What is the American Dream? Millions of foreigners travel long distances seeking opportunity and the ability to succeed in a new home. As a second generation Iranian, my parents moved to America to ensure a better standard of living for our family. Leaving all of their belongings behind, my parents rode donkeys, climbed mountains, and eventually escaped from Iran. When they finally arrived in America with nothing but a few dollars, they moved into a small apartment in Queens. Working day and night my parents saved up every last penny. After several years of hard work and determination, my parents were finally able to move to Long Island. My brothers and I were raised in Great Neck and were given many opportunities to succeed. Our geographic location enabled us to get a better education than many people and gave us the chance to study at top-notch universities. Many people aren’t as lucky as you or I. If a child grows up in an impoverished neighborhood, his or her chances of getting a proper education and succeeding in life aren’t very high. Social mobility in America has become a serious issue. The ladder of opportunity is failing and social mobility is declining.

Oliver Stone’s movie, Wall Street, effectively portrays class structure in America. Taking place in New York, the difference between lower, middle, and high class families is accurately displayed. Bud Fox, a middle-class stock broker trying to become wealthy, manipulates his family and friends and ends up losing everything he had and going to jail. On the other hand, Gordon Gekko is a filthy rich man who accurately represents the upper class. He steps on others and won’t stop at anything to make money. Even though he already owns millions of dollars, he continues to scheme his way through life and steal the jobs and money of others. Bud, who admires Gekko, changes his values throughout the movie and eventually learns that money doesn’t buy happiness. Social classes are depicted by where different people eat. Bud’s father and his other blue-collar friends hang out at the local bar, whereas the white-collar big shots eat at fancy restaurants. In addition, Bud makes it clear to his father that those who live in Queens are going to struggle to climb the social-class ladder. Throughout the movie, Bud moves from a small crowded apartment to a large one with fancy paintings and a beautiful view.

Robert De Niro’s role in the movie Taxi Driver exposes the reality of the lower class. While working the night shift, he sees how filthy New York truly is. Travis describes all that he sees when he says, “All the animals come out at night – whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal.” (Taxi Driver) Surrounded by prostitutes, pimps, and criminals, Travis begins to go mad. He is disgusted by the scum-filled streets and he resorts to violence to make a statement. The lower class have a tough time getting by, which forces them to resort to prostitution, stealing, and killing. No matter how hard they seem to work, it seems almost impossible for them to climb the social-class ladder.

Both of these films depict the differences in social classes and how each class has it’s own struggles. Whether you’re cleaning semen off the back seat of a taxi like Travis, or riding go-karts on the beach like Gekko, each person has his or her own hardships. Both Taxi Driver and Wall Street truly epitomized the theme that money doesn’t buy happiness.