Essay Example of The Great Gatsby Book Review
- 7 June 2020
- 658 words
The American Dream is a recurring controversial topic in modern society. Individuals have developed different arguments to deconstruct what an American Dream essay is in a particular context of day-to-day life. In an academic setting, learners who engage in this discourse hold a particular weight of a proper expression of their arguments. Further on, a structured essay and its format are analyzed with a focus on an introduction, main body, and conclusion of a five-paragraph template. Moreover, a unique process of topic selection, outline development, and structured writing is exemplified using an essay titled “The Promise of the American Dream.” Other recommendations on narrow-scoped topics in order to explore a concept are provided as a starting point that students can use when writing their papers.
In contemporary discourse, there is much controversy over a simple meaning of the American Dream. Basically, people hold different positions on multiple aspects of such a concept in their essays and research papers. During schooling years, it is important to acquire writing skills and benefit significantly from reflecting on a particular influence of students’ recently acquired knowledge on their position regarding controversial topics. Upon completing a reflection essay process, a particular expression of one’s newly defined position is a next step in order to obtain writing skills. As such, a common format of an American Dream essay is presented to introduce readers to basic principles behind a concept. Moreover, a typical structure of a five-paragraph essay is explored with a valid support of an outline and a template. Finally, students may include different ideas in their compositions and need to avoid common mistakes.
According to its definition, an American Dream essay explores unique ideals and aspirations that define a particular concept of the American Dream, which is rooted in a belief that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success and recognition through hard work, determination, and initiative. The main purpose of writing an American Dream Essay is to critically examine a unique concept of the American Dream from various perspectives, considering its meaning, historical origins, evolution, and current relevance (Rogers, 2024). Such a composition involves analyzing social, economic, and political factors, and they shape people’s ability to achieve their goals and possible opportunities and barriers that some of them may face. In writing, an American Dream essay aims to offer a deeper understanding of what the American Dream means to different individuals and communities and encourages readers to learn about its impact on their lives and society in general (Cogni, 2019). In terms of pages and words, the length of an American Dream essay depends on academic levels and specific writing requirements, while general guidelines are:
High School
College (Undergraduate)
University (Advanced Undergraduate)
Master’s
Ph.D.
Section | Content |
---|---|
Title | Start by providing a particular title and giving readers an idea of an essay’s focus. |
Introduction | Provide context for the American Dream. |
Write a thesis statement that outlines a main argument or perspective of an essay. | |
Body Paragraphs | Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of a dream of opportunity. |
Begin all paragraphs with a topic sentence that introduces a single main idea. | |
Include evidence, examples, and analysis to support a topic sentence. | |
Transition smoothly between writing paragraphs to maintain coherence. | |
Conclusion | Recaps main points discussed in body paragraphs. |
Restates a thesis in a new way to reflect central arguments and evidence presented. | |
Provides a closing thought or call to action related to a pursuit of happiness. | |
List of References | Ensure all sources cited in an essay are listed in an appropriate format. |
Follow specified citation style guidelines for formatting references, like MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard. |
Note: Some sections of an American Dream essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, while a particular number of body paragraphs depends on writing instructions. In turn, to start an American Dream essay, authors begin with a compelling introduction that defines a particular concept of the American Dream, presents its significance, and introduces their thesis statements, setting up a stage for a thoughtful exploration of a given topic.
To write an American Dream essay, people thoroughly research a particular topic, develop a clear thesis, support their arguments with historical context, valid examples, and credible evidence, address various perspectives, and conclude by summarizing key points and reflecting on an actual relevance of success today.
The American Dream is a widely known concept, but there are some characteristics that can be identified as correct, comprehensive, and precise. For example, the American Dream is a complex national ethos that represents a unique belief that anyone, regardless of their roots or circumstances, can achieve success and recognition through hard work, determination, and initiative, reflecting ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity (Strain, 2020). Basically, freedom and opportunity are the most critical aspects of an essay on the American Dream to write about. In this case, freedom is essential to achieving goals because it provides an individual with a unique space to live freely without any oppression from their peers or the government (Wolak & Peterson, 2020). Moreover, equal access to opportunity allows each individual to pursue happiness and prosperity regardless of social class, gender, race, and other social or cultural factors that stratify society. Therefore, this concept may be defined as a set of beliefs, and they explain specific experiences of lives many people are expected to have in an ideal situation where their freedoms are protected, while no opportunity barriers exist (Mortimer et al., 2019). In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a good American Dream essay include:
Unique Experiences
People are born into families that provide them with a unique starting point for their pursuit of desired goals. For example, a particular financial capability, level of education, and cultural beliefs of an individual’s parents define a foundation on which a person begins to achieve desired goals (Hoyt et al., 2021). As a result, all people may be pursuing the same ideas when writing essays. In turn, it is not a level playing field because some individuals may find themselves in better circumstances than others. Furthermore, it is differentiated at a personal level because individuals with relatively similar starting points may have distinct outcomes (Mortimer et al., 2019). Based on this perspective, it is highly unlikely that any two individuals can attest to going through identical experiences when writing an essay. In turn, an example of a good hook for an American Dream essay might be: “Imagine a place where limitless opportunities await anyone willing to dream big and work hard — this is a real essence of the American Dream.”
