Questão 17 - UniRV RIO VERDE 2023/2

 What is the American Dream?

 The “American Dream” is a sort of ethos or set of beliefs that drive many U.S. citizens as they work toward creating a life for themselves. This set of ideals – which includes notions of individual rights, freedom, democracy, and equality – is arguably centered around the belief that each individual has the right and freedom to seek prosperity and happiness, regardless of where or under what circumstances they were born.

 A key element of the American dream is the belief that through hard work and perseverance, anyone can rise “from rags to riches,” becoming financially successful and socially upwardly mobile.

 American writer and historian James Truslow Adams best captured the definition of the American Dream: “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement,” with neither social class nor the circumstances surrounding their birth being a barrier to success.

 The Origin of the American Dream

 The American Dream is rooted in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. That document, created by America’s founding fathers, says two key things that are largely responsible for shaping what the classic American Dream is. The declaration says that “all men are created equal” and that each man/woman has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

 It’s important to note that the U.S. Constitution – the legal foundation that delineates how the government shall operate on a daily basis – reiterates this idea in its Preamble, noting that its purpose is to help “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

 The Many Versions of the American Dream

 Throughout the history of the U.S. – both before and after it became an independent nation – the American Dream has changed, going through a variety of forms and meanings while maintaining as its essence the core beliefs of freedom and happiness in place.

 In its earliest years, the dream was centered around the lure of westward expansion and frontier life within the U.S. In 1774, Virginia’s Governor, John Murray, said that most Americans were constantly imagining that “the Lands further off are still better than those upon which they are already settled.” He also noted the constant dissatisfaction and desire for even more and even better when he said, “If they attained Paradise, they would move on if they heard of a better place farther west.”

Disponível em: corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/american-dream/

Assinale V (verdadeiro) ou F (falso) para as alternativas:

 

( ) O texto aborda a questão do Sonho Americano, e a forma como é frequentemente apresentado em filmes de Hollywood.

( ) O texto inicia apresentando a definição do que seria o Sonho Americano: um conjunto de crenças de cidadãos americanos para a construção de sua vida.

( ) É central no conceito de Sonho Americano a ideia de que todos têm o direito de procurar prosperidade e felicidade, não importando sua origem ou condição social.

( ) Segundo o texto, as raízes do Sonho Americano encontram-se na Declaração de Independência dos Estados Unidos, porém a Constituição do país, elaborada posteriormente, não retoma esse conceito.