Austin Madden

Mr.Smith

Junior English

10/7/2022

The American Dream

The American Dream is the idea that hard work will bring every American the same

opportunities and earnings. The American Dream was intended to inspire people to work

hard, grab at any opportunities that came their way, and that determination would lead to

financial success. However, that isn’t always true, especially since nowadays the

American Dream is more about homeownership and materialistic belongings. The

American Dream has drastically changed over time and it is no longer achievable the way

it once was because of rising house prices and stagnating wages.

Home ownership used to be a big part of the American Dream, however, this has been

getting increasingly difficult as property values are skyrocketing. Since the 1930s,

housing prices have been rising. In the article, “The Homeownership Obsession” by

Robert J. Samuelson, the author comments on the unrealistic housing expectation for

many Americans: “We build (and buy) too many extra-large homes. McMansions, if you

will. They use too much energy, and their carrying costs, including mortgage payments,

absorb too much of Americans’ incomes, limiting the ability to save for retirement and

other needs” (Samuelson). The American people are looking to fulfill their American

Dream by purchasing a large home, but the rising housing prices make housing

unaffordable for a large number of families in the US. Which results in American citizens
being less likely to accomplish a big part of the original American Dream of

homeownership. Furthermore, americans often want more than they can afford because

they are trying to achieve this unrealistic American Dream. “Conflating the American

dream with expensive housing has had dangerous consequences: It may have even

contributed to the last housing bubble, the one that led to the financial crisis of 2008-9”

(Shiller). This idea that one must own a house to achieve the American Dream is hurting

Americans more than it is helping them. This is because American citizens feel the need

to buy a house despite whether or not they are financially ready to purchase it. The

American Dream is unachievable because of skyrocketing housing prices and because

they often want more than they can realistically afford. Most things that build up the

American Dream are considered unachievable nowadays. Stagnating wages in the US

contribute to citizens failing to achieve their American Dream. If people aren’t paid fair

wages or have enough money left over at the end of the week for necessities, the

American Dream isn’t achievable, though it once was. In an informal video made by

ABC News, reporters visit a firehouse in Pennsylvania. 40 out of 68 firefighters have to

work a second job to support their family. Even with multiple jobs most people are still

not making enough to support their families. There are many things that happen in life

that you need money for but are spontaneous and unable to be planned for. These people

do not make enough to be put into savings for unexpectable problems they and their

families may face. Another part of the American dream that has begun to be is the idea

that the next generation would be more successful or earn more than their parents. This

has proven to be almost unachievable to most people. In the article, “ Is the American

Dream Over?” by Marcus Lu, the author states, “Declines can be seen across the board,
but those growing up in the middle-class (50th percentile) have taken the largest hit.

Within this bracket, individuals born in 1980 have only a 45% chance of outearning their

parents at age 30, compared to 93% for those born in 1940” (Lu). Demonstrating the fact

that over the past couple decades the percentage of individuals outearning their parents

has decreased significantly. Recent generations were able to support their families with

just one income. Stagnating wages has caused future generations to not even come close

to earning as much as their parents. Botjh of these topics are examples of why and how

the American dream is not as achievable as it once was. Wages are lower compared to

how high they used to be years ago. Ultimitaly, the American dream is not as easily

achieved as it once was in recent generations. The American dream is depicted as

working hard and that eventually leads to the big American dream home. This dream is

unrealistic for most Americans and this leads to people doing things they dont need to do.
 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

Thesis Comments:

Includes specific, Includes multiple pieces Includes two or

meaningful, and of evidence (from 4 fewer sources
well-chosen evidence sources) that clearly
that relates to the relate to the thesis Some evidence
thesis 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: Started to at the end

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,
MLA Format double-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:

Austin,
There is a lot of good work in this paper, and it requires a little push to get it to the next level.
Some improvements to make:
● Please review MLA formatting, and make sure you break up paragraphs and indent at
the start of each one
● Need a works cited page
● Your thesis mentioned materialism, but I didn’t see that being backed up much in the
body paragraphs… consider homeownership and the idea of being more well off than
ones parents instead
● You sometimes have some funky talk → “The American dream that has begun to be”
○ I would recommend you read your papers out loud to catch these moments.
Papers shouldn’t be as informal as conversation, but they should flow like one.
Consider revising and resubmitting.

Grade: B-