The American Dream Analysis - Coursework Example

The American Dream Order No.247097 October ‘08 The American Dream For almost three decades most people in Americahave been pursuing a dream, a dream known as the American Dream. A dream where people looked forward to a better future, better standards of living that included a house, a car and so on. The dream was a modest one and with a growing economy it became a reality for many. But today circumstances have changed drastically. America is in the grip of a huge financial crisis and for an average American the American Dream has become a distant one. Terms like “recession” and “depression” are slowly replacing the American Dream. Instead of dreaming for a better future, the situation is such people are struggling to hold on to what they have. The term American Dream was used in 1931 by James Truslow Adams in his book, The Epic of America. Adams (1931) said the American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." There are many definitions of American Dream to choose from. John Winthrop visualized it as a religious paradise in a "City upon a Hill." To Martin Luther King, Jr. it was racial equality.  To the common man it meant different things. For some it was being given a fair and equal chance to achieve the good things in life like happiness, material prosperity and most importantly economic security. For some the American Dream was the pursuit of material prosperity meaning bigger cars, and fancy homes. For some the American Dream the emphasis was on a simple fulfilling life. It did not focus only on financial gain. For some others the American Dream was beyond their reach. These belonged to the working poor who had to work hard for survival. The American Dream meant that for those willing to work hard, save and abide by the rules, America provides a better chance to prosper than any other place in the world. One common thing in all these definition is the quest for money. Today it mostly means material prosperity and today material prosperity depends on one’s capabalities or abilities and not on a class, race, religion or any ethnic group. For some it means it means the opportunity to gain greater material prosperity than than they would have achieved had they been living in the country of their origin. To others it means giving an opportunity to their children to receive a good education and good careers. The American Dream sums up the dreams and ideals of generations of Americans. In the period of unprecedented global growth and economic stability a simple dream of a house, a car and a family arrived. It soon became an advertising agency’s delight. Savvy marketers through television game shows, lottery marketing devices and advertisements have exploited the American desire to become rich. They have been using these ploys to show Americans an easy way to achieve their dreams. They say that luck and not necessarily hard work can help you in your quest for money. The immensely popular television game show is one such example. Meanwhile the country today is in a deep financial crisis and the middle class are being squeezed as never before. They have lost their homes and life savings and an economic insecurity is staring at them. The middle class in America symbolizes the American Dream, and with the middle class going through such a difficult phase the American dream now has to be reinvented. The dream which involved having a good job, buying a house and sending children to good schools now has to mean something else with jobs hard to come by. Hard work which used to help realize the dream will not be of much use in the present conditions. Jennifer Hochschild (1995) who says the American Dream is “the soul of the nation” believes “that in some ways the American Dream has been a failure because only a handful can realize it in its fullest sense.” The American Dream today remains distant and out of reach. You can see it in the fact that millions of people working full-time are still living in poverty. Today the situation is such that millions are losing their homes, jobs, credit cards and are in debt. The national currency is falling, manufacturing sectors are being exported to other countries. Owning a house has indeed become a dream. Many are filing for bankruptcy. The majority of people have seen their living standards becoming worse by the day what with wages falling or stagnating, college education proving to be a financial burden, economic insecurity and insecurity at the workplace. All this has proved to a nightmarish experience, especially for the middle class. Economists and sociologists fear that the current economic crisis will put the American Dream of the middle class at risk and may change entirely a way of life. The middle class represents the American Dream, and with the middle class in such dire straits and on its way down there is a possibility of the Americam Dream going down as well. Why did this happen? The main cause is corrupted values .The American Dream was all about an individual’s and a family’s quest for happiness and security. It was about equal opportunity to compete for things that would bring prosperity for all. But in today’s situation it does not quite work that way. The pursuit of the American Dream has led to enormous exploitation of nature and of people. It has also resulted in pollution of natural as well as cultural environments. For instance rainforests are being destroyed, land reforms thwarted to give cheaper food, consumer goods like refrigerators and air conditioners, the possession of which is part of the American Dream have resulted in the depletion of the ozone layer family farms being wiped out by automated, factory farms that provide cheap food products from tortured animals and land. Another consequence is that certain individuals have amassed huge wealth and have come in the way of other people acquiring wealth and power. People think that prosperous conditions can go on forever. But it is becoming increasingly clear that that are limits and people have begun to worry. The American Dream today is no longer simple and it is only for people who have millions to spend. Today it is all about manipulating situations. Americans in the early years of pursuing the American Dream of wealth and success tried to realize the dream through hard work and saving for the future. However the dream is getting eroded and is being replaced by the “get rich quick" philosophy. Americans are not willing to work but are looking at shortcuts to wealth. Hard work and ability is being replaced by terms like dot.com millionaires and financial wizards. Today it is all about manipulating situations. Too much consumerism or what one calls consumer-oriented economics has proved to be a disaster. As Matthew Warshauer (2003) says, “Many Americans no longer entertain a vision for the future that includes time, sweat, and ultimate success.  Rather, they covet the shortcut to wealth.  Many who are engaged in work view it more as a necessary evil until striking it rich.  This idea has been perpetuated by a massive marketing effort that legitimizes the message that wealth can be obtained quickly and easily.” Looking at the present scenario one is tempted to ask: Is the American Dream dead? One can only say that it is not dead but has certainly taken a beating. In the present situation it is not possible to pursue the American Dream unless some changes take place. What is needed today is a tightening of the belt by all. Big corporations have to change their style of working and assume responsibility for steadying the economy. Here the words of Tom Atlee (1990) are very true and significant. He says “What is needed is a new Dream - one not so riddled with contradictions, violence and alienation. One that replaces The Poverty of Affluence [a book by Paul Wachtel, New Society Publishers, 1989] with a rich life of community, deep connection with ourselves and others, and real fullness of living.” He further adds our new dream should end the Old Dreams destructiveness, provide deep satisfaction, and interest other countries whove been attracted to the Old Dream and support a just, peaceful global society. References 1. Adams James Truslow (1931) , The Epic Of America, Simon Publications (November 2001) 2. Atlee Tom (1990), The Conversion Of The American Dream, Retrieved from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC26/Atlee.htm on 29/10/08 3. Hochschild Jennifer (1995), Facing Up to the American Dream, Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/facing-up-american-dream-salem/facing-up-american-dream on 29/10/08 4. Warshauer Matthew (2003), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire:  Changing Conceptions of the American Dream, Retrieved from http://www.americansc.org.uk/online/American_Dream.htm on 28/10/08 Read More