The American Dream

When I think of “The American Dream,” I automatically think of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Before reading Gatsby and discussing in my english class, I really had no view of “The American Dream” being about materialism, I thought of refugees. I pictured the individuals who longed so much to come to America because they needed freedom, whether it be religious or otherwise. That is basically what America was founded upon: freedom. So I have always thought that “The American Dream” was a timeless expression that meant coming to America for opportunity. However, as I read The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, I see that this expression is so loosely used as a way of justifying a partying, materialistic lifestyle.

I think there are so many different types of wealth in the world, and the lucky ones have multiple kinds. There is the obvious, the monetary wealth. This kind of wealth just involves having a lot of money, or assets, or things. However, I think one can be poor but be really wealthy. Some people are so happy all the time: they're wealthy with happiness, some people have so many loved ones in their lives: they're wealthy with community, some people are really wealthy with knowledge or ambition: they're wealthy with drive. In Gatsby, the wealth cannot just be defined as someone having a lot of money, it can be defined as having more than one needs of something, or overflowing with something.

The way Americans view wealth and poverty all depends on the American. When it comes to wealth either people view it as the ultimate goal or they see wealth as  the snooty elite they want nothing to do with. When it comes to being poor, a lot of Americans view poverty as a charity and it seems to be just a check off on peoples list, (you're a good person if you donate to the poor etc etc). It always seems like people don't view it as something that will ever go away because a lot of people rely on the lower class to be the labor force. It's definitely a generalization but I think the common belief is that wealth = happiness, poverty = sadness.

I don't really know how I view wealth and poverty. Obviously, the thought of being wealthy sounds 

very inviting,  however I don't see it as something I can't be happy without. But Poverty is not somewhere I'd like to be if I'm honest. It's sad but true that most people are not wealthy and I find it really sad that so many people are in poverty. Rich or poor, people are still people which always is humbling. I don't live in either extreme but I do know that either way I am happy with the life I have. If the "American Dream" is just about living a life I love then I know I've got it down packed!