【AskmostpeoplehowtheydefinetheAmericanDreamandchancesarethey'llsay，"Success．"ThedreamofindividualopportunityhasbeenpresentinAmericasinceEuropeansdiscovered"TheNewWorld"intheWesternHemisphere．Ear】
AskmostpeoplehowtheydefinetheAmericanDreamandchancesarethey'llsay，"Success．"ThedreamofindividualopportunityhasbeenpresentinAmericasinceEuropeansdiscovered"TheNewWorld"intheWesternHemisphere．EarlyimmigrantslikeHectorSt．JeandeCrevecoeurhighlypraisedthefreedomandopportunitytobefoundinthisnewland．HisenthusiasticdescriptionsofaclasslesssocietywhereanyonecouldattainsuccessthroughhonestyandhardworkfiredtheimaginationsofmanyEuropeanreaders．InLettersfromanAmericanFarmer（1782）hewrote，"Weareallexcitedatthespiritofanindustrywhichisunfettered（无拘无束的）andunrestrained，becauseeachpersonworksforhimself…Wehavenoprinces，forwhomwetoil（干苦力活），starve，andbleed．Wearethemostperfectsocietynowexistingintheworld．"Thepromiseofalandwhere"therewardsofaman'sindustryfollowwithequalstepstheprogressofhislabor"drewpoorimmigrantsfromEuropeandfuelednationalexpansionintothewesternlands．
OurnationalhistoricalstoryisfullofillustrationoftheAmericansuccessstory．Forinstance，BenjaminFranklinwastheverymodeloftheself-educated，self-mademan，whorosefrommodestoriginstobecomeawell-knownscientist，philosopher，andstatesman．Inthenineteenthcentury，HoratioAlger，awriteroffictionforyoungboys，becameAmerican'sbest-sellingauthorwithhisrags-to-richestales．Theideaofsuccessimpressedus：wespendmillionseveryyearreadingabouttherichandfamous，learninghowto"makeafortuneinrealestate（房地产）withnomoneydown，"and"dressingforsuccess．"Thestoryofsuccesshasevenaffectedourpersonalrelationships：todayit'sasimportanttobe"successful"inmarriageorparenthoodsasitistocomeoutontopinbusiness．
Butdreamseasilyturnintonightmares．EveryAmericanwhohopesto"makeit"alsoknowsthefearoffailure，becausethestoryofsuccessimpliescomparisonbetweenthehavesandthehave-nots，thestarsandtheunknowncrowd．Underpressureofthestory，webecomelostinstatussymbols：wetrytoliveinthe"right"neighborhoods，wearthe"right"clothes，andeatthe"right"foods．Thesesymbolsofdistinct