What is the American dream? For the first settlers it was the dream of building something up from scratch, and the hope for equality and freedom. After this the American dream has had many different meanings through the American history.
Today the American dream is a matter of discussion. For some it is still the dream of making your way up on the social ladder, in spite of gender, class and ethnic background. For others it is the opportunity to achieve the prosperity they could not achieve in their countries of orgin. To many, the idea has grown very mistrustful, since a lot of historical incidents have made it questionable. There are even those who claims, that the American dream does not exist any more.
All things considered, the American dream is today individual. It depends on your historical, political and economic background and opinion.
Emma Lazarus’ poem The New Colossus from 1883, describes a positive view of America.
“(...)From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome”. As you can see from the quotation, the Statue of Liberty symbolizes the light that shows the way for those who seek a better life.
It describes America as a country of freedom, that welcomes the outcasts and wretched so they can be free. (cf. l. 7).
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