For my example of the American Dream and contemporary success I'm using Chris Gardner.
From his childhood, Chris Gardner faced many struggles, from being raised by a single mother, of whom he and his siblings were taken from and put into care due to her abusive boyfriend, and her unstableness.
Once he graduated he joined the navy, married and had a son. After he was discharged from the Navy he worked as a medical research associate and for a scientific supply distributor. After the birth of his son he was adamant that he would find a career that would better his financial issues so he could better provide for his family, but do to so without a collage degree. He applied for a training program at brokerages, and whilst doing so he was living on barely any money. Because of this his wife ended up leaving him but due to his own childhood and not having a positive male influence to grow up with, he fought to keep his son with him, and not with his mother.
He managed to get a place on the training program, but the salary was so poor, that him and his son became homeless. During the day he would take his son to daycare, and he would go to his training program, but in the evenings and nights he would struggle to find a safe place for them both to sleep. They would end up sleeping in cheap motels, in flophouses, on public transport and even in a bathroom at a subway station. He eventually asked a reverent if he would let them stay at a church's shelter for homeless woman, to which the reverend thankfully agreed.
Throughout the program, Gardner never let on to his co-workers how awful his life was outside of the office.
Due to all his hard work and commitment during the program, he was awarded with the job as stockbroker at the end.
From there his persistence and strive for better in life has shown through his accomplishments.
He became a top earner when he worked at Bear Stearns & Co between 1983 and 1987.
After that he founded the brokerage firm Gardner Rich.
In 2006 he became CEO and founder of Christopher Gardner International Holding.
Today he is very much involved with helping homeless men, women and families that are employed yet struggling to live as he was.
He has worked with and on behalf of organisations such as The National Fatherhood Initiative, The National Education Association Foundation and The International Rescue Committee. And he is also still very committed to the Church, where he and he son received help whist they were homeless.
Chris wrote the book The Pursuit of Happyness, which was a book based on his life and struggles as a homeless single parent and how he went from rags to riches.
He also wrote the memoir Start Where You Are: Life Lessons In Getting From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be.
The Pursuit of Happyness was then turned into in motion picture, in which Will Smith played his character. When asked about Chris Gardner, Will Smith said "Chris represents the American Dream.
The image of success that Chris Gardner as an example presents, I think matches quite well with that of Ragged Dick. Although Ragged Dick was a homeless child and we don't actually see how he turns out past the book, I think key aspects are present in both. Both Gardner and Ragged Dick have poor childhoods, both are shown to have little or no qualifications and they both show a determination to better themselves regardless of this. In Ragged Dick, he is taught how to read and write to better his opportunities, and Gardner joins a trainee program to gain new skills to acquire a job.
I think Chris Gardners story is very incredible one, which goes to show that regardless of your background, your childhood, or your qualifications, with the right attitude and determination in life, that you can succeed.
