The Interpretation of the Notion of the American Dream - Essay Example

Essay #2 Potential and opportunity are two words that closely tied together. Potential refers to the internal ways that an individual can affect their own desires on the environment. On the other hand, opportunity represents the ways which person will have the ability to affect due to the environment. The term “the American dream” has been used a lot within the last 80 years. Much as with any term, this American dream means something different for almost each and every individual that seeks to understand it. Rather than arguing whether or not the American dream is ultimately alive or dead, this brief analysis will seek to understand whether or not present America is something of a “stacked deck” and whether or not the current system is robbing people of their ability to see enormous opportunities directly in front of them. In this way, three of the readings which have been engaged during the course of the semester will be utilized to prove that the current system of opportunity and potential that exists for the individual within the United States is ultimately divorced from the reality that is oftentimes associated with such terms as the American dream. In such a manner, it will be the goal of this author to prove to the reader why the United States, in its present form, promise a hopeless situation for many participants within its society. Although it is not hard to disagree with such talking heads as Rush Limbaugh, the point that he made with regards to disagreeing with the overall level of potential and opportunity that exists within the United States was yet another example of some of the ridiculous things that he has said during the course of his career. What Limbaugh said was the following: “Such an understanding robs people of the ability to see the enormous opportunities directly in front of them”. Such a statement assumes that these “opportunities” exist for each and every member of the society; a fact that has been challenged with regards to articles which will be discussed. In such a way, the reader can understand that the opportunities and potential that someone such as Rush Limbaugh, a multimillionaire conservative talk show host and political pundit, may engage with are necessarily far different than the level of potential and opportunity that a lower class or desperately poor individual would have to leverage/draw upon. Taking the case of “The Lesson”, the reader can instantly note that the narrator of the piece effectively differentiates society in two distinct groups; those that escape desperate poverty and those that continue to struggle with the painful realities of life defined by want and hardship. Such a differential is shown with regards to some of the conversations that take place near the shop windows that contain goods that the girls have never seen before nor have any idea how they should be utilized. Says Junebug in her conversation with Big Butt and Miss Moore, “’What’s a paperweight?’…’To weigh paper with dumbbell’…’Not exactly, it is used to weigh paper down so it won’t scatter and make your desk untidy’…’I don’t even have a desk’” (Bambara 267). This difference with regards to the way in which different cultures exist and experience life in different dimensions helps to show the fact that the opportunity that exists for one given socioeconomic class and the opportunity and reality that exists for another is quite different entirely. As a means of further highlighting such a truth, Barbara Ehrenreich’s piece, entitled “Serving in Florida”, underscores the economic realities that exist for those individuals that have not had the fortune of receiving a college degree or differentiating their career in any other way. Seeking to perform a level of research with regards to how individuals at the very bottom layers of the socioeconomic chain seek to make a way for themselves, Ehrenreich sets out to engage in two minimum wage jobs at 60 + hours a week just as a means to provide for herself. The following excerpt reveals the true reality of the situation in which one might find themselves: “I start out with a beautiful heroic idea of handling the two jobs at once, and for two days I almost do it: working the breakfast/lunch shift at Jerry’s from 8 AM till 2 PM, arriving at the Hearthside a few minutes late, at 2:10 PM, and attempting to hold out until 10 PM. In a few minutes I have between jobs, I pickup a spicy chicken sandwich at Wendy’s drive-through window, goblet down in the car, and change for khaki slacks to black, from Hawaii and to rust colored polo. There is a problem, though. When, during the 3 PM to 4 PM dead time, I finally sat down to wrap silver, my flesh seems to bond to the seat. I try to refuel with a purloined cop of clam chowder, as I’ve seen Gail and Joan do dozens of times but the manager screams ‘No EATING!’” (Ehrenreich 292-293). The reality of the situation that is described and defined by Ehrenreich is one in which the individual is stuck in such a life and finds few if any ways to escape it; regardless of how hard they might pour themselves into whatever tasks and/work jobs that exist. Finally, as a means of understanding the opportunities and realities that define the lives of those who live in the very poorest communities of society, the last piece which will be discussed, Kathleen Arnold’s “America’s New Working Class”, paints a less personal and far more broad view of why the current situation exists and is shown the way that it is. According to Arnold’s understanding, the welfare and food stamp program, although disguised as a means of providing sustenance and goodwill towards those least fortunate within the society, has worked to create a situation in the United States that guarantees a highly populous segment of society that is desperate for low-paying jobs of any and all varieties. Kathleen Arnold’s position with regards to this particular reality is unique due to the fact that the other authors which have previously been discussed within this brief research have not pointed to any broad or overarching system that creates or contributes to the current situation. The personal experience of Ehrenreich and Bambara, although useful, did not help to explain nor define the level to which current environmental/governmental constraints affected the environment itself. Says Arnold of the realities of these programs, “The history of welfare for poor relief in the United States has a number of undemocratic characteristics” (Arnold 362). However, because of what she says, it is clear to the reader that elements within business, and the government, actively seek to create a situation in which cheap labor is virtually guaranteed forever. This is bad due to the fact that although these programs are understood many members of conservative/Republican society to be a useless safety nets that is a drain upon taxpayer funding, they are in fact cleverly and cruelly set up to assure the further productivity, profitability, and competitive nature of American business and industry. Although it is the belief of this author that commentators such as Rush Limbaugh have completely misinterpreted the realities of the American dream and the way that so many struggle within the United States, it should not be understood that it is the view of this author that the American dream is gone completely from the American system. Rather, it is the understanding of this author that although great hardships exist for these individuals and although programs such as welfare and food stamps may in fact exist as a way to keep people in poverty, the United States continues to offer a degree of success and opportunity that few other systems around the world could hope to offer. This is not said out of a patriotic interpretation or a belief that the United States is the best place in the whole world. Instead, it is said out of a belief that there are few other nations that an individual from a relatively poor background could hope to be successful due to hard work alone and dedication. It is true that this is a kind of an optimistic interpretation for a topic that has mostly been defined in a highly negative tone throughout this essay. Yet, although key drawbacks and problems exist at the very heart of American life, key opportunities to improve these drawbacks continue to remain and provide at least some level of hope for stakeholders within the society. Works Cited Arnold, Kathleen. “From America’s New Working Class”. Bambara, Toni. “The Lesson”. Ehrenreich, Barbara. “Serving in Florida”. Read More