Callie Pare

Mr. Smith

Junior English

10/04/2022

Is the American Dream attainable for all? (REVISIONS)

The American dream is the belief that anyone in society can achieve their version of

success and prosperity with hard work, but the dream remains far-fetched for so many. The

American dream is not attainable for everybody. The American Dream is not attainable for

everybody. In theory, everyone has the freedom to pursue the American Dream, but barriers like

wealth, status, and race deny certain people the opportunity for success.

In “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros and “The Transformation of the

‘American Dream’” by Robert Shiller, both authors present the idea that the American dream is

unattainable for those with financial struggles, due to the misconception that financial success

and materialistic items are the gateways to fulfillment. In contrast to the widespread belief that

anyone can achieve their version of success through hard work, "The House on Mango Street"

emphasizes the idea that the American Dream is restrictive because individuals who lack the

necessary funds and resources have a harder time living out their fantasy; “They always told us

that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be ours for always so we

wouldn't have to move each year. And our house would have running water and pipes that

worked.” (Cisneros, 1984). The house on Mango Street depicted in the book is an example of

one family's idea of the American dream. People have a false sense of optimism that if they live
in America and have the freedoms and opportunities of a U.S. citizen, they can achieve any

dream or goal, but Cisneros proved this false in her writing. The family was discouraged when

they couldn't attain their dream living situation because they lacked the privileges of wealth and

status. The harsh reality of the American dream clashes with peoples’ hope and optimism for

achieving their ideal future. In "The Transformation of the American Dream," the belief that

people have the ability to work hard to attain their goals has shifted over time to associating the

American Dream with financial achievement, especially home ownership. Shiller explores the

contradiction between the notion that the American dream revolves around wealth and the

concept that you can achieve what you work for when stating, “But the last decade has shown

that with a little encouragement, many can easily become excessively lustful about

homeownership and wealth, to the detriment of our economy and society” (Shiller, 2017).

Shiller highlights how the American dream has always been about freedom and equality without

any hidden biases or regulations. Everyone has an equal chance of achieving their goals in life;

however, the American dream today refers to more materialistic items like home ownership and

large pay. Most people find wealth and the desire to improve their life with money appealing,

which is why this misconception is so widespread. People will go to excessive lengths for a nice

house or a good-paying job which overshadows the true meaning of the American dream and

gives people the inaccurate idea that money is the key to life improvement. Both authors, Sandra

Cisneros, and Robert Shiller, explore how wealth, materialistic items, and even status make up

the modern American dream. The texts examine how not everyone can achieve the American

dream due to changes in what is considered successful in today’s society.

In “Coronavirus Reminds Asian Americans like me that our Belonging is Conditional” by

John Cho and “I, Too” by Langston Hughes, both authors present the idea that one of the biggest

factors preventing someone from achieving the American dream is prejudice based on race. In

America, individuals of various races must overcome far more obstacles in order to accomplish

goals that white people can do with considerably less struggle or difficulty because opportunities

are limited for those of a different race. Actor John Cho, an Asian American, wrote an op-ed

about how Asian Americans' accessibility to the American dream is limited. He draws attention

to the discrimination that Asian Americans experience, which is hidden by the “model minority”,

and how they encounter far more challenges and obstacles when attempting to achieve their

aspirations in the United States; “In some ways, I began to lead a life devoid of race. But I’ve

learned that a moment always comes along to remind you that your race defines you above all

else.” (Cho, 2020). Even if racism isn't as blatantly obvious as it was 200 years ago, it is still a

barrier when attempting to fulfill goals and ambitions in modern society. Race significantly

influences one's likelihood of attaining the American dream. This idea of how some are at a

disadvantage of achieving the American dream is also demonstrated in “I, Too.” Hughes, a black

man, explains how he is excluded from American society because if his race, even though he

plays a significant role in it; “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat

in the kitchen, When company comes” (Hughes, 1926). This is an allusion to the poem “I Hear

America Singing” by Walt Whitman. Whitman's vision of American life conspicuously excludes

black people. Whitman's poem is criticized by Hughes, who argues that black people are an

important part of America and that African Americans' labor and culture are crucial to American

society, but these contributions go unacknowledged and unappreciated. Due to racial

discrimination and being overlooked as American citizens, African Americans are disadvantaged

when trying to achieve the American dream. John Cho and Langston Hughes both emphasize
that uncontrolled factors, like race, will likely determine whether or not the American dream is

attainable for someone.

Regardless of your color, social standing, or financial situation, the American dream is

something that is believed to be attainable by everyone. In reality, this is a widespread

misconception as one's ability to achieve the American dream of prosperity and success is

strongly correlated with the color of their skin and their financial status. Some people find the

idea of the American dream to be discouraging because there are limitations on who can achieve

what in modern society, which contradicts the belief that you can achieve anything with hard

work and dedication.

Works Cited
 Cho, John. “Coronavirus Reminds Asian Americans Belonging Is Conditional.”

Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2020, https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-04-22/asian-

american-discrimination-john-cho-coronavirus.

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. 2nd Vintage Contemporaries ed., 25th

anniversary ed, Vintage Contemporaries, 2009.

Hughes, Langston. “I, Too.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2 Oct. 2022,

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too.

Shiller, Robert J. “The Transformation of the ‘American Dream.’” The New York Times,

4 Aug. 2017. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/upshot/the-transformation-

of-the-american-dream.html.
 American Dream Essay Rubric

Skill Advanced Proficient Foundational Not

Yet
Thesis establishes a Appears in first Identifies a topic
complex claim paragraph

Thesis establishes a
topic and a claim

Comments:
Thesis

Includes specific, Includes multiple pieces Includes two or

meaningful, and well- of evidence (from 4 fewer sources
chosen evidence that sources) that clearly
relates to the thesis relate to the thesis Some evidence
relates to the thesis
Includes multiple pieces
of evidence in each body
Evidence paragraph

Comments:
 Explains well-selected Explains how evidence Summarizes
points of comparison supports topic sentence sources
among sources and of individual paragraphs
evidence and their
connection to the Explains how evidence
thesis supports the thesis of
Analysis the essay

Comments:

Clearly explains Explains how the Little connection

relationships among texts/sources are between texts;
texts (how they related, though points difficult for the
confirm or challenge could be more selective reader to see how
each other, build on or better developed the texts are
each other, provide related
Synthesis differing perspectives, Includes multiple
etc.) sources in each body
paragraph

Comments:

No errors in MLA format Heading is correctly Some elements

formatted missing or some
errors in MLA
Pages are numbered format

In-text citations are

correctly formatted

Works Cited format:

hanging indent, double-
MLA Format spaced, alphabetized,
starts on a new page

Works Cited: each source

entry is in correct MLA
 format

Comments:

All quotes are correctly Most quotes are correctly Shows evidence of
integrated integrated basic proofreading

Shows evidence of Follows essay

Conventions careful proofreading organization

Shows evidence of
proofreading

Comments:

Callie,
You have a lot of really great ideas! And I think, especially in your first body paragraph, that you
were trying to pour them all out onto the page. Remind me to talk to you about lexical chains,
and we will be able to revise this paper quite a bit, and make it much more effective.

Grade: B+