Hey guys, Connor again, I thought some more about what was said in class today and now that I think about, the concept of the American Dream as a whole took a pretty good bashing. People seemed to say that it was regionalized, out of date, and misleading. The American Dream itself, is not only different in meaning to each person, but the general sense of the word is also constantly evolving and adapting as time passes. In general terms, it refers to the achievement of an individual's goals in life through hard work and perseverance. Originally this goal was definitely regionalized and associated solely with the US. We especially think of early immigrants coming here, it is true that many of them did face crowding, discrimination, and hardship here, but that is equally comparable to what many of them left. Look at the greatest waves of immigration in our history. Was it better back in Ireland during the great potato famine when people were dying b the thousand? Was it better for a second son in England who could not inherit property and was more or less on his own in an area more overcrowded and with little to no unowned land? No, despite hardships we have learned about faced by these immigrants, in many cases it was still preferable to what they were leaving. And that's why they kept coming.
Today, I think that it has taken on a more universal meaning. I was watching a news report the other day. They were interviewing a young French man. In France there is a government mandated 40 hour maximum work week for most citizens. The boy was complaining, he said that it limited his own opportunity to advance himself and that he wanted the opportunity to pursue his own version of the American Dream. The concept in itself is one of the things America has come to stand for. I think that it is something that should be valued.
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Connor, I also believe that the American Dream is something to be valued/cherished. But due to its evolution, I do feel that it has become a tool easily manipulated by many. It has somewhat become an like an elitist club, as if the phrase is suggesting that ONLY Americans (you must fit a certain definition) are capable of attaining the dream. If you are not "American", you have automatically become illegible.
I do find it to be regionalized. Willy Loman, an urbanite, had his American Dream rooted in business. Biff Loman, dwelling in rural areas, had his American Dream rooted in agricultural work. Gatsby tried his best to abide by the stylish way of life in East Egg. Since similar people frequently congregate, values of these grouped peoples are found to coincide, and we know that the American Dream stems from one's values.
Isn't the American dream just a bunch of relativism? It changes as the times do. So do the people. All we can do is adapt and hope for the best. Goodnight.
(Sam Maliha)
I kind of disagree with the general consensus that the American Dream is, like you said, outdated and not for everyone. While the American Dream has been tailored to the age (buying two cars in the 1950s vs providing for a family on a blue collar job in the 1960s) the general theme is the same.
Additionally, the assumption that, since many immigrants in the early part of the twentieth century came expecting streets "paved with gold" etc, modern-day immigrants come ignorant and gullible is untrue. Many people come to America not because they are dreaming lofty dreams of wild successes but because America is a land of (greater) opportunity for most people. Even other industrialized nations do not have the same resources and lifestyle available to Americans.
While I'm not by any measure completely pro-American, perhaps our dismissal of a concept so integral to our society is too hasty? Since most of us have lived in the US (except Connor, I guess) for the better part of our lives, we regard our situation as the norm when it is usually the exception.
Sure, the American Dream may result in disillusionment, but it is far from being an empty principle. It is attainable through hard work. It says that even if you are not exactly suited to your path in life, you can still succeed. That this country will provide you with the resources to fulfill your potential, should you choose to pick the semi-correct one.
Biff references to himself as a square peg in a round hole (or was it the other way around?). He, however, still had the opportunity to become a farmer in the Midwest or a salesman on the East Coast. We often see Biff as a failure of the American Dream to look after all "Americans" or our society in general. But was it Biff's fault, the society's fault or the fault of the existence of the American Dream? I doubt that it is primarily due to the latter.
In light of our class discussion today, is the American Dream ever truly attainable? As we discussed, we as humans tend to have an unending hope for something better, and once we reach what we have been striving for, it becomes the norm and we must yet again find something to strive for.
Also, Mr. Laz mentioned the idea of a "dream" involving fantasy. Does the definition of "dream" involve something that one hopes for but has not yet attained, reached, or acheived? In other words, if it is acheived, does it fail to be a dream? Again, I repeat my original question: is the American Dream ever truly attainable?
Emily T.
Its Connor, to answer Emily's question, both no and yes. The American dream can be satisfied. In the case of immigrants and such the American dream involves rising to the norm. For many others it revolves around achieving an immense goal. Once any of these individuals have achieved that they will most likely recognize that. Will people then cease to strive for something more? Not likely. People will always reset their goals from what is their current norm. Life is a pursuit. we are always trying to get or achieve something, and we can be perfectly happy doing that. Then we get into the living into the preset expectations, anticipation thing, and thats a bit too much for one comment. The American dream is attainable, but we will never stop trying to attain more in life.
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