 2009 . Bartelheim, Joseph. Self proclaimed person living "the dream" by way of hard work and motivation. Personal interview. Thursday, April 9, 2009. Smith, S.E.. "What is the "American Dream"?." //wiseGEEK//. 2009. Conjecture Corporation. 09 Apr 2009 . Warshauer, Matthew. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Changing Conceptions of the American Dream." //American Studies Today Online//. February 13, 2003. American Studies Resources Center. 09 Apr 2009 .

James Truslow Adams first used the term in his book The Epic of America that was written in 1931. He states: "The American Dream is "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. This phrase has also come from foreigner; the founding fathers used the phrase, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The American Dream often refers to the opportunity for immigrants to achieve greater life in this great country. America has been seen by other lands as a land in which one's place in life are chosen by one's talents and gifts rather than by one's family wealth or political connections. The thought of the American dream has also become a part of the society today. The public has changed a remade the true meaning of the American Dream.

Deborah Wheeler Walton Sun, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. "Is New Urbanism the answer?."McClatchy - Tribune Business News. 11 Apr 2009. eLibrary. Proquest CSA. CHAPARRAL HIGH SCHOOL. 12 Apr 2009. .

David D Harper David D. Harper; The Ottawa Citizen. "We're friends if we share American dream." Ottawa Citizen. 08 Apr 2009. A15. eLibrary. Proquest CSA. CHAPARRAL HIGH SCHOOL. 12 Apr 2009. .

Jerry Sullivan NEWS SPORTS REPORTER. "MSU's son of Bosnia lives American dream."Buffalo News. 07 Apr 2009. D3. eLibrary. Proquest CSA. CHAPARRAL HIGH SCHOOL. 12 Apr 2009. .

The Reality Behind the American Dream The ideal American Dream is something every American wants to be part of. Unfortunately, in today's society, reaching the dream is nearly impossible. To Americans, it projects itself as a perfect lifestyle, and it could only be reached you would enjoy a flawless balance in life. This state of mind in not completely accurate in today's world. The American Dream is virtually unattainable. What we live in today is a mixture of stress, anxiety, and pressure. These three qualities basically illustrate the polar opposite of the dream. Especially with living in our current economic state, society is creating harsh effects on our ideals. Becoming part of the hard-working middle class with a family is not quite as easy as it used to be. According to Parade.com, 47% of Americans say that despite how hard they work, they cannot get financially ahead. Although the dream may not be perfectly attainable in 2009, there are definitely a few aspects that still exist. Husbands and wives can still raise loving families, but families may just not enjoy as many luxuries as they may be used to. Dwindling as they may be, there still are few opportunities left for Americans to become part of the dream, but it just may take twice the effort to get to that point than it has in the past. The American Dream is still alive for many Americans, but it is not truly a realistic lifestyle in the society we live in.

Wallechinsky, David. "Is The American Dream Still Possible? ." Parade. 26 April 2006. 9 Apr 2009  Trigos-Gilbert, Maria L. . "The American Dream: Myth or Reality." Go Inside. 30 Nov 1999. 9 Apr 2009  "New wrinkles in pursuit of American Dream." The Deer Have Guns. 30 Nov. 9 Apr 2009 

How is the American Dream affected by the economy today? With today's economy crisis, Americans are finding it very difficult to fulfill the American Dream. Families are suffering with credit-card debts, mortgage payments, and the stock market recession. We have this need for a sudden satisfaction now-a-days and credit-cards can give that to us. When my grandparents for example, were young adults, buying cars or other big investments, they paid it all up front in cash. However, that is not good enough for us anymore. Credit-cards give us the idea that we can buy more with the money that we do not actually possess which gets us into trouble. People are using them for everything, and when they do not pay their bills right away, the interest adds up. Before they know it, families are up to their heads in debt. The //Parade// Magazine states "the average U.S. household had $10,728 in credit-card debt. Another issue that is getting in the way of the American dream is the mortgage frauds. Mortgage companies are selling mortgages to people that aren't able to pay them off. The American Dream of having a nice home, beautiful lawn, and expensive cars is not possible when you are being evicted for not being able to pay off your loans that you were told you would be able to afford. Countrywide Mortgage Company's slogan is "no one works harder to deliver the American Dream." Their slogan is extremely ironic when they are literally killing the American Dream. The stock market is also an obstacle for the dream today because people have this idealistic thought that they can just put their money into the stock market and they will earn money. However, when the economy is in such trouble, the stock market is losing money and the idealism of earning money with no work is ruined. The savings for their retirement are in shambles and there is no money for the future. All these affects that the economy has on the American Dream prove that reaching the dream is nearly impossible, yet we never stop striving to reach the perfection of the American Dream. Anders, George. "How Our Salaries Are Changing." //Parade.// Sunday, April 12, 2009: 6-8 //Inside the financial crisis: Mortgage madness.// Dateline. Truveo. Sunday, April 12, 2009  Walker, Susan C. "U.S. Consumer Credit Card Debt May Crash Economy." Friday, December 31, 2004. FOXNews. Sunday, April 12, 2009. 

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Conclusion Idealism versus Realism is a theme that we continually see in both life and literature. The American Dream that we know today may only be truly idealistic, and may lack some realistic values. The economy today takes another hard hit at the dream, along with the stress and anxiety of today's population. Fame, luck, and fortune all are motivators for becoming a successful American, but having those qualities may not fulfill all of life's purpose. Living the American Dream may sound like pure perfection, but it is flawed once