Blog 8/The American Dream

What is the American dream? Well actually that’s for you to decide. Most people consider it to be the “perfect” life. Is it having a big house with the white picket fence, the perfect family, a great job that you never complain about, and not having to worry about if you’ll make ends meet with next week's pay check? Many people have different dreams, especially when you consider different ages, gender, and nationalities. In a response of no less than 250-300 words comment on the following: 

What is the American Dream and how has it changed as America has changed?  Is the American dream based on illusion?  How realistic and possible is it to achieve?  Who might possibly achieve it?  If you'd like, try experimenting by writing in the voice of someone different from yourself. You may respond in the form of a letter, poem, email, etc, or you may simply write a paragraph. 

Return later in the week to comment on at least ONE of your classmate’s post.

Comments

[salsaboy]

My dearest Sapphira,
I have finally made it to America and I cannot wait to send for you and your brother. How are you two? How are Noni and Mommi? I have been looking for a nice house that will suit all of us, but homes here are expensive! I will find a job soon and start to make money so I can bring everyone over. I miss you so much my little gem and I cannot wait to hear from you. Love, Papa.

Dear Papa,
How is it there? Is it everything that the men at the docks say it is? Golden bridges? Buildings that reach to the shamayim? Money growing on trees? I miss you so much papa, so does Gilead but he’s too cool to say it. When are you going to come and get all of us? We all missed you and your speeches at Shavout, even Noni. I love you papa and I can’t wait to see you! Sapphira.

My little yehowah,
Everything here is busy and fast paced. It is hard to get any sleep at night because of all the qol at night and because you all aren’t here with me. I have a job now! I’m working at the Israeli Ambassadors office in the Empire State Building. I heard something on the news here that there are attacks from Palestine's getting nearer to you every day. I will ask the Ambassador to send for you all as soon as he gets back from the capitol. I have a house big enough for all of us! There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and our neighbors work in the building next door to me. They are very nice people and they wish to see all of you when you get here.
I’m sorry yakiri, but there are no Golden bridges that I have seen. But the building that I work in does reach the shamayim! On the top floor you can touch the hand of Yahweh as he smiles down upon you. And money is not that easy to obtain my yehowah. I must work hard almost every day to be able to bring you over to America my ahuv sheli. I’m sorry, but I wont be able to come and get you myself, but some of the Ambassador’s men will come and get you, I promise, as soon as he returns from his visit with the President. Ani O'hev O'Tach, Papa.

For two months, there was no reply to his last letter. The day before Papa received Sapphira’s letter, a stray missile hit a house across the street and sent debris raining down upon his family's house, collapsing the ceiling. Sapphira and Gilead were out in the yard when the blast went off and were hurled backward with a force great enough to lift a car, killing Gilead and paralyzing Sapphira. She would live out the rest of her days in a hospital bed, never regaining consciousness.The rest of the family, out at the nearby street market about three blocks away, rushed home as soon as the blast sounded out. Upon arrival, Sapphira was taken directly to Bat Yam hospital in Tel Aviv.

During the next few months, Papa sends multiple letters to the family, but they all come back non-deliverable. Upon his return from Washington, the Israeli Ambassador meets with Papa, telling him that his house collapsed due to a nearby missile impact. He also told him that his son was killed by the blast and that his daughter was in a coma under medical care in Tel Aviv. It seemed as if his breath was pulled from his lungs as Papa fell to the floor, his head heavy in his hands. Life was taken from one of his own aklah, and Papa knew nothing of it until now. His dream of bringing his children to America and allowing them to live freely in peace was now over. Nothing could bring Gilead back, and nothing could save Sapphira now. Papa knew that he would have to abandon his newfound life and return to his family, not knowing that the night before his arrival in Tel Aviv that his gem, his yehowah, would pass into the shamayim, only to be held once more by her father at the top of his empire’s tower. Papa knew, as of then, his dream must live on, for the sake of his little angel.

[salsaboy]

Hebrew translations:

shamayim- sky or heaven
Shavout- Jewish holiday usually in the month of May
yehowah- angel
yakira- my dear or my darling
ahuc sheli- my love
Ani O'hev O'Tach- I love you (male to female)

Sapphira loosly translates to "beautiful" in Hebrew, while Gilead means "endless joy".

Noni and Mommi are actually plays off of italian for grandma and mother, and are used by my brother's wife's niece, which is possibly my niece-in-law? or something.

