The American Dream as it used to be and what it as evovled into: How has the American Dream effected the way hurricane Katrina was handled?

Essay by SuperSoerenHigh School, 12th gradeC, October 2006

download word file, 10 pages 5.0

Introduction

What is the American dream today, and how did it start out to be? Has it at all changed, and if, why did it and when? How did it change and who changed it? These are all questions which I hope to answer during the making of this report. The reason why I've chosen this specific topic is that the American Dream different, not to talk about drastic. The Dream allows for big financial and social successes, but it's also the root of great poverty and materialistic mentality. I've tried to analyze the situation the hurricane "Katrina" left the poor in, and how the American Dream has effected this situation. I hope you enjoy reading my project as much as I've enjoyed creating it.

What is the American dream?

The American dream is the ideology held by most Americans. Believing in the American Dream, is believing that prosperity can be achieved merely through hard work, courage and determination.

This was the general opinion, amongst many of the European pioneers, who supposedly were the first to settle in America. The ideology was passed down, from generation to generation starting with the settlers. The settlers of the New World didn't wish to continue the model of government and economics, that they were familiar with from the Old World, quite the contrary. Their model gave way for unprecedented freedom, and the model especially allowed for possibility of drastic social upward movement. Meaning that if you work hard and determined, the possibility of going from very poor, to very rich was real. This possibility was massively enhanced due to the consequences of The War of Independence. It was this, because a great part of the American physical resources were yet unclaimed and was left with no ruler. This meant the promise of landownership...