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1、TheAmericanDreamOnNovember4,2008,BarackHusseinObamaIIwasselectedasthe 44th PresidentoftheUnitedStates,andbecamethe first non-whiteAmericantoholdtheposition.MostreportsholdtheviewpointthatObama’ssuccessimpliedthe“ultimaterealizationoftheAmericandreamhadmovedalittlecloser”.Then,que
2、stionscomeintobeing,whatdoestherealAmericandreammean,andhowdoesitinfluenceaverageAmericanpeople’slife.1.Conceptsoftheso-calledAmericandream?Theideaof “American dream” candatebacktothe1600s,atimewhenpeoplebegantocomeupwithallsortsofhopesandaspirationsforthenewandlargelyunexploredc
3、ontinent.Manyofthesedreamsfocusedonowningland,obtaininggold,andestablishingprosperousbusinesseswhichwouldtheoreticallygeneratehappiness.AndpeoplelikethepreviousProtestantsalsoincorporatedidealsofreligiousfreedomintotheir American dreams.Theterm“Americandream”wasfirstusedbyJamesTr
4、uslowAdamsinhisbook,theEpicofAmerica,whichwaswrittenin1931.Hestated:theAmericandreamis“thatdreamofalandinwhichlifeshouldbebetterandricherandfullerforeveryone,withopportunityforeachaccordingtoabilityorachievement.”“Itisnotadreamofmotorcarsandhighwagesmerely,butadreamofsocialorderi
5、nwhicheachmanandeachwomanshallbeabletoattaintothefulleststatureofwhichtheyareinnatelycapable,andberecognizedbyothersforwhattheyare,regardlessofthefortuitouscircumstancesofbirthorposition.”InJamesTruslowAdams’sdefinition,“equality”isthemostimportantconceptoftheAmericandream.Actual
6、ly,theideaofAmericandreamisinaccordancewiththe UnitedStatesDeclarationofIndependence,whichproclaimsthat“allmenarecreatedequal”andallmanare“endowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienableRights”including“Life,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness”.Attentionhere,“equal”doesnotimplyequalbirth
7、orequalwealth,butequalopportunities.Inotherwords,everyonehasthepossibilityofprosperityandsuccess,sogovernment,eventhewholesociety,shouldmakeeffortandgiveeachpersonthesameopportunitiesforeducation,healthcare,wealth,andhappiness.Meanwhile,theideaofAmericandreamisnotequalto“absolute
8、equality”.WhattheAmericandreampromisesis
