In
his latest book, The Price of Inequality, Columbia Professor and Nobel laureate
Joseph Stiglitz examines the causes of income inequality and offers some
remedies. In between, he reaches some startling conclusions, including that
America is "no longer the land of opportunity" and "the
'American dream' is a myth."
Stiglitz provides a contemporary view which
heavily doubts the notion of an achievable ‘American Dream’. He points out that average income has
seen a serious decline, further weakening the opportunity of the so desired ‘American
Dream’, along with a lack of quality health care and education for those in
desperate need. Individuals in the top one percent of the United States wealth bracket,
are the ones with the control and ability to achieve this dream. Stiglitz
predicts an increase in this unfair divide and reveals the harsh reality that unfortunately
majority of Americans will never attain the so highly regarded dream. Inequality
is a significant theme in the novel Ragged
Dick, and the disappointing truth that not everyone’s dreams can come true is a crucial part of the plot.
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