[Diesel]

The American Dream means bettering oneself and his or her family so that the future generations of the family have it better off than the previous ones. It is different for every person. For some it is living in a nice house with a nice yard and in a good school district; for others it could be holding a job and being comfortably able to cover the costs of living. It is not based on allusion because millions of people have done it before. There are the Andrew Carnegies and the Bill Gates who have started out as poor or middle class and become some of the richest men of all time. Then there is the middle class. They are able to support themselves and their family as well as consume extra unnecessary luxuries. There are very few limits on rising through the ranks of classes. It is possible, usually never easy and taking hard work, to rise through the ranks from the lower class all the way to the upper class. The American Dream does have its limitations though. Sometimes there are barriers, such as race, religion, gender, and ethnicity, which make it very difficult for certain people to achieve the American Dream. As a country, the American Dream is to make the U.S.A. the best place to live in the world. The U.S.A. can achieve this by having all its citizens trying to achieve their own individual American Dreams so that competition brings out the best in the country.

[Diesel]

Tyler, that is the most interesting blog post that I have read so far this year. You did a very good job of creating a story for your information to be relayed. You wrote with great realism and regionalism by using the hebrew words.

[AlexW]

The title of 'the American dream' has always struck me as a contradiction of terms. As if all the people in this country, the country most known for its diversity and variety, all share the same dreams and the same goals. But, then again, it has always been a concept I've struggled with, I think, mostly because I've spent my entire life in a country where to live is to dream. I'm so fortunate and blessed that it's hard for me to even conceive a place or a time where a dream is simply a dream, with no hope for realization. But I think that's what the whole idea is about. America is the land of opportunity. As long as people come here with a dream and with determination, there will always be hope. The American Dream is the knowledge that, because of the country that I live in, I have the power to make my dream become a reality.

I don't think 'the American dream' is more of an illusion than any other dream is. It all lies in the hands of the dreamer. As in all aspects of life, the people who want it badly enough, no matter what it is, are the ones who will make it happen. A lot of times, people associate 'the American dream' with money or material wealth but I think that's only a small part. Sure, the desire to be financially stable is a given for most people, but beyond the yearning for possessions, there is more to being happy than money. And if I had to guess the one dream shared by all, I would say that everyone wants to be happy and content. How we all get there and what it takes to make it happen differs greatly for each individual. But knowing that every day that we get out of bed we have the opportunity to get one step closer is my dream as an American.

[AlexW]

Mac, I like what you said about competition driving the country. Because, when you think about it, the greatest achievements have been when someone has felt the need to prove something to someone else.

[EmilyL]

I think the American dream is the ability for those who live in America to achieve all that they can possibly dream of. It is not something that is guaranteed by living in this country but something that is available to you if you are willing to put time and effort towards it. It is not a uniform life that one will achieve through it, with the same family, job and living style, but it is something created by the individual. The opportunities are endless here and it is our job to take advantage of them. That is what I consider the American dream, the ability to take advantage of the innumerable opportunities set out before us. With the freedoms we have in America we are enabled to do this and to fulfill our own ambitions and goals for our lives. The American dream has changed throughout the years in regards to the opportunities that are available to the American public. With how far the country has come so many more opportunities have been opened up, broadening the horizons of what the American dream can mean to the people.
The American dream is something that is achievable to everyone, old, young, male, female, as long as they put in the effort and have the drive to accomplish what they dream to do with their lives. The typical characterization of the American dream with the “perfect” spouse, “perfect” job , “perfect” house, and a lot of money does not necessarily fit with all Americans is that is not what their main ambitions and goals are for their lives.

[EmilyL]

Alex-
I agree with what you said about money only being a small part of the dream. the view of the dream has been skewed towards money, but I believe in reality the truly universal dream is one of happinessa and contentment.

[Amy]

The American Dream is to be able to provide a house, money, and happiness to oneself and ones family. As America has changed the size of the house and the amount of money has increased. The whole aspect of trying to achieve more than what you had in the past has stayed constant throughout the years. With past generations becoming more and more affluent, the American Dream becomes “inflated” if you will. Everyone is able to achieve the American Dream as long as they are willing to put forth effort and have a strong work ethic. It is harder for people who are already wealthy to easily define how they have achieved the dream although they have more opportunities. Their “American Dream” is harder to define because when they achieve higher standings in money and class, it’s not as obvious as someone like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Opera who have gone from having nearly nothing to being some of the most influential people in Hollywood. Opportunities to achieve this “American Dream” are harder for people of lower classes who might not have the best education or face other hardships such as disabilities, but there are some who can still overcome their past to achieve what they want in life. If you look hard enough there is always a way to improve your life in at least one aspect. The happiness aspect of the American Dream is harder to achieve and harder to define. Even if you have absolutely everything you ever desired in life, you can still be unhappy. There are people who have “nothing” (as defined in a materialistic matter) and are content and happy with the life they live. I don’t believe it’s what you have that makes you happy; it’s how you live your life. Happiness is definable only by the individual, so not only does that make it hard to achieve (until you figure out what makes you happy that is) it also is difficult to judge who is happy and who is not.

