The Ever Changing Reality of the American Dream

This was a fun essay to right. We had to write an exampled filled essay on a topic that we have covered in class this term. I chose the American Dream. Please enjoy.

“The Ever Changing Reality of the American Dream”

     Nothing is more exciting about being an American then chasing the American Dream. From an early age, we are all told that if we work hard that we will succeed in life. Things like a large house in the city, that brand new Maserati in the driveway, and all the money that you could ask for have all been synonymous to chasing the American Dream. Yeah, OK. To be honest, I don’t know anyone with a Maserati or even a small pile of cash to call their own. We have come to know the American Dream as a rag to riches kind of story, and yet, most of us do not know anyone personally who has accomplished this. Does that mean that the American Dream is dead as we know it? I think so, but I do not believe it is dead in its entirety; I am very positive that the American Dream is just changing with the times. There is a man by the name of Brandon King who wrote an article called, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold”. According to Mr. King, “[He] would redefine the American Dream today as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future.” The essence of Mr. King’s argument is that the American Dream is not dead, gone, or forgotten, but how it has changed, dare I say, evolved over time since the “American Dream” was conceptualized. It is no longer about starting off poor and ending up rich, but more about leading a genuinely happy and stable lifestyle.

     On the one hand, I can remember hearing stories from my grandfather, who was a World War II veteran, about when he came home from the war you “got a good job and stayed with it for the rest of your life.” My grandfather worked for the local power company as a line layer for about forty years. He was the guy that hung the new power lines from pole to pole, and in the case of a disaster, repaired said lines. He had insurance, steady raises, and a retirement package. He was never a rich man, but he provided for his family and that was all that mattered to him. Looking back on my grandfather’s life story, I would say he lived the American Dream in his own way. No, he didn’t retire with a seven-figure bank account, but he was secure and content with himself. On the other hand, nowadays it’s hard to find a job that wants to keep you for 5 years, let alone forty. My grandfather did not go to college; he didn’t have to go to college. In today’s job marketplace, the bachelor's degree is becoming the new high school diploma. In order to land even a good job here in the 21^st century, a higher education is almost necessary to compete with other applicants. Because of this, people are now going to school between two and six years at the least. Now, it’s not to say that we cannot obtain the same sort of “American Dream” vision as my grandfather did, but due to the rise in population, increases in technology, and the ever changing economy, we have to work that much harder to obtain that same level of personal victory. And if you think about it, that’s what the American Dream is all about to begin with! If we work hard, the potential is there and we will succeed. It’s just different than it used to be. In that sense, yes, the American dream is still alive.

     Americans have been fighting inequality since this nation was born. The American Revolution was due to unfair taxation by the British government, the Civil War due to slavery, and the Civil Rights movement was to grant equal rights to all. Even now, we deal with issues like gay marriage and equal rights for women in the workplace. With all of these very real inequality issues ongoing to this day, does inequality play any part in the fundamentals of the American Dream? Lets just say if Inequality was the name of a pony at the races, I would bet the whole farm and the neighbors new Maserati on his or her's next race and win by default! Like I said before, historically the American Dream is a rag to riches story. So how is a college drop out working as a Sandwich Artist at the local sub shop, making minimum wage, supposed to culminate his life in the Nirvana that is the American Dream? This is a trick question; he does it just like anyone else! Who is to say that this man's version of the American Dream is any better then the next man's? Brandon King agrees when he writes, “We may have genuine inequality issues and a sizable divide between the rich and the poor. . . .The American Dream, however, is based on perception, on the way someone imagines how to be successful.” In making this comment, Mr. King urges us to to think outside the box in that being rich doesn't always mean fat back accounts and fancy cars, but in what way we value our own lives and how we live it. Sure, if your idea of the American Dream is to get a M.B.A. and make it big in business or on the stock market, then go ahead and do so. Others will be just as happy growing organic fruits and vegetables for the local farmer's market. The point is, if you can start with nothing more then an idea and make a living doing something you love to do, who is to say that you’re not living the American Dream! No one and this is a big deal! If the American Dream involved starting a multimillion dollar company that manufactures designer belts for chipmunks just to be successful in life, no one would want to follow through. It is important to find your own way to the American Dream.

     In short, the American Dream is not only a rag to riches story, but it is what you make it. The American Dream in nothing shy of finding that right moment in life and seizing the day. Sure, there will be times of hardship, vast inequality, and moments in life where the towel gets tossed in the ring. Just remember, nothing in this world is free, and when you're down and out, you just have to keep getting back up. With enough hard work and perseverance, anyone can and will achieve their own version of the American Dream. I'm sure of it.

Zackary Bruley ©2013

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