American Dream 2,0 - from Richard Cory to a Meaningful Life Story - Case Study Example

November 11, The American Dream 2.0: From “Richard Cory” to a Meaningful Life Story The traditional American Dream is one that gives importance to material wealth and cultural and intellectual breeding, as can be seen in Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem, “Richard Cory.” Cory seems to have everything that stands for the American Dream- wealth, good looks, intelligence, and cultured attitudes. He embodies American Dream 1.0. However, when Cory killed himself, he also shot the traditional definition of the American Dream. Apparently, this dream involves more than wealth and intelligence, for it also relies on being happy by living a meaningful life. Several sources show that the idea of the American Dream is evolving and actually being more complex and less materialistic in nature (Chavez; Zogby). For them, it is still about economic stability, because to have basic needs is also important in having a good life, but it is also something much more. The American Dream refers to material security, not necessarily exceptional wealth, and, more importantly, it refers to the meaningfulness that people find in their lives by enjoying human rights, having a fulfilling career and peace of mind, and making the world a better place. The American Dream is about the attainment of material security. The traditional American Dream requires home ownership and having material things that offer comfort and convenience. The traditional symbol of the American Dream is a house surrounded with a white picket fence. It means having a house where people can raise their families. In the article “John Zogby: The American Dream Redefined,” John Zogby’s survey reveals people who believe in this are called “Traditional Materialists.” Materialists believe that the American Dream “meant some form of financial success: the acquisition of goods, a bigger house, a home with a piece of land around it and so on” (Zogby). Owning a house and property is a staple of the common notion of the American Dream. Thirty-three year-old mother of two Annie Shelby thinks that the American Dream also means having basic things of comfort. She says: “Besides a house, the American Dream is having a car, appliances, and electronic communication gadgets, like smartphones.” This dream means being financially secure which is measured through having a house and some basic things, like a car, appliances, and electronic gadgets. The American Dream has its material side that enables people to have a comfortable modern life. Apart from having a house and material possessions, material security can also be attained through a college education. Definitely, people can get rich without a college diploma, but numerous people continue to see a college degree as essential to their American Dream. Howard R. Gold, in “Price Tag for the American Dream: $130K a Year,” computes the components of the American Dream. He adds college education because many people see it as important to their dreams. Shelby agrees and says: “I finished college, and so should my kids. My American Dream is based on a sound college education and no one can change that for me. A college degree is a stepping stone to the American Dream too.” Despite the high costs of college education in the U.S., the American Dream seems to be incomplete without it. This is not surprising for a culture that places importance on college education. Having a college degree is part of the American Dream. The American Dream, however, is not about being rich only, for even if a person is very rich, he may still be unhappy and feel empty. “Richard Cory” describes a man who has it all. Being particularly rich and cultured seems to be what the American Dream looks like, at least traditionally. The speakers of this poem are a group of people who are poor or part of the working class. They say: “We people on the pavement looked at him” (Robinson 2). The pavement is the symbol for the poor and the working-class. Due to their socioeconomic status, their idea of the American Dream is being rich, educated, and cultured. They describe Cory as “a gentleman from sole to crown” (Robinson 3), “[c]lean favored, and imperially slim” (Robinson 4), “always quietly arrayed” (Robinson 5), “always human when he talked” (Robinson 6), and “richer than a kin” (Robinson 9). He might even be good-looking because he “fluttered pulses” (Robinson 7). Cory has everything, or so it seems. The poem says that he killed himself: “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, / Went home, and put a bullet through his head” (Robinson 15-16). It was a good day, but Cory had a bad one. He must be sad or mentally ill, but either way, by killing himself, he is not exactly the American Dream after all. This dream is not about being wealthy and feeling empty inside. Because of what happened to Cory, the American Dream does not require becoming extremely wealthy, though it still demands sufficient material security. Gold says that most people do not want too much money. Thomas Hirschl, co-author of the book Chasing the American Dream and a professor at Cornell University, stresses, that for some of the people they interviewed, the American Dream is “not about getting rich and making a lot of money. Its about security” (Gold). It is about having enough to have a good life, even when one is retired. Shelby also