Saturday 24 November 2012

Week 10: Is the American Dream still alive?

The American Dream Is Alive



Source: Korn, M. The American Dream Is Alive, But It Doesn't Come Easy: Sports Memorabilia CEO. The Daily Ticker. 14 September 2012. http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/american-dream-alive-doesn-t-come-easy-sports-122746944.html Retrieved 24 November 2012

This was a fairly recent article on an interview with Brandon Steiner he talks about how he is living the American Dream in this decade but it doesn't come without hard work, dedication, perseverance and what is interesting is that he goes on to say how having a passion about what you do will inevitably separate the winners from the losers.

A similar representation of an earlier story of achieving the American Dream stems from Horatio Alger Jr. book, Ragged Dick. Whereby both Ragged Dick himself and Steiner didn't come from any type of privileged background at all all but both grew up poor. Therefore they both compliment one another in the way they work during their own era in order to earn a living growing up, by boot shining for Ragged Dick which is typical for the 19th Century and Steiner who hustled for money; both living in New York. Also they both had a lot of responsibility at a young age.

The idea that success isn't achieved overnight is a common theme present in Ragged Dick and the interview with Brandon Steiner expressing that he believes as the article states 'the American Dream is still "alive" but notes that overnight success rarely happens, if ever'. Thus relating to the way Steiner talks about "If you're really committed to something, just be prepared to put in 12 to 15 years doing it".... "If you want to have something very successful...it starts with commitment,".
Ragged Dick is an earlier product of this with the collection and saving of money in Dick's case showing that he had commitment along with him trying to learn how to read and write in order to become successful and achieve his dream.

As a result, both Ragged Dick and this interview are  depictions of how the American Dream is still 'alive' throughout America but in different decades. And yet the idea that hard work, commitment and being passionate about what you are doing will inevitably help you in becoming a successful person, is still a key foundation on how to achieve and live the American Dream.

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