[Amy]

Emily-I agree with you when you say a lot of the "American Dream" has to do with the opportunities which are available to us, there are so many things we as Americans are able to do soley because we live in America

[stud hoss]

The American Dream is different for each person. It depends on your background, where you live, and your family possessions while growing up. For example, a poor person from the Bronx will not have the same idea of the American Dream as a spoiled rotten rich kid from Buckhead. My American Dream is to get a degree from a well respected college, become a doctor, own my own lab, have a loving and well connected family, and plenty of money to go along with it. I would rather have a loving family and love my job, than be loaded but unhappy. Many people’s dream is to just be loaded, not thinking about the happiness factor.
The American Dream has changed over time. The dreams that the American Indians had were not even close to the same dreams we have today. They dreamed of catching the biggest bison and we dream of becoming rich. The way someone develops a dream depends on their surroundings and possibilities that are presented to them in life.

[LaurelD]

The American Dream as defined by Google is, “the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did”. I think that when people first came here, to America, this was in fact the case, but now I think things have begun to change. In my opinion, people don’t necessarily want to have a better life than their parents, they just want to do whatever it is that they desire. Most people are now driven by their aspirations of fame and fortune; I don’t think it is a better life they strive for, just the notoriety and money. This sounds cynical, I know, but how many people can you honestly say want to just have a better life than their parents? No one says these kinds of things anymore. I think motives have become vainer. I am not too sure people now seek to improve in the long run, everything now is immediate gratification. Though, I can’t define everyone in this way because I know that there are so many people in the world who come here for our almost endless opportunity. For a large portion of people who come to this country as well as many of those already living here, nothing is more important than creating a stable life for oneself and their family. I think anyone can achieve the American Dream, mostly because it is defined by the individual. One of my friends finds that being a trophy wife is her American Dream and another thinks that helping the world by making new medical discoveries will be her American Dream. In my honest opinion, I think that they both can do it. If it is something you really want and you pursue your dream you can have anything. America is the land of opportunity, so if a person is willing to be dedicated and work hard for what they want, no one can stop them. I think the American Dream has evolved now because of America’s new opportunities. No longer is the American Dream the same idea as it used to be: a family, a secure job, a nice house with a white picket fence, etc. The American Dream is now anything and almost everything. It just depends on who you ask!

[stud hoss]

Amy, I completely agree with the 3 things you said make up the American Dream- ability to provide a house, money, and happiness to oneself and ones family. These 3 things are the most important and if provided will bring many positive things to a person's life.

[LaurelD]

Amy,
I agree with what you say about people being able to improve at least one aspect in their lives. I am not sure if people would say improving themselves makes their American Dream, but like I quoted in my response the American Dream is, "the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did". So, if an improvement betters a person, maybe they ARE achieving the American Dream.

[Polo Bear]

The USA has long been known as the land of opportunity. The original dream people had when they chose to come to America was to have the freedom to do anything they wanted, the freedom to be free. For immigrants such as Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt this meant the freedom to create a fortune and the ability to rise above their circumstances and go from rags to riches. 

Nowadays for me at least the American dream is the ability to grow up in a country where you don't fear for your safety every day. In Honduras there is much crime and drugs. The power of the druglords has corrupted the country and it's previously ousted ruler. Th crime in te country has been causing many people to flee the country so they can come to the united states where they would feel safe. One of my dads friends from high school had his house robbed and was facing threats from the mob. He decided to move his entire family out of the country and when his dad stayed behind he was kidnapped for ransom and after they recovered him they brought him to the united states as well. Most recentley, my uncle had his house broken into while they were in the house and they were held hostage while they were being robbed and it wasn't till the neighbor who is also a member of the family came in with a shotgun and scared them off harming one of them in the process. After this experience they no longer wish to live in Honduras and want to come live here. They see, as many immigrants coming here do, the freedom to change their life and the safety in knowing they can have a better life here. 

