The American Dream is absolutely still possible.
However, the modern American Dream has transformed and evolved into something
that is completely different than when the phrase was originally derived. It is
not longer having a white picket fence around your home, a stable job and beautiful
and educated children. It is being stable in the middle class, having a good
education and being out of debt. Achieving the American Dream is extremely
difficult and has been since the idea started. To achieve the American Dream
you have to work very hard, put in long hours and sacrifice your time. Once you
achieve the American Dream, you cant become complacent.
It
is hard to achieve the new American Dream when the middle class is almost
impossible to stay in. In the article “From Nickeled to Dimed”, Barbara Ehrenreich is a struggling maid trying
to get work to stay in the middle class. Throughout the article, we see her day
to day struggles in her work. She works tirelessly to maintain an income but
sometimes she works all day and there is nothing to show for it. She does keep
a good attitude about her situation and she does so by enjoying the things she
was able to pay for.
In the
article, “RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013”, Edward McClelland tells different
stories of families that have struggled in the middle class from 1946-2013. He
goes in detail about the situations Americans are put in with little to no
government help. McClelland believes that the government should take more
responsibility for the problems with the middle class. He says “American dream
as ‘not being in debt.’ They’re not trying to get ahead, They’re just trying to
get to zero.” This is quotation is important to the central idea that the new
American Dream is possible, the middle class just needs some government
support.
I agree with what you are saying about the American dream transforming. Everything is transforming daily and nothing is the same as it was 20 years ago. 20 years ago the American dream was that white fence around your house like you were saying but its not anymore. I do feel that a majority of society’s priorities have changed. I also agree with you when you say that the American dream is hard to achieve because it is easy when you start with something but when someone starts from the bottom with nothing it does take a lot of work. I also do think that everyone does kind of have their own American dream depending on this and where a person started. Like with the ladies in Nickels and dimes” I think that a lot of them are trying to make the best for themselves even though it isn’t always easy and its not ideal. Rosalie is there working and she still doesn’t have enough money to buy a soda but she is there working and eating what she can. People make do and work with what they have and I think that hard work shows a lot. Personally a hard worker with a little house looks way better to me then a lazy one with a big house.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Meagan that the idea of the American Dream is still very obtainable but it has changed over the years. It is also true that the middle class is being diminished. Recent stats have shown that the dispersement of wealth has changed drastically. Now there is pretty much an upper class and a lower class, there is no middle. The fact is that right now most people are either wealthy or impoverished, not many people are living comfortable in the middle class. I also like that you included the part saying that most people are just trying to not be in debt. Because in order to make a decent buck you have to have a higher education but this often times puts you in the hole.
ReplyDelete