Allison Vizzini
Professor Mathes
Project 2
31 October 2014
The Illusion of the American Dream
America is often depicted as a country overflowing with opportunity where
people can pursue their ideal lifestyle. Over the course of many decades, the idea of the
American dream has become the coveted prospect of countless foreigners and nativeborn Americans alike. People around the country envision prosperity and absolute
freedom when they think of the American dream. Within this supreme expectation lays
the alleged guarantee of adequate schooling, a meaningful career, wealth, topped off with
a little home and a white picket fence. Unfortunately, this description of the United States
is commonly over estimated. The concept of the American dream truly is an illusion in
many ways, meaning that it is deceptive in that it promises more than it can offer and
with equal opportunity for all. The perception of equal opportunity in America as well as
the idea that freedom in this country is easily gained is a hoax. Possessing the mindset
that this dream is effortlessly and fairly distributed to ambitious people, practically a
ticket given as soon as one enters the country, only points to path of disappointment. The
American dream can be seen as an illusion through accounts in history, the DREAM Act,
personal stories, and is also pictured in literature, such as in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The
Great Gatsby.
History can attest to this long-standing façade of the American dream. When
settlers arrived in the New World from England, they had one goal in mind: an easier
way of life and an escape from the oppression they suffered in the mother country. They
soon realized that the new fangled liberties they thought they would be given had to be
worked toward. Many men did not have the resources, unlike their wealthy counterparts,
to buy their way to freedom. Instead, they were subject to indentured servitude in which
they were enslaved to a rich master for seven years. After serving, they would then be
given their freedom to work and develop their lives as they pleased (Breen).
Approximately 15,000 servants arrived in Virginia between 1625 and 1640 with the
population only increasing to 7,000 more (Breen). Many individuals today can relate to
these settlers from certain aspects. Men and women cannot simply reach America and
expect to immediately adopt a cushiony way of life. The American dream is a privilege,
not a right. American social constructs have created an assumption that the dream is
easily attainable and will come to any man. The fact of the matter is the American dream
is not a “one-size-fits-all” concept. Each individual must work towards what they
imagine is their optimal lifestyle, and even with a substantial amount of ambition, they
may not fully acquire their desires.
One way that many people believe they can earn the American dream is through
the process of the DREAM Act. This legislative bill established in 2010 offers foreign
young people who have lived in America for a number of years to have the opportunity to
attend university or community college, one of many defining aspects of the “dream.” It
also provides permanent conditional citizenship to those who display good moral
character. However, there are many stipulations of the bill that are not mentioned, nor are
they glamorized in any way. Jose Espericueta, a nineteen-year-old who was born in
Mexico and brought to Arizona as an infant, nearly lost his privilege to partake in his
slice of the American dream. He is incredibly intelligent and was at the top of his class all
throughout high school. Jose strived tirelessly in his studies and even managed to
maintain a part time job. He lives in a household with 8 other children, half of which are
under the age of 7 (Espericueta). Jose was able to find a balance between his family and
schooling, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. When the time came for Jose to attend college, the
DREAM Act offered him a substantial amount of financial assistance. Unfortunately, the
bill revoked the promise of college tuition for the Dreamers just a few short months
before Jose was supposed to begin college. Because he was not a citizen, he did not have
the luxury of being offered a scholarship; the DREAM Act was his only hope of financial
aid. Very few American-born excelling high school students face such a dilemma.
Creating a life in America as a foreigner is anything but a dream, no matter the age of an
individual or the privileges that are available, such as the DREAM Act. Multitudes of
people land on American soil in hopes that they will be able to create a better life for
themselves. Nonetheless, overcoming hurdles is often a necessity if a person is diligently
trailing the American dream.
Scanning the country, there are numerous personal accounts that present the grim
reality of the American dream. Natasha Mayer and her family, immigrants from the
Soviet Union, had the experience of truly earning their American dream when they
arrived in Michigan. Mayer wrote an article disputing the effects of the DREAM Act and
why it shouldn’t be supported. Natasha’s family was driven to the United States because
of religious persecution. They had little hope of a decent education or climbing the career
ladder in the Soviet Union and sought refreshment in United States. She goes on to
explain her family’s personal story when they arrived in the United States: “My father
was demoted and stripped of his degree, our family and friends stopped speaking to us…
Eventually, my dad landed work in Detroit, Michigan, and commuted an hour each way
over the border for three years while we all waited for green cards” (Mayer). Essentially,
her family started over, much like the first settlers that landed in the New World.
