Carolina Talavera Ilass 3 English Markus March 22, 2012 The Perpetual Rollercoaster of the American Dream

The American Dream may seem like a mere myth that appears throughout time and literatureit appears to be non-existent, like a thin thread of a spiders web. The American Dream has a reputation of being dead and often misleading people, in truth, the dream has been alive and well for a long time, it exists. The fact is that over time the values and base principles for which it stands for have changed. The American Dream fundamentals have gone from acquiring good fortune, to materials possessions pursuing high education and having a stable life all depending the time periods economic status and greed. In the 1600-1700s, the American Dream was based on hard work and by working hard, achieving wealth. The Puritans who lived in America were new to the wonders before them and in order to make a newborn America prosper, they worked hard to acquire a stable life, their demise was that eventually, the Puritans began to want more and thus emerged the self-serving idea that has now tainted the American Dream. In the 1900s the American Dreams principles were built on gaining material possessions, due to the changes of the puritanical beliefs. During the 1900s the American economy was thriving and citizens found themselves wanting more and more riches to add to their piles. In the 2000s the dreams fundamentals changed again, slightly, and Americans dreamed of wealth and prosperity. Due to the growing stability of the American economy, the Americans welcomed the tainted dream, pursuing material possession. The mindset of the 1900s

and 2000s and the values of the American Dream did not change until a financial crisis occurred, inspiring millions to work harder than ever. When the Puritans settled in America, they brought sacred beliefs with them that they strongly believed would help America flourish. They built America on a strong base, in hopes of prosperity. These Puritanical beliefs are the basic fundamentals that our nation has derived from and acquired the snobbery American life that has been passed down for centuries. The Puritans believed that if a person had material possessions, it was a sign that one had these possessions due to work and prayer. To them, wealth was acquired by working hard, long tedious hours and earning your possessions the hard way. They associated wealth and good fortune with goodness, which was associated with God. The pursuit of wealth came to have a meaning which transcended the mere desire to be more comfortable.Striving for wealth has become a way for Americans to ease their consciences , while ones morality is often measured by the ability to acquire material possessions(Pidgeon). With this, the beliefs of the growing society transformed, still combined with Puritan beliefs, and out emerged the tarnished American Dream. Over time, the dream was sustained on new basics: that all men are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights to liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness. As the years progressed, to the growing population of the world, America became the place where all were free to pursue any goal theyd had in mind. The Puritan influences gave Americans goals to achieve as well as a new idea: rugged individualism. This describes the idea of acquiring material wealth, an opportunity which permits any man to take. From this arises another idea of the American

Dream, that anyone, if one wishes, can make a fortune, rise to great heights and achieve (Pidgeon). The Puritans had a major influence over the American Dream. It was where it all began, and the place where the dreams fundamentals came about. Due to their strong religious beliefs and association of God with wealth, the road to the changing American Dream values was paved. The 1900s was an era of industrialization and a flourishing economy. The typical American Dream was to acquire an immense amount of wealth and a better social status. Americans deeply believed in the common trickle-down theory which is an economic theory that lets businesses flourish and expects that their profits will ultimately trickle down to lowerincome individuals and the rest of the economy (InvestorWords). This mindset was in the early 1900s where monopolies, like Rockefellers oil, got richer and inspired the poor to work harder for the longing of becoming rich that they had always had. Horatio Alger demonstrated this theme throughout his books where the poor boy goes through hard work and after a long struggle, eventually climbs the ladder of success, goes from rags to riches and earns the acceptance of the wealthy in the society (Pidgeon). These dime novels were often seen as the literary endeavors of America, giving people courage and hope to keep moving forward. This example is also found in the popular the Great Gatsby, where F. Scott Fitzgerald critiques American Dream values during the 1920s. He points out the atrocious manner of society and the general attitude towards life. In the book, Fitzgerald introduces the main character, Jay Gatsby (formerly known as James Gatz), a poor farm boy from North Dakota. Although Gatsby was unlucky and born into a family with no wealth, he was an intelligent young man who always strived for the best. Even as a young boy he made notes to himself that in order to become sophisticated, he had to study electricity and inventions, practice elocution and attaining it, and

work hard(Fitzgerald 173). Gatsbys dream, like many others living in the 1920s was to become wealthy and accepted by the sophisticated side of society. Hi dream to rise with wealth was pure and idealisticfor Jay Gatsby was an idealist. He had a sudden faith that the past could be recaptured and perfection of an individual in America was possible. However, in the novel Jay Gatsbys idealist notions were restrained by the coldness of reality. His experiences with the Buchanans tarnished his dream with more desires of money and his love for Daisy Buchanan. However, because of Jays self-serving dream, Daisy becomes his downfall. Throughout the novel, she is described as fickle, sardonic and shallow and only caring about money. She is the poison that is injected into Gatsbys dream and slowly lets it die. Her symbolism of money is what kills Jay Gatsby in the end, but not his dream. His American Dream of acquiring wealth and rising to greatness remains innocent and somewhat accomplished. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no matterto-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms fathers.And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (Fitzgerald 180). The dream of rising in society was one that many dreamed and caused to pursue so frivolously. But then again, in the 1930s when the stock market collapsed and the country was drawn into the Great Depression, Americans lost all motivation to continue with their dream. The collapse of the market kept them grounded from dreaming until the Unites States entered World War II in 1941. The countrys entry into the war gave people hope to defeat the evils and once again, surging production into the economy. The American Dreamthat had never died but was silently lurking in the shadows of the Great Depression arose, giving Americans renewed

