The myth of the American dream exposed in Niall Ferguson's book "The end of the American dream? How growing inequality and social stagnation are reshaping us for the worse" . and “The Myth of Mobility” by Timothy Noah The common stereotype of the American dream is a house with a white picket fence, a terrace with a grill, children, dogs and, above all, happiness. This is what most people think about the American dream. Some might say that the American dream is different for everyone and that it is what everyone does with their life. Niall Ferguson and Timothy Noah are two men who argue that the American dream does not exist or, if it does, has disappeared. The American dream is really a myth, a simple term for mere luck, and it affects people because of all the misguided hopes and dreams of the middle and lower classes. Ferguson and Noah argue that social mobility is caused by the upper class, and I agree because, in my experience, the only thing that has ever mattered is what your last name is and how much money is tied to that name. In Niall Ferguson's article, “The End of the American Dream: How Growing Inequality and Social Stagnation Are Reshaping Us for the Worse,” Ferguson explains social mobility, inequality, and how the “American Dream could disappear. It begins with a quote from Elon Musk, which is an example promised by… medium of paper… America. Those of us who "climb a ladder" have simply found the ladder astray, an example of mere luck. In most cases, the ladder is very carefully passed down from generation to generation with a steel lock that a stranger cannot break. Ferguson and Noah present great points about why mobility doesn't exist. They talk about how your status depends on who "mom" and "dad" are and how the American dream is disappearing or non-existent. Your ability to move forward depends on who your parents are, so I hope you have the right parents. Works Cited Ferguson, Niall. "The End of the American Dream? How Growing Inequality and Social Stagnation Are Reshaping Us for the Worse." The Daily Beast August 12, 2013. Online. January 12, 2014.Noah, Timothy. "The myth of mobility". The New Republic 243.3 (2012): 14-17. MAS Complete. Network. January 6. 2013.