What Is Left of the American Dream
Picture this: a dad and his son playing catch in the big, open front yard, a mom on the front porch swinging in a porch swing swaddling a baby girl in her arms, and a cheerful dog running around the yard. This is the American Dream for most people, or what used to be the Dream. The American Dream is gone, or at least drastically altered with changes in home ownership, family activities, and job stability.
When imagining the American Dream, most Americans would describe the same type of picture. A beautiful home with a white picket fence, a big yard, and a happy family. The first idea of the American Dream is homeownership. The American Dream has changed from the image created into a selfish world that revolves around money. Today, people no longer buy houses or aspire to own houses. In Brandon King’s article, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive or On Hold?”, King demonstrates that “more and more people are renting their homes” (573). King believes that Americans today rent instead of buying because “[Americans] prefer a middle-class lifestyle, one in which they can focus on saving money for the future” (573). In other words, King is saying that Americans today would rather cut housing expenses and save their money for the future. The housing expense cut in this case is a house payment. Typically, a house payment would cost more than a month’s rent, so today, the increasingly popular thing to do is rent a house not own a house. The American Dream aspect of owning a house is still evident, but the Dream has shifted into a Dream centered around money, not family.
Vacationing after celebrating big events with family is another great aspect of the American Dream. Nothing is more American than football; and the big question after the Super Bowl is always, “What are you going to do next?” One famous answer is, “I’m going to Disney World!” A second idea of the American Dream is being able to vacation with family. American adolescents grow up hearing quotes like the post-Super Bowl quote or seeing commercials on the television advertising the Disney parks and encouraging families to spend their birthday or holiday weekend at their amusement parks. These adolescent Americans grow up with this ideal image in their head, but many do not understand the reality behind why they will never go on a trip for their birthday or the holiday weekend like the ones glamorized on the television. In Karen Olsson’s article, “Up Against Wal-Mart,” Olsson insists that Americans cannot live off of a Wal-Mart paycheck because “the average hourly worker earns barely $18,000 a year” (608). Making this little amount of money does not just mean not being able to afford the glamorized trips shown on television, but also makes supporting a family difficult. In hopes to make things easier money wise, the smart American would get a second job, but by doing this the American worker sacrifices time at home with their family. However, the job taken might not be as dependable as they thought.
Lastly, another aspect of the American Dream that has been altered is the ambition of having a stable job. The idea of job stability is dead in today’s American Dream. Having a stable job is the foundation to becoming a homeowner and beginning a family. Without job stability, Americans can never be sure if their next day of work will be their last. In “How to Earn Your Penny-Pincher Credentials,” Kathleen Connell observes that “three out of 4 Americans reported that they have been affected by unemployment this year [2009] with either themselves, a neighbor, or a family member losing a job” (par. 3). Americans no longer strive for a long-lasting career because the local fast food joint or local grocery store will pay more than their dream career would. My own view, however, is that by taking the higher paying, less demanding job, the job stability is unreliable. This kind of job and uncertainty is today’s primary type of available job.
Now picture this; two children tossing a ball back and forth in a cramped front yard, a mother and father working over time, and rowdy neighbor in the room next door. When it comes to the topic of the American Dream, most Americans will readily agree that it is prominent. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of is it paused or dead. While some are convinced that the American Dream is dead, others believe that the Dream is just on pause. With the changes in home ownership, family activity, and job stability, the American Dream has morphed into a sad representation of its former self.
When imagining the American Dream, most Americans would describe the same type of picture. A beautiful home with a white picket fence, a big yard, and a happy family. The first idea of the American Dream is homeownership. The American Dream has changed from the image created into a selfish world that revolves around money. Today, people no longer buy houses or aspire to own houses. In Brandon King’s article, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive or On Hold?”, King demonstrates that “more and more people are renting their homes” (573). King believes that Americans today rent instead of buying because “[Americans] prefer a middle-class lifestyle, one in which they can focus on saving money for the future” (573). In other words, King is saying that Americans today would rather cut housing expenses and save their money for the future. The housing expense cut in this case is a house payment. Typically, a house payment would cost more than a month’s rent, so today, the increasingly popular thing to do is rent a house not own a house. The American Dream aspect of owning a house is still evident, but the Dream has shifted into a Dream centered around money, not family.
Vacationing after celebrating big events with family is another great aspect of the American Dream. Nothing is more American than football; and the big question after the Super Bowl is always, “What are you going to do next?” One famous answer is, “I’m going to Disney World!” A second idea of the American Dream is being able to vacation with family. American adolescents grow up hearing quotes like the post-Super Bowl quote or seeing commercials on the television advertising the Disney parks and encouraging families to spend their birthday or holiday weekend at their amusement parks. These adolescent Americans grow up with this ideal image in their head, but many do not understand the reality behind why they will never go on a trip for their birthday or the holiday weekend like the ones glamorized on the television. In Karen Olsson’s article, “Up Against Wal-Mart,” Olsson insists that Americans cannot live off of a Wal-Mart paycheck because “the average hourly worker earns barely $18,000 a year” (608). Making this little amount of money does not just mean not being able to afford the glamorized trips shown on television, but also makes supporting a family difficult. In hopes to make things easier money wise, the smart American would get a second job, but by doing this the American worker sacrifices time at home with their family. However, the job taken might not be as dependable as they thought.
Lastly, another aspect of the American Dream that has been altered is the ambition of having a stable job. The idea of job stability is dead in today’s American Dream. Having a stable job is the foundation to becoming a homeowner and beginning a family. Without job stability, Americans can never be sure if their next day of work will be their last. In “How to Earn Your Penny-Pincher Credentials,” Kathleen Connell observes that “three out of 4 Americans reported that they have been affected by unemployment this year [2009] with either themselves, a neighbor, or a family member losing a job” (par. 3). Americans no longer strive for a long-lasting career because the local fast food joint or local grocery store will pay more than their dream career would. My own view, however, is that by taking the higher paying, less demanding job, the job stability is unreliable. This kind of job and uncertainty is today’s primary type of available job.
Now picture this; two children tossing a ball back and forth in a cramped front yard, a mother and father working over time, and rowdy neighbor in the room next door. When it comes to the topic of the American Dream, most Americans will readily agree that it is prominent. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of is it paused or dead. While some are convinced that the American Dream is dead, others believe that the Dream is just on pause. With the changes in home ownership, family activity, and job stability, the American Dream has morphed into a sad representation of its former self.
Works Cited
Connell, Kathleen. "How to earn your penny-pincher credentials." Christian Science Monitor 16 Mar. 2009: 16.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
King, Brandon. "The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or On Hold?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and
Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 572-579. Print.
Olsson, Karen. "Up Against Wal-Mart" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed.
Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 606-619. Print.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
King, Brandon. "The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or On Hold?" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and
Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 572-579. Print.
Olsson, Karen. "Up Against Wal-Mart" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed.
Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 606-619. Print.