Is The American Dream Creating An American Nightmare

Is The American Dream Creating an American Nightmare? Children are told from an early age that they can become anything they want to be, and people flock in droves to the United States, â€Å"The Land of Opportunities† to achieve this American Dream. Author, James T. Adams, coined the term American Dream in his book â€Å"The Epic of America† as, That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.† (Adams p.214-215) It is true, people in this country do have the opportunities to become anything they want to be. For many, obtaining a college degree is their route to success. By 2018, 60% of jobs in America will require a college degree. (Carnevale,†¦show more content†¦There are opportunities to mold future generations and create a lasting legacy. Teachers have the benefit of weekends and holidays off and longer summer vacations than most other careers. One incentive that isn’t offered by this career is a high salary. The national average salary of a high school teacher is $57,200. (Occupational Outlook Handbook) Teaching is one of the lowest paying careers that require a bachelor’s degree. In addition to lower pay, there isn’t typically a high demand for English teachers. The highest demand for teachers is in the fields of math and science. (Occupational Outlook Handbook) Considering the national average of $96,244 for a bachelor’s degree at a public university and the national average pay of a high school teacher, it makes the dream of becoming a high school English teacher seem harder to attain. Many factors can go into making a bachelor’s degree in English with teacher licensure more attainable. One of which is choosing an affordable university to attend. The state of Arkansas has two university systems and ten accredited private universities. (college scorecard) Three of the more well-known universities are the University of Arkansas with an average annual cost of $14,143, the University of Central Arkansas with an average annual cost of $11,087 and University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) with an average annual cost of $7,536. (collegeShow MoreRelatedEssay On The American Dream936 Words   |  4 Pagesreligious persecution. Starting with the European settlements in the 1600s and many waves of diverse groups of people migrated after thus creating this ideology known as the America Dream which encompasses the opportunity at a better life and growth in all aspects political, economic religious etc. But at what cost what is often forgot is the American nightmare whic h is included the perverse and horrifying accounts of colonialism, diaspora and slavery. 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