Name: Muathe Al Rowaily
Date: 8/12/15
Course: Focused Inquiry
Assigned Instructor: Jennifer Selman
A DREAM OR A REALITY?
The American Dream is similar to that of a ghost in the sense that some people can see it,
others can’t, but the debate of weather it is real or not is still relevant. There are multiple
perspective of what the ideal entails depending on each individual. Indeed, it is mostly affiliated
with the idea that everyone has a great chance of achieving their goals. From this perspective,
people became motivated to surround themselves with the values of hard work and perseverance.
However, there are many who criticize the structure of the American culture as it pays too much
attention on materialism. People began to identify weather a person has achieved the American
Dream by looking at what car they drive, the amount of salary they earn, and the number of
houses they own. Since then, cases of disparity began to spread in class, race, and ethnic starting
point. In the hopes of climbing up the ladder, the norm of “living to work” rather than “working
to live” became rooted within society. Unfortunately, people began to lust those materialistic
items to silently scream, “We also belong to that social class”. Materialism became a standard
that overshadows the respect, perception, and commitment of one human being to another. Those
who do not follow this trend become marginalized in society. In conjunction, this downplays the
importance of keeping people happy, alters their perception on life, and could even be the cause
of one’s own death. Henceforth, the pursuit of materialistic objects should not be a measure of
achieving the American dream.
Beyond a minimum amount of materialistic items to edge poverty, having more does not
make individuals satisfied. Living a life that is less dependent on materialistic items does not
necessarily mean going without the majority of life’s joys. Establishing relationships with others,
finding a career that one cares about, and constantly working hard are few of the many ways to
fill the emptiness within people. In the Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist
considers riches to be the answer for his issues. Rather than bringing satisfaction in Jay Gatsby’s
life, devoting more time to achieving materialistic items have tarnished his contentment and
happiness. For example, Gatsby had spent lots of money in order to live an extravagant lifestyle
that revolves around purchasing a big mansion, owning a gold car, and hosting huge parties. The
character lives this superficial lifestyle in the hopes that these objects could bring him happiness.
Instead, he became lonely and depressed because of his shallow perspective on life. When he
hosts parties, hundreds of people show up. Though when he died, none of those people who kept
attending to his parties showed up to the funeral.
Constantly working hard for extrinsic materials is outlandish in the sense that it cannot be
a constant source for happiness. This became reflective in the play “The Death of a Salesman”,
by Author Miller, as the protagonist had devoted all his life to becoming a good salesman. In the
beginning, Willy wanted to succeed at his job in order to elevate to the American upper social
class. The houses surrounding Willy’s home were all the size of Jay Gatsby’s huge mansion.
Henceforth, he wanted to belong to that part of society rather than be known as the poorest
family in the neighborhood. With that said, he followed his own perception of the American
dream that conveyed, as long as he kept working hard he would one day belong with the rich.
Willy’s dream was corrupted by his selfish desires to obtain the materialistic objects others own.
The protagonist started borrowing money from everyone he knew, which enabled him
temporarily to live above his means. Even though this created an illusion in his head that he
belonged to the upper class, when money ran out the truth became apparent.
Characters keep insisting that property, money, and other extrinsic assets are the barriers
standing in their way to becoming happy. This was challenged by Nobel Prize winner Daniel
Kahneman, who is an American psychologist that is known for his work in the psychology of
judgment and decision making. In his book, Zeroing in on the dark side of the American Dream,
Daniel had analyzed the financial status, level of life satisfaction, and aspiration of over thirteen
thousand students. In his study, the author had concluded that those who paid more attention on
materialistic goals, no matter if they were financially stable or not, often have less satisfaction
and happiness levels. The reason behind such factor is that running after materialistic objects
leads a person to believe that they should care about money, clothes, and cars. As a result of this
shallow perspective, other important goals will be tarnished like establishing friendships or even
seeking one’s own self-comfort.
Having a materialistic dream often seems to be so majestic, harmless, and positive. Then
all of the sudden, one gets hooked to the idea of achieving extrinsic items in any way possible. Jay
Gatsby, for example, had decided to pursue his dream of belonging to the American social upper
class at such a young age. Moreover, he had chosen to run away from his poor parents in the hopes
of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Surely, no person grows up with the vision of breaking the
law in order to become rich. However, Fitzgerald’s pessimistic point of view that reflects his
disbelief in the American Dream was shown through the way Gatsby pursuit his goal. From
January of 1920 to 1933, alcohol consumption in America was illegal. Forbidden fruit is sweet and
hence the consumption of alcohol had increased. With that said, Gatsby made his money through
resorting to organized crimes and bootlegging alcohol. The reason behind the character action is
that he wanted to impress a girl, whom he loved, called Daisey. However, Daisey did not like
Gatsby for the amount of money he had but for the romantic and charming person he once was.
Sooner rather than later, she found out that both her husband and Gatsby were very similar in the
since that they were careless people blinded by their materialistic outlook on life. Needless to say,
this corrupt outlook on life had altered the character perception by encouraging him to attain his
goals by means of shady plans.
The rope of deception is short, thus those who build their dreams out of glass should only
expect a temporary fulfillment. Author Miller had reflected this point in “The Death of a
Salesman” through showing how the protagonist was living a life filled with illusions. After
getting fired from his job, Willy did not want to believe that he was a terrible Salesman. Instead,
he began to mask his own failure through mixing what is going on in his life with past memories.
