Contemporary Statement on the American Dream

“President Obama's approach embodies the values, the ideas, and the direction America must take to build a 21st century version of the American Dream in a nation of shared opportunities, shared prosperity and shared responsibilities.”

-Bill Clinton

This quote from former President Bill Clinton gives an idea of the contemporary ‘American Dream,’ on the election of Barack Obama. Much like the story of Ragged Dick, Clinton uses the election of Obama as an example of how the ‘American Dream’ is still present in the United States today; a man of humble beginnings is able to become the most powerful man in the country and this should be an inspiration for America to take forward.

The idea of “shared opportunities” that Obama wants to promote is not obvious in the Alger’s world, however this dream of a country where every person grows up with equal opportunities and responsibilities would then give characters like Dick a much fairer chance of success. The fact that Obama was elected on his “values and ideas” shows that even in the 21^st Century, the American people still believe that the ‘American Dream’ is still possible and this desire for everyone to be able to improve themselves and achieve, no matter what their background, is still present today.

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