The first principle of the American Dream is that the dream is open to all. The possibility of starting over, of living a better life, is a theme deeply present in American culture, in all socioeconomic statuses. Hothschild argues that people cannot reasonably pick up and start again, weakening the principle that the dream is open to all. The successful ones have become the face of the Dream, to the exclusion of many others. The right to succeed only applies to those who begin to succeed. The second principle is “reasonable anticipation” of success. For this reason, Americans may be willing to take greater risks to improve their lives. Here Hothschild emphasizes that as long as resources are plentiful enough or expectations are low enough, all will be well. The loss of resources reduces the availability of the Dream, however since the Dream only offers possibilities, there are no guarantees. The right to success applies only to those who are successful. Those who may be most disappointed are those who believe in absolute success, but as opportunities diminish, expectations become more realistic and the focus shifts from absolute success to relative success and competitive success, changing mood and political climate of the nation. by those who are very successful, it sometimes takes a toll on their psyche, especially when they realize that success may not be worth the publicity, but failure is infinitely more painful, in part because people tend to be judged based on to that failure. It also serves to remind those who succeed that it is better to endure, because failure is equated with poverty, which in turn is equated with death. Even though failure is more often than not the result of achieving the dream, there is nothing to... middle of paper... in any direction. “Virtuous success” empowers some groups over others. While the American Dream embraces the individual ideal of success while simultaneously embracing the monetary definition of success, it creates a sense of shame for those whose idea of ​​success does not conform to accepted norms. . Hothschild reminds us that “the very process of assigning monetary value reduces a series of values ​​to a single, subtle value.” He believes it is an inherent flaw in the ideal. In closing, Hothschild reminds us that the language of the Declaration of Independence is optimistically aspirational and if we were all born into the same resources and socioeconomic strata, the American Dream would actually provide the opportunities it offers. While the words provide strong hope and optimism, for most Americans the practical applications are not at hand.