Not just that, but the character had also started lying to other people and borrowing money in
order to temporarily live some of his illusions. To show his wife that he was a good salesman, for
instance, Willy kept spending more money than he was able to afford. Rather than accepting to
live an ordinary life, Willy had gambled on the most precious treasure he had which is his own
mental health. As a result, the character wasted his life chasing a false perception that eventually
set him to fail.
The problem with having a dream that heavily depends on materialistic objectives is that it
is open ended. This point of view of was introduced by Ed Diener, a university of Illinois
distinguished psychology professor and an expert on emotional well-being. In an interview with
The New York Times, Diener had identified that there isn’t a set amount of cars, clothes, money, or
property that would satisfy a person’s lust for materialistic items. Neither Gatsby nor Willy were
able to achieve their materialistic lusts as they always wanted more. The more money they got, the
more their ego grows, and thus the more money they wanted to get; it’s just a vicious cycle. This
is usually not true for other non-materialistic goals like establishing friendships. When one has
friends, rather than look for some more, they would cherish them and enjoy being around them.
From this perspective, a person can see that wealth is not a challenge but a result, relationships are
not about having but doing, and money as means of freedom rather than strain.
The pursuit of the American Dream can be seductive, but deadly just like a mirage. In Of
Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the protagonist George Milton once valued the relationship he
established with whom became his best friend Lennie Small. While most migrant workers are
lonely, they have kept themselves company while traveling together. In comparison, most guys
who live on ranches were depressed, as they do not have a family or anything to look forward to in
life. Though George and Lennie have a strong relationship that enabled them to contemplate many
problems and keep pushing forward even stronger. This friendship came into the test when Lennie
got in trouble at the new farm. Whenever Lennie gets in trouble, he always counts on George to
help him out. Though George desperately needed money in order to keep his dream of one day
owning a farm alive. George lust for materialistic items have actually pushed him to betray his
friendship with Lennie. Specifically, George have snuck up on his best friend and shot him in the
back of the head. Henceforth, George had decided to sacrifice his best friend’s life in the hopes of
achieving his dream.
When it comes to sacrificing one’s self for the pursuit of a goal, this archetype is
representative of Jay Gatsby. It can be seen that Jay Gatsby had decided to devote five years of his
life in order to become rich and marry a girl called Daisey. Even when Daisey betrayed him by
marrying another man, Gatsby stood by her side and kept loving her till the last breath in his
lungs. For example, while Daisey was driving in Gatsby’s car, she had accidently killed a women
called Myrtle. Rather than put the blame on her, Gatsby stood accountable for what happened.
Even when Nick who is Gatsby’s best friend encouraged him to leave west egg temporarily,
Gatsby’s refused to go anywhere without Daisey. This allowed George, the husband of Myrtle, to
seek revenge. Not knowing that it wasn’t Gatsby’s fault, George had found and shot Gatsby. In
reality, Daisey is seen as Gatsby’s last piece to fulfill his vision of the American Dream. Thus, he
had chosen to risk his own life in the pursuit of what seemed tangible for him. Gatsby was unable
to replace the intrinsic feeling of love with countless extrinsic objects including cars, money, or
even property.
The idea that happiness cannot be bought but rather found was also seen in the play “The
Death of a Salesman”. The protagonist pursuit money in order to secure his own family
financially. Willy measured his own success through the amount of money he had secured for his
family. In reality, his family did not pay attention on the money he was earning but rather felt pity
for the high expectations he had set for himself. Willy’s pursuit for money had turned fruitless as
it killed him. In this case, he had decided to commit suicide by crashing his car in the hopes that
his family could redeem the insurance money of twenty thousand dollars. Committing suicide is a
method that Willy decided to pursue in order to run from the truth. However, this had also meant
that he betrayed his own family as he had set expectations for them which he did not follow.
Conclusively, one should not risk their life for intangible goals, rather appreciate what they have
already achieved.
Finally, the American Dream is an ideal that encompasses the values of hard work and
perseverance. In other words, anyone could reach their dream destination through being motivated
and staying dedicated. It is ironic to relate this ideal with materialism as one should feel satisfied
and happy while pursuing their goals. However, trying to purchase the biggest house, find the
shiniest toys, and follow the newest trends often stresses people. Instead of looking for the
approval of others through following this norm, one must pursue what their passionate about.
Trying to satisfy a person’s lust for materialistic items is intangible as they could always want
more. Unfortunately, people became willing to get in debt, commit illegal acts, and even sacrifice
their lives to live an extravagant lifestyle. Though the American Dream is more than fulfilling
one’s wants, it is about leaving a mark. People must remember that they have a limited amount of
time in the world. Henceforth, they should make the most of it through fulfilling important goals
like giving back to one’s own community, establishing friendships, or even finding an enjoyable
career. When it’s all said and done, these non-materialistic objectives are what brings the most
happiness and fulfillment in a person’s life.
Citation
Diener, Ed. Interview by The New York Times. 19 April, 2013.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Trade Pbk, 2004. Print.
Kahneman, Daniel. Zeroing in on the dark side of the American Dream. New York: The
American Psychological Association, 2013. Print.
Miller, Author. Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Classics, 1996. Print.
Steinbeck. John. Of Mice and Men. New York: McIntosh & Otis, 1964. Print.