The definition of the "American Dream" varies among the general population. I believe it to mean whatever you want out of your life. That is the most used definition. It also makes the most sense. Most people have a picture of what they want in their life, be it a job, freedom, or an object. People strive to obtain these dreams, and they will do almost whatever it takes to get them. This is because they believe in what they want. If people didn't believe in what they want, they wouldn't go after it. A friend of mine has a dream to be a music teacher. He wants it so bad that he devotes all of his time to the music. If he didn't care about his music, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his dream. Many people think that freedom is the American Dream, but I don't because we all already have it and we all already take it for granted. The definition of a person's American Dream can change as their life's purpose changes and different things become important to them. When people are young, they might think that the American dream is to make mud pies. As people grow up, they can think farther ahead and plan for their future and what they really want in their life.
             In history, the original American dream was to be free from oppression. We have succeeded in this goal, and now the dream of the government and most people as a whole would be to live in our country and not have fears of depression, war, or terrorism. Currently, not being susceptible to terrorism is a bigger dream because of the events of September 11. Those events brought the nation to an agreement that we don't like living in fear and that we need to protect ourselves. This comes at the expense of other's dreams. The dreams of the military families would be to not lose their loved ones.
             After September 11, the American Dream was reflected in pop culture, but normally it is not. Everything in pop culture is saying, "Spend money, and settle for less than best." A lot of commerc...