The Failure of the American Dream Just what is the American Dream? It is a strange concept, defined by painting of goddesses with large books and holding telegraph wires, felt in the stirrings of the heart during the national anthem, the idea that anyone- regardless of status, race, or creed- was created equal in the eyes of God and capable of becoming successful and wealthy through hard work, God-fearedness and just by being on American soil. The American Dream is a severe form of nationalism, and one that has been used as a red herring fallacy in many arguments. It is also a fantasy formation of sorts; despite crumbling urban centers, racial problems, and nuclear paranoia, advertising and other popular media images still uphold the idea of America as the land of the free.So where do we go from here? Is the American Dream all meaningless imagery and puffery symbolism? Or is it something attainable, like money and power? Does it actually exist? If so, why does it elude so many everyday people? The classic example is the Horatio Alger story of winning through pluck and luck against all odds and arriving at the top (MacLeod 1- 23.) The American Dream is basically that upward mobility in our society is possible. A man dreams of one day having the little plot to call his own, works hard and gets it. A person can do what they want, regardless of where they start from.In America, you at least have the opportunity to do this. In most other countries, this is not the case. You are born into one caste or another, and there you stay for life. Japan is the perfect example. There is a very rich upper class and a very poor lower class that works itself literally to death. There is little or no mixing of the two (Morton 12- 15.) India is the same way. And so is England, for the most part. This is why it's the AMERICAN Dream.The concept of "The Failure of the American Dream" is rooted in the common fallacy that people and opportun...