says that she does not need to be wealthy. She says: “A middle-class life is good enough for me. I just want a comfortable life where I don’t need to worry if I get sick, or worry about the bills. Just enough and some comfort is already a good happy life for me.” The American Dream is no longer about being very rich. The middle-class life is already the attainment of this dream for many people because it is already a comfortable life for them until they reach old age. The American Dream, however, goes beyond financial security because it also means living a meaningful life which cannot be attained if one does not have basic human rights. One of the most overlooked aspects of this dream is the political aspect of it, particularly having human rights. Shelby volunteers for organizations that help marginalized sectors. She says: “The American Dream is a political one too. It’s about being free to live and work, to have right to property, to have equality, to have privacy, and to have freedom of speech. A lot of people forget that they cannot even dream if they’re second-class citizens.” Indeed, the American Dream is about having human rights, the ability to have the access to basic rights and freedoms and having a government that protects these rights. It is a dream of political empowerment. Besides having human rights, the American Dream is lived through a rewarding career. Many people wish to do a job that does not feel like a job at all. In an interview with comedian Jimmy Tingle, he reveals that the American Dream is doing the job he loves: “Being on stage with a microphone, I was an author, writer, inventor, and entrepreneur. To me, that’s a big part of the American Dream” (Berghaus). He has independence and freedom in his career which makes him happy. Shelby notes that having a great career is also the American Dream. She says: “I used to have an office job, and it sucks. I don’t like an office career at all, so I started my own catering business. I am the boss and I feel that I’m growing as a person and entrepreneur.” To have a fulfilling job that makes one happy is definitely a good life. The American Dream means living that dream career that gives a sense of independence and control. Apart from a rewarding career, the American Dream also refers to living a meaningful life by being at peace. More and more people think that the American Dream is being able to sleep at night because they have not wronged anyone. Zogby learns that some people find the American Dream as more about real living and giving. He says that people who believe this are called Secular Spiritualists. Spiritualists are at peace with themselves because they do not prioritize material things (Zogby). Instead, they prefer to do things without harming others. They like nurturing their souls more than their banks. Shelby stresses that she thinks that the American Dream is having peace of mind. She says: “I can’t say I have the American Dream if I’m always stressed out. I want a life where my conscience is clean because I don’t step on other people to get where I am or because I don’t look down on others because of discrimination.” She is also a Spiritualist who believes in the inner things that matter. This definition of the American Dream relies on the feeling of inner peace that comes from being a good person. A meaningful life is also about helping make the world a better place. Zogby says that Spiritualists think that “life was about being genuine, about achieving a legacy larger than ones self, about leaving this earth a better place for family, community, and planet” (Zogby). They compose 42% of those whom he surveyed. He notes that the Spiritualists are increasing in number too compared to Traditional Materialists who are 31% of the surveyed population. This data means more and more people are being aware of what they want to leave behind. In a personal interview with Juan Chavez, a nineteen-year-old college student who volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, he stresses that his American Dream is helping people have better lives. He says: “My dream is helping people reach their dreams. Their happiness is my happiness.” He finds meaning in his public service. The American Dream is others-centered too. The American Dream has a new version. American Dream 2.0 has multiple dimensions. It has social, economic, political, and spiritual sides. It is about being a free individual and being a good member of society. It is about being rich within by being free and having peace of mind and by living in a community that they can contribute to. It is no longer about being filthy rich or being an indifferent person. It is not about money only or things that people own. The American Dream is the pursuit of higher goals in life that go beyond self-interests. American Dream 2.0 is the new dream of many people who want a comfortable and meaningful life for them and future generations. Works Cited Chavez, Juan. Personal Interview. 7 Nov. 2014. Gold, Howard R. “Price Tag for the American Dream: $130K a Year.” USA Today, 4 July 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. . Shelby, Annie. Personal Interview. 7 Nov. 2014. Tingle, Jimmy, and Vincent Straggas. “Defining the American Dream.” BU Today, 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. . Zogby, John. “John Zogby: The American Dream Redefined.” bbc.com, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. . Read More