The Evolution Of The American Dream Over Time: Then And Now

Before my mom came into the United States to be an accountant, she lived in Manila, Philippines for 28 years. She lived with her mom and her 3 siblings and grew up in a polluted area. She thought that life would be better in the US, and eventually became an accountant. She thought about quitting her job to find another one with a higher salary. She needed to provide enough money for her family back in the Philippines, including me. She really loved her job and didn’t give up her American Dream. However, she feared that she wouldn’t have enough money when she retires. My mom decided to work two jobs in order to keep her family stable. She achieved her American Dream although, she has another job that she’s only doing for money.

The American Dream is not about greed or how much money you earn. It should be about freedom, individualism, and doing what you love the most. People should stop buying unnecessary items and should focus more on their necessities. Some people who followed their American Dream are having a hard time trying to pay basic needs such as food or houses to stay. In Shanzeh Khurram’s article “Is the American Dream Becoming Too Materialistic?” and Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy, Khurram and Joe Bonaparte, had similar point of views on the American Dream. As a consequence of Joe’s greediness, he was not able to achieve his American Dream. Khurram concludes that people are obsessed with luxury goods that are unnecessary.

The American Dream encourages other people to achieve their personal goals in their lifetime. A lot of people came to US to pursue their American Dream. The American Dream, defined by James Turlow in his article “The American Dream”, is a life that should be “better and richer and fuller,” with a ton of opportunities for each individual. Each person should be seen by others for who or “what they are,” not because of the dream that they chose. Everyone has a different opinion on what the American Dream is, making every person unique in many different ways. However, it’s not about “a dream of motor cars and high wages,” but rather, a dream of happiness and success. We all have a different “ideal purpose” in life, a value that we all possess as an individual.

Unfortunately, different jobs allow each individual to have more or less money than others, causing a majority of society to work for money. Khurram, the author of the article “Is the American Dream becoming Too Materialistic?”, thinks that the American Dream is slowly becoming too “materialistic.” The American Dream should not “revolve around luxury goods.” In spite of the fact that the American Dream should be about “individualism,” people are buying unnecessary products like expensive clothing, or the latest iPhones. An obsession with wealth unrolled all over the country. Rich people often “compare their status” to other people all around the globe. Sadly, people today are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on “solid gold bags, or private jet planes.”

Shopping at expensive stores and wasting a lot of money on irrelevant items will not bring you happiness. With the help of the internet, millions of people see advertisements telling them “how a certain car, shoe, or phone,” will somehow make our lives more acceptable and more “fulfilled”. It seems like there is “no end to the products that people want”. People were brainwashed by these commercials. Wealth can change who you are in so many different ways, even without you knowing.

A lot of people prioritize money instead of their own happiness. America has a weaker job markets, and a very slow economic growth. Joe Bonaparte, A character in the book, Golden Boy, written by Clifford Odets, chose to give up his dreams, simply because of his selfishness. By doing this, Joe “murdered himself”. Joe wanted to be “two other guys”. He had the choice of becoming a musician or a boxer. He has been objectified. People are buying him for money.