[Polo Bear]

Emily, I agree that this is a land of opportunity but that it has to be worked for in order to succeed. Also the one size fits all aproach doesn't work like said and to each person it means something different.

[salsaboy]

Amy- Exactly!
Lisandro- Growing up in an environment that is safer than that of the country you come from. That is one of the main reasons that people immigrate to the U.S., for a better, safer life, free to live how they wish to.
Mac- I appreciate the comment. :)

[5HopeG]

I believe that the American Dream is a desire to have a well paying job that will provide someone and their family enough money to buy homes, cars, and other purchases that make them happy. Over the years, America has become more materialistic and people have to purchase the latest gadgets for themselves. With the economy, Americans make less money which causes them not to be able to drive fancy cars and live in luxurious homes surrounded by white picket fences.
Anyone can have the American Dream regardless of their race, gender, or age because there are so many opportunities in the United States. The American Dream is possible to attain because someone who grew up in a small town with no money could grow up to be a wealthy celebrity. People who are able to reach this dream are those who are dedicated and smart. They also have to maintain a confident, determined personality.
I think that the American Dream is based on illusion. Parents teach their children to dream about their future and it is only natural for kids to have high hopes for themselves. Because of their dreams, most people want to attend a well known university, get a well paying job, and have a lovely home for their family. Although this is an amazing idea, many people are unable to live like this because with life comes unexpected surprises which may change their plans. I love the concept of the “perfect” American Dream, but sometimes people set their standards too high and they are unable to reach their goals for their future.

[5HopeG]

Laurel: I agree that most people only dream of becoming famous because they connect the idea of a celebrity to money. Money doesn’t bring happiness and fame is not the most important thing to care about when it comes to dreaming about the future.

[KatiePh]

Everybody has their own idea of what the ‘American Dream’ really is, which makes it impossible to pin point the exact identification of the American Dream. But the one aspect that every American has is to have a better life than previous generations. People have set the standard, and every American tries their hardest to improve and create better lives for themselves and the people in their life. This is created through money, respect for others, peace and many other qualities that people try to encompass in their lives. Back during the great depression, money was a big part of the American dream. That is what everyone wanted. It still is, but back then that is what people really needed to survive. Which brings me to another aspect of the American dream. The American Dream also consists of providing for your family. Americans dream of being able to have the necessities to live, and then some. Americans want a well paying job that gives enough money for the necessities and some extra money for the things we want. We also have an American dam of providing for our family in the sense of keeping each other strong. We must provide emotionally too. The American dream is definitely not based on an illusion. It may be altered a bit by what the entertainment world portrays the American dream, so it may seem like an illusion. But the American Dream is real. Many American are living their dream. It may consist of just enough money to get by with the love of your life by your side, or having enough money for a lifetime. The American Dream is what you want with your life.

[KatiePh]

Amy, I agree with what you say about how some people can not have much, but still live a happy life. For many people, the american dream is just to live a happy life because you only get one.

[Demosthenes]

I like to believe that most everyone has their own version of the American Dream, including people of far-off lands who have never seen our glorious nation and have no means or intention of doing so. The American Dream is the wholly ideal circumstance of living in the U.S. of A. In the 50’s, the American dream may have been more specific or at least less varied; it may have been to have a good job working for an American business with a comfortable salary, a nice house with a sturdy cellar, two and a half kids, a dog, a car, a loving wife at home, and a country that is safe from the evil tendrils of Fascism and Communism. In modern America, while Fascism is still largely taboo, apparently foolish socialist ideals are now acceptable and we tend to worry less about the Reds dropping atom bombs on us. The American dream is just that: a dream. Some dreams are more readily realized than are others, and the circumstances of fulfillment are largely up to the dreamer. To some, the dream is an unattainable ideal. To others, it is something to strive towards. My personal American dream features, among other things, a revival of communist witch hunts, where a person could be slandered, or possibly even assaulted by a rabid mob, for off-handedly making a comment that sounded a bit too Leftist around the watering hole one day. I want a humble home all my own, a car that works, a few fine friends, enough to pay the bills and a bit more, time to spend on what I love, things to occupy my mind, opportunities to flex my imagination, and a general populace that is aware of what is going on in the world.

[Demosthenes]

Money may not guarantee happiness, but for some, having money or the things that money can be exchanged for, brings plenty of happiness.
Nowadays, it is true that many people, particularly the more youthful individuals, are much more focused on satiating the wicked, hedonistic desires of the id than they are on most anything else. I doubt that this is a trend that will be sustainable for much longer.