American Dream

A detailed Summary of American Dream


What exactly is the American dream? Most people have never really thought about this before even though deep down inside they have an idea of what their personal dream is. Ever since the first settlers arrived in Jamestown to set up a new colony in this vast new world, it stood as a place of freedom that was not available anywhere else in the world. People flocked here in search of a new, better life. Over the course of history, however, this dream has changed in many ways. Through interviewing people from different generations, this change in the American dream becomes evident.

Helen was born in 1922 into a poor family that lived on a farm. She was put to work on the farm during her early childhood. "When I was growing up, children were expected to do their share of the work. I worked some days from sunrise to sunset with my father on the farm along with my brothers and sisters" (Bell). Though she had wanted to graduate, Helen only went to school through the eighth grade before she had


Lisa was born in 1965, the youngest of eight kids. Her family did not have very much money, but they were not poor either. She had a very strict father, but her mother, who spoiled her, more than made up for that. Growing up, she always looked up to her older brother, Charles, who she viewed as a very hard working and successful person. She graduated high school with a perfect 4.0 average and took an additional six years of college, before finally becoming a pharmacist. "I had always dreamed of either becoming a doctor or a pharmacist, and I was determined to do everything I could to accomplish that" (Edwards, L). According to her, the perfect life consisted of a good-paying job, a lot of success, a big house, a nice car, and a loving family, all of which, for the most part, she accomplished in her life.

to drop out in order to help her sick sister. She had dreams of growing up and becoming a music teacher, however she ended up working in a pants plant for 45 years of her adult life. According to her, the

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Approximate Word count = 688
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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