What exactly is the American dream? Most people have never really thought about this before even though deep down inside they have an idea of what their personal dream is. Ever since the first settlers arrived in Jamestown to set up a new colony in this vast new world, it stood as a place of freedom that was not available anywhere else in the world. People flocked here in search of a new, better life. Over the course of history, however, this dream has changed in many ways. Through interviewing people from different generations, this change in the American dream becomes evident.
Helen was born in 1922 into a poor family that lived on a farm. She was put to work on the farm during her early childhood. “When I was growing up, children were expected to do their share of the work. I worked some days from sunrise to sunset with my father on the farm along with my brothers and sisters” (Bell). Though she had wanted to graduate, Helen only went to school through the eighth grade before she had
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She had a very strict father, but her mother, who spoiled her, more than made up for that. 0 average and took an additional six years of college, before finally becoming a pharmacist. He stayed in school and eventually graduated high school and went to an additional two years of college. Though he may not have had the most perfect life in the world, Eddie achieved his dreams and has had a happy life overall. The American dream is really about finding happiness and meaning to life. “Growing up, I always thought of the perfect life as having a loving family, lots of money, a nice house, and a nice car” (Edwards, E). As a child, he had always wanted to be a soldier, and ended up doing that as he fought in the Vietnam War. She graduated high school with a perfect 4. to drop out in order to help her sick sister. According to her, the perfect life consisted of being “…a good, godly woman with a loving husband and a roof over our heads” (Bell). To her, money was not as important as it is to many people in today’s society. Her family did not have very much money, but they were not poor either. According to her, the perfect life consisted of a good-paying job, a lot of success, a big house, a nice car, and a loving family, all of which, for the most part, she accomplished in her life. She had dreams of growing up and becoming a music teacher, however she ended up working in a pants plant for 45 years of her adult life.
Approximate Word count =
688
Approximate Pages =
3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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