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Eva Villegas

Ben A Jorgensen

English 1010

10 July 2019

Rhetorical of the American Dream and the Middle class

Why is so different to have American dream now days? In the articles RIP, the middle

class 1946-2013, McClelland talk about how his experience and living condition he had

experience in the 70s and also how in the 80’s the first great Recession change the way of living

for people in the middle class and also the lowest, and how the people manage to survive those

days. In the other hand the article American dream Death, Alive, or Hold? Written by Brandon

King Talks about the meaning of the American dream, and how was the goal of every American

citizen with great ambitions and also that people who achieved it was by working hard?

Therefore, these two articles talk about how the dream of every American citizen was shuttered

down by the economic recessions.

In the RIP, the middle class: 1946-2013, McClelland mentions that when he lived in his

hometown in 1970s people could dropout of high school and yet wouldn’t struggle economically.

Even more so, education back then was not even necessary for people to make a decent living to

support their families. But when the economic crisis hit American lives unemployment rates

started to rise in the 80s. In this example, McClelland appeals to pathos because the tone of his

voice, his approach of the topic, and the words he utilizes appeals to a feeling of remembrance

and fondness of those “Golden Years” in the American economy. Furthermore, his voice denotes

feelings of sadness and pity as it describes how the new generation of Americans are nowadays

struggling financially as a consequence of drastic economic changes.

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McClelland also gave some Examples where he supports his claim. Like the example

with the teacher and his ex- student in were his dropout high school student got an electrician’s

job and his wage was greater than him and also the neighbors of McClelland had better material

then him. With all those changes influence by the great recession made him remember of those

good days. He said, “I’ve always believe that the ‘70s are remembered as the Decade That Taste

Forgot because they were a time when people without culture or education had the money to not

only indulge their passions, but flaunt them in front of the entire nation" (Wisconsin taver 1).

McClelland think that the government is the cause of the financial change and that rich make

more profit by ignoring lowest population McClelland appeals to use logos because he found

statistics in where it show between twentieth century America where the economically was

burley overcome the hardest times and “Between 1970 and today, the share of the nation’s

income went to the middle class-households earning two-thirds to double the national median-

fell from 62 percent to 45 percent.” (1).

On the other hand we have the dreams. The article The American Dreams: Dead, Alive,

or on Hold? Talks about how important was the American dream for the people who in united

states, the dream was visualized in putting a lot of effort in working hard, while they still were

able so they can have future with warranty of material wealthiest when they get retire, but after

the Great resection the dreams change for many citizens the American dream was death by the

struggle of the economy. King appeals to ethos because the tone his voice by trying to convince

the public to believe that those dreams still matter.

Later on the economists and politics started to take action but King thought that the first

approach the government took was not the solution because by “raising the minimum wage,

which make labor more expensive, could force companies to cut back and hired fewer workers”
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(king5) also agree “government funding for wall street and struggling business make the

economy healthier” (king5) Similarly, statistics of unemployment where found on the great

recession in Paradis, 2009 article. (McClelland 2) King appeals to use ethos and logos by using

logical and try to convince the people believe to it that the death is not death yet but do to the

economic we have to approached it with a different perfect.

Conclusion the articles The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold? By king and

McClelland talked about that as the time passes the world of economic continues to change.

Furthermore, the upper, lower and middle class, is divided by the economy. Do to that the people

do not believe that the American dream is still alive. In addition, in the article The America

Dream say that the America dreams had not die yet; is just that every person think differently

what their dream is. Back in the day the Majority of the American Citizens of the United States

want to retire with a the joy of having material wealth while in contrast now days people only

want to have the live stability or better say to have enough money to cover the life expenses in

their retirement in their near future.

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Work cited

King Brandon, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” University of Cincinnati.

McClelland Edward (September 20,2013) “RIP, the middle class 1946-2013”