Belief Systems
Besides particular circumstances of starting points, an individual’s belief system plays a significant role in their strategy of achieving desired goals. For instance, happiness and prosperity are broad terms that have contrasting meanings for individuals because there is no standardized scale for measuring happiness or prosperity (Strain, 2020). Moreover, one person may consider owning a car and house to be a sign of prosperity to write about. In contrast, another person may believe that providing his or her children with a college education is prosperity. Hence, these beliefs are imposed on desires and goals, which results in variations in a concept’s meaning for each individual to be covered in an essay. In turn, desires and goals are affected to a large extent by an individual’s beliefs regarding the things that make them happy or prosperous (Wolak & Peterson, 2020). Finally, an example of a good thesis statement for an American Dream essay might be: “The American Dream, while historically rooted in ideals of freedom and opportunity, reflects contemporary aspirations and challenges, making it a complex concept that continues to shape a nation’s identity.”
Challenges of Topic Selection
The American Dream is a concept that people can examine from a variety of perspectives, which makes a particular selection of an essay topic for an American Dream paper quite challenging. During a possible selection of an essay topic, it is essential to remember that no point of view is superior or more correct than another (Cogni, 2019). In this case, a particular weight of a single claim proposed in an American Dream argumentative essay is dependent on a writer’s ability to explain a position logically and convincingly. Moreover, in a presentation of a specific argument in any essay, it is important to adequately consider competing counterarguments that may arise in audience’s minds when writing essays (Rogers, 2024). In turn, a common failure to evaluate counterarguments critically may undercut an authority of an author, especially when writing for an academic audience.
Solution
Equally important, writers should select a topic that has a link with their personal experiences. For instance, an argument concerning an essay about the American Dream gains a sense of authenticity when writers discuss an issue that resonates with their beliefs (Cogni, 2019). It is essential because some passion is embedded in an essay. Furthermore, as a starting point for identifying an essay’s topic, writers may identify a “main concept” under review, such as equal opportunity. They can also think through their life experiences and single out events they consider invaluable in a particular position taken concerning a main concept (see an example of a simple brainstorming template). Finally, people should settle on writing a unique topic that is specific and can be argued out entirely within potential constraints of essay’s requirements.
Simple Brainstorming Template
Part 1: Introduction (Approximately 10% of the Word Count)
Hook
Overview of a Topic
Thesis Statement
Part 2: Main Body (Approximately 80% of the Word Count)
A typical creation of paragraphs in this section is based on a separation of ideas to ensure each paragraph presents one original idea. In turn, writing each paragraph in this section must follow a sandwich rule, which dictates a specific organization of paragraph elements:
Part 3: Conclusion (Approximately 10% of the Word Count)
Restating a Main Argument
Summary
Introduction
Paragraph 1
Main Body
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
Conclusion
Paragraph 5
Topic: The Promise of the American Dream
Introduction
Although we are different, we share a single dream. In this case, the American population is composed of people of different genders, races, education levels, religions, and disability statuses. Nonetheless, each American is entitled to a unique opportunity to make themselves better regardless of their underlying differences. Thus, an American Dream thesis statement is that it is founded on a particular promise of equal opportunity for upward social mobility.
Social Mobility
Social mobility is a multidimensional concept. It can be assessed using a variety of measures that attempt to quantify a particular change occurring in an individual’s life. For example, an ability of an individual to move along a specific social hierarchy may be described as social mobility. In turn, there are different measures of social mobility. However, each one is focused on a specific aspect of an average American’s livelihood:
Upward social mobility implies people can improve their position in a social hierarchy by improving their performance on any of the measures of social mobility. Therefore, upward social mobility is a desired outcome of a successful pursuit of desired goals because it suggests some form of self-improvement.