Natasha’s family was forced to approach life in a way that was very different than their
life in the Soviet Union. The education they received in their native country was not
counted equal and their job qualifications were considered almost worthless. Mayer’s
image of the United States was offbeat compared to the reality of it. Her family was not
received as well as they had hoped and they were compelled to work incredibly hard in
order to simply survive in the U.S. Natasha goes onto say that her family did not have the
option of the DREAM Act, yet were still able to create a sustainable lifestyle, despite the
hardship.
Foreigners are not the only people who have faced the reality of achieving the
American dream. Millions of native-born Americans, both young and old, have
experienced the intimidation of living in a country where everyone wants to have their
chance to obtain the dream. Being raised in America bears the feeling of clawing your
way up from the bottom underneath thousands of equally gifted, intelligent, talented
people just like you. How then, can this dream be realized if there is an overabundance of
competition? The answer lays within several ambiguous assumptions, primarily riding on
the fact that you are different in some way from all of your competitors. Each person in
this country is a unique picture of the embodiment of the American dream, but consider
for a moment an individual who is fictional and fighting the same battle. F. Scott
Fitzgerald paints a picture of a man in his novel, The Great Gatsby, who fully
encompasses the vision of the American dream. Unlike most people in his town of East
Egg, Jay Gatsby has scaled his way up to the aristocratic level, though his means of doing
so may be morally questionable. In gaining his wealth, Gatsby had the primary goal in
mind of charming his love, Daisy, a very wealthy and beautiful woman who was sought
after by many men. (Fitzgerald) Tragically, through Gatsby’s whole-hearted quest to win
her heart, he realizes that Daisy has many faults and is a rather insincere, shallow woman.
He comes to the conclusion that his ultimate fantasy is decimated and he cannot devote
his life to a woman who is hopelessly out of his reach. Daisy is the symbol of the dream
in most people’s lives, especially those arriving in America. She represents the elusive
target that cannot feasibly be hit due to inhibiting factors in a person’s life. Though
Fitzgerald wrote his novel in a very different era, the principle still applies. Similar to
Fitzgerald’s time, an age deemed the Roaring 20’s, money, success, and fame were not
the road to happiness, though many individuals in America still believe these qualities
define the dream. Fitzgerald illustrates the illusion of the American dream through a
fictional character that is easily related to. Jay Gatsby confronts the struggles that most
face as they explore this mythical idea that America has invented. In actuality, the dream
is what a person makes of it, not as America has portrayed it. The dream also depends on
the attitude that one has, whether that is one of optimism or pessimism. The American
dream should be defined then, as something that is not noted by extreme wealth,
intelligence, or materialism. Rather, it should be marked by a life of thankfulness for
what is already possessed.
Despite whether our president or the citizens of the United States want to admit it
or not, the American Dream is a semblance. No matter if an individual comes to America
from a third world country or are born here as a citizen, the journey isn’t easy and there
are many obstacles that have to be conquered. This truth does not have to be viewed in a
negative light. Working for freedom and success can be more rewarding in the long run
than simply receiving it as a handout. The American dream does not necessarily have to
be defined as living a lofty lifestyle but subsisting in in this country with an optimistic
perspective and appreciating what has already been acquired. The American dream is
what a person makes of it, after all. Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness - defining this statement is entirely left to the devices of the
individual.
Works Cited:
T.H. Breen and Stephen Innes. Myne Owne Ground. Oxford University Press. Print.
2005.
Jose Espericueta. Personal Interview. October 2014.
F.Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby. Print. 1925
Natasha Mayer. Why I Oppose the DREAM Act. The Daily Caller. Web. December
2011.
James L. Roark. The American Promise: A History of the United States. Bedford St.
Martin’s, Boston, MA. Print. 2012.