faith. With all these examples, it is true that the American Dream in the 1900s existed and was full of a yearning for material possessions due to the thriving economy. Once the economic status took a dive, the dream values changed and lost its materialistic beliefs. In the same light, the shallowness of the American dream was reborn in the late 1900s, spreading into the early 2000s. Because of the growing stability of the country, Americans put their faith into the growing stock market once more and began trading and selling shares. The economic status increased due to the purchasing of houses. Eventually, in mid-2008, the housing market went up so high that the buyers could not afford the mortgages provided and thus causing bank failures once more and the downfall of large corporations like Bear Sterns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers (PBS). In a few week days, the market had reaches its lowest point since the 1930s depression. Businesses closing swept the nation and a recession took place, making millions of American lose their jobs, and homes to foreclosure. The trivial ideals of the dream that had influence the country did a 360 and changed. The dream soon became based upon keeping a home, earning a stabling living, living in prosperity, and providing key necessities (like education, food, shelter etc.,.) to families in need. Michael Honda a teacherturned-congressman began a discussion that addressed equity in the education system. As a former teacher, he understands the critical importance of education and the role it plays in todays society and is one of the many who strive to help other achieve the American Dream of a quality education. Since America has been steadily recovering from the recession of 2008, funds for the education system have decreased separating communities by class and ethnicity (Honda). This attacks the basic principles in which the nation and the American Dream were built on: the equal opportunity for all. Honda also speaks out against the stagnant achievement of reading , science and math throughout the last 30years and how this all threatens the

authenticity of the American Dream by deny each child equal access to realize his or her fullest potential...represents an attack on the American Dream itself because it threatens the viability of the middle class(Honda). Many say that the middle class is disappearing and that the American Dream has disappeared but others disagree. In a poll, 600 residents were questioned if they believe that they are personally achieving the American Dream. 68 percent of the 600 answered yes. The poll found that there was a strong belief that if you work hard, you can get results (Abraham). The poll also found that the positivity was not common among different ethnic groups. Latinos tended to be more positive than blacks and whites; they were most likely to agree that the American Dream is alive and well. They also agreed that America is the land of opportunity and that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can live a comfortable life (Abraham). To these people, when asked to provide their own definition of the American Dream, 40 percent responded with a secure job and financial success. As it turns out, many of the Latinos are immigrants and to them, life in the United States is more favorable than the Third World country they migrated from. To them, the vast opportunities of the Unites States seem ideal and impressive. The surveyed ethnicities hope for an easier way to have the next generation achieve their American Dream and well-being of the country monetary situation. Therefore, money does not always have to be lusted after for materialistic purposes. It can be desired for the well-being of another and the overall status of the nations economy. Money does not always bring a greater degree of happiness but success does (Brooks). The Puritans paved the way for the American Dream to expand and develop meaning. It evolved, representing different ideals based upon the nations economic status. The Dream began pure, with intentions of bettering the newly settled country and over time, the dream was tainted with the desire to acquire materialistic possession. As the years progressed, the belief laid hidden

in the American Dream, providing freedom, reliance and a desire for something greater (The CorruptionMaterialism). The dream continued into the 20th century, testing Americans by dangling the American on a tightrope during the Great Depression. The testing of the dream continued up to the early 2000s and the financial crisis of 08 enveloped the nation in a state of panic. Cynics say the dream has been dead for a long time. In reality, the American Dream is wide awake; occasionally falling into a short slumber due to financial crisiss taking a direct hit on the nations residents. The existence and values of the American Dream resembles a rollercoastertwisting and turning, achieving its highest point before plummeting down depending on an Americans perception.

Works Cited Abraham, Yvonne. "American Dream Is Alive Here, Poll Finds." Boston.com. 25 Oct. 2006. Web. 6 Mar. 2012. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/10/25/american_dream_is_aliv e_here_poll_finds/>. Brooks, Arthur C. "Can Money Buy Happiness?" The Journal of the American Enterprise Institue. The American. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. Fitzgerald, F.Scott. The Great Gastby. New York: Scribrer, 1925. Print. Honda, Michael. Preserving the American Dream. American Educator, Spring 2011. PDF. Inside the Meltdown. PBS, 2009. DVD. Pidgeon, John A. "The Home of American Intellectual Conservatism First Principles." First Principles. Spring 2007. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=166>. "Trickle-down Theory." What Is It and Meaning. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.investorwords.com/5075/trickle_down_theory.html>. Zuckerman, Mortimer B. "The American Dream Goes On." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 13 June 2008. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2008/06/13/the-american-dream-goes-on>.