Today, one of the things we discussed was the American Dream. In the novel Netherland, the character Chuck is the archetype of this dream. He represents the optimism and patriotism in the American system. Nowadays there is a rising pessimism in the American Dream. Some are even proclaiming it to be dead.
Is the American Dream dead? Research has shown that on average 30-year-olds now are earning less than their parents. Also, the income gap is larger than ever before. In monetary terms, it seems like the American Dream is dying, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. I don’t believe that money is what the American Dream is about. The Constitution promises all Americans the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We have become so fixated as a society on equating money to happiness that we lost touch with what happiness truly means. Happiness can found no matter how much money you have. What made me realize this was speaking with my parents and grandparents who are all immigrants. They spoke of their struggles and persecution against them. America afforded them a life of comfort and rights they couldn’t have imagined. This is where they found happiness. As a native born American I think I can sometimes lose sight of this. We need to find what truly makes us happy and find meaning in our lives. America gives us the right to pursue this dream. This to me is what the American Dream truly is, and it seems to be alive and well but you just have to take advantage of it.
Today I volunteered for an organization which helps U.S residents become U.S citizens. The people that were trying to become citizens didn’t seem to be focused on the monetary aspect of citizenship, but rather the freedoms that come along with it. I think that the American dream is still alive because it is not all about money, but also about living freely whether that is being able to express your opinions freely, or practicing religion freely. It is sad that younger people are making less money than they used to, but that doesn’t mean that the American dream is dead.
On the other hand, a lot of the characters in Netherland seem to think that they are denied the America dream because they are still struggling financially. Perhaps it’s a pessimistic book after all.
I also believe that America allows many American citizens to pursue the dreams that make them happy and give their lives meanings. The article “The American Dream Isn’t Just About Income” in The Federalist points out that through tenacity and/or hard work, every American can have the right to attain their own dream. However, I also strongly believe that the American Dream isn’t something that can be reached through sheer hard work. Opportunities also play a big role in attaining the American Dream. In other words, those that could attain their American Dreams were facilitated by a series of opportunities presented to them. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell heavily emphasized that successful individuals, such as Bill Gates and Paul Allen, were able to attain the American Dreams thanks to the series of opportunities presented to them throughout their lives. Ultimately, even though the American Dream isn’t defined economically, not everyone can attain their own American Dream, if they do not encounter the appropriate opportunities in their lives.