What promotes social growth in a society? How do countries diverge and emerge from certain aspects and ways of life? The “American Dream” is an idea. It has been at the center of American politics since the country’s birth in 1776. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, stated the key phrase that the “American Dream” stems from, as the principal author, in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (US 1776). It is not what these unalienable Rights are that has been debated politically and socially throughout history but rather how the government should help the people achieve the “American Dream” as well as whom these rights belong to. Cal Jillson, a professor at Southern Methodist University, Jennifer Hochschild, a professor at Harvard University, and Nathan Scovronick, a Dean at Princeton University, are authors of renowned books that explore aspects of the “American Dream”. By observing the conversation illustrated through comparing and contrasting these prestigious authors’ works it can be determined that although the “American Dream” may be achievable, the public school and education system present obstacles which stand in the way of many wishing to achieve it. Hochschild explores the attributes of success as well as the flaws they impose on the “American Dream” in her book, Facing Up to the American Dream. Hochschild states that she identifies with the common popular belief that success is “the attainment of a high income, a prestigious job, economic security” (15). However, to Hochschild, success can be absolute, relative or competitive. Absolute success as Hochschild defines it, “reaching some threshold of well-being, higher than where one began but not necessarily dazzling”(16), is an interesting concept. This definition promotes the idea that the “American Dream” is subjective to the beholder. Relative success is “better off than some comparison point” (16). A person, born into poverty that does not have a stable income home, who eventually advances their life to the point of obtaining their own stable income by means of a minimum wage job might not seem successful to those of the upper class. However, according to both absolute and relative success, this person ought to be considered successful. The third attribute of success, competitive, is very common in the capitalistic society of the 21st century. Competitive success, “achieving victory over someone else”(17) is a root for many of the problems the “American Dream” withholds. There are four tenets of success that Hochschild claims flaw the “American Dream”. These tenets are “everyone may always pursue the