Opportunity
A real opportunity for upward mobility is vital in pursuing desired goals. Basically, access to opportunity is facilitated by some factors, such as access to quality education. In this case, an individual who has attended school and acquired necessary skills has a higher likelihood of securing a well-paid job. If people acquire jobs, it becomes easier to secure health insurance, buy homes, and improve an overall quality of life for their families. Moreover, they can only attain what they want if they are provided access to basic education, which prepares them to maximize any opportunities. However, it is difficult for an average individual to pursue opportunities without the government’s efforts to increase an ease of access to basic needs.
Equality Policies
Many barriers affect an average American’s ability to access positive opportunities, and they manifest in a particular form of discriminative practices in society. In this case, discrimination in society may occur based on a variety of issues, like gender, disability, religion, and race. Basically, personal biases create ideological differences regarding superiority in a social hierarchy. It pushes individuals to deny others access to opportunities and necessary skills to exploit those opportunities. Moreover, state and organizational policies against discrimination are created and enforced to maintain equality among Americans. These laws serve to eliminate potential barriers that exist between hard-working people and the American Dream. Consequently, equality among individuals ensures all individuals can take advantage of opportunities regardless of their gender, disability status, religion, race, and other social differences that tend to create boundaries between social groups.
Conclusion
Equality is crucial in a typical pursuit of the American Dream because it provides each individual with a unique opportunity to move up a social hierarchy. In this case, people can access upward social mobility by using various measures, which quantify an individual’s quality of life. Moreover, opportunities may exist, but individuals need to be assisted in developing themselves to a level where they can utilize the available opportunities. Hence, equality policies are useful in curtailing an actual power of discriminative practices in reinforcing social mobility barriers.
Element | Description |
---|---|
Historical Examples | Stories of historical figures or events that exemplify a unique pursuit of the American Dream. |
Economic Data | Statistics and facts about income mobility, employment rates, and economic opportunities. |
Immigrant Experiences | Accounts of how immigrants have pursued and achieved success. |
Social Mobility | Analysis of factors that influence upward mobility. |
Education’s Role | Writing about how access to education impacts future outcomes. |
Cultural Depictions | Examination of how the American Dream is portrayed in movies, books, and other media. |
Personal Stories | Examples or interviews with individuals who have achieved their objectives. |
Success Stories | Examples of people who have achieved notable success through hard work and perseverance. |
Challenges and Barriers | Exploration of obstacles, such as discrimination, poverty, and lack of opportunity. |
Comparative Studies | Comparisons between an ideal of freedom and similar dream concepts in other countries. |
Philosophical Insights | Theoretical perspectives on what constitutes a concept of success. |
Policy Analysis | Examination of how government policies affect people’s wealth. |
Future Predictions | Speculations on how a path to prosperity will evolve in the future. |
Critical Perspectives | Critiques of a dream of opportunities and discussions of its limitations and downsides. |
Literary References | Analysis of literary works that explore writing themes related to achieving success. |
Demographic Studies | Data on how different demographic groups experience a lack or presence of wealth. |
Impact of Technology | Discussion of how technological advancements affect a today’s meaning of success. |
Role of Innovation | How innovation and entrepreneurship contribute to modern startups. |
Family and Community | The influence of family and community support on pursuing their goals. |
Sociological Perspectives | Writing about how different social groups (e.g., immigrants, minorities) experience positive and negative aspects of a dream of opportunity. |
A typical capacity of a person to participate in a discourse on a controversial essay topic is nurtured through a continuous practice of structured essay writing. Basically, a particular concept of the American Dream may be approached from a different perspective, depending on the individual’s beliefs and personal experiences. Nonetheless, a written presentation of these points of view is achieved through a correct use of structured essays. In turn, a five-paragraph American Dream essay example examined in this article is a useful tool for a valid expression of any argument on such a topic.
Cogni, M. (2019). From sentences to essays: A guide to reflective writing through reflective thinking. Vernon Press.
Hoyt, C. L., Burnette, J. L., Forsyth, R. B., Parry, M., & DeShields, B. H. (2021). Believing in the American Dream sustains negative attitudes toward those in poverty. Social Psychology Quarterly, 84(3), 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/01902725211022319
Mortimer, J. T., Mont’Alvao, A., & Aronson, P. (2019). Decline of “The American Dream”? Outlook toward the future across three generations of Midwest families. Social Forces, 98(4), 1403–1435. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soz130
Rogers, D. (2024). Writing better essays: A rhetorical guide to writing and revision. Equinox Publishing Ltd.
Strain, M. R. (2020). The American Dream is not dead: (But populism could kill it). Templeton Press.
Wolak, J., & Peterson, D. A. (2020). The dynamic American dream. American Journal of Political Science, 64(4), 968–981. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12522