The American Dream

The American dream was a set of beliefs that shaped the “American mind”. There are three central assumptions: America as a New Eden, A Belief in Progress, and Triumph of the Individual. In the belief of America as a New Eden, people believed that America is a land of beauty, bounty, and unlimited promises. A Belief in Progress is a belief that is about “optimism”, people believe that life will keep getting better and people are always moving toward an era of greater prosperity, justice, and joy. Triumph of the individual is where people believe in the importance and ultimate triumph of the individual. These optimistic beliefs are shattered by the horrible impacts of the World War one and the economy crash. Americans believed world will become a better and better place, and nothing really bad will happen. They believed that America is the perfect place for a perfect society; it is beautiful, bountiful, and full of unlimited promises. But every society has it’s own flaws and shortcomings. The major flaw of the American society is the issue of slavery. The American dream was once battered by the civil war, and now the World War I batters it again.