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Lawrence Washington

Eng 225

Mr. Gaszak

August 22, 2011

American Dream or Individual Nightmare

The American dream is an illusion implanted in the minds of people that sets the bar for

life achievement. American children are raised in a society that tells them they can be anything

they want as an adult. If children were able to read between the lines of their parent’s

motivational speech, there would be less confusion. What parents really mean to say is that it’s

okay to be whatever we want to be when we grow up as long as it will make lots of money. After

all, in an excessive American society, success is largely based off positions of power and

financial stability. Throughout the various essays assigned in class, the authors suggest that the

idea of success should be determined by an individual satisfaction in the work place.

Author Studs Turkel writes with the belief that work is violent. Not violent in the sense of

physical harm, but meaning negative and humiliating. “Work is, by its very nature, about

violence- to the spirit as well as to the body.” ( Terkel pg. 41) Picture the idea of going to work at

McDonalds everyday only to be berated by ignorant customers and evil supervisors for little pay.

This is an example of work being violent. If this was to be an individual’s daily routine for most of

their adult life it would be very discouraging. Also, the American dream would only appear to be

an illusion of hope to ease the pain from a dry reality.

Although Turkel’s prospective is popular amongst the mindset of many Americans, it is

not the general consensus. Other authors have a positive outlook. Richard Reeves suggests

that people are actually happy with their current job, but downplay satisfaction because it’s not

cool to like working. “Our attitudes to work need a radical overhaul. The popular myth is that

work is wicked- that it saps our energy, steals our time, and erodes our spirit.” (Reeves pg. 45)

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Furthermore, Reeves contends that work is not the problem. The real underlying issue is

people’s attitudes toward employment. It seems that American people have become completely

driven by the chase of monetary success.

The need to be financially stable has caused people to work in professional positions

that will never keep them satisfied. Essentially, money has surpassed the need to have

workplace fulfillment. During the film Office Space, the main character Peter offers some basic

understanding to how the average American feels about the work place. “Bob it’s not that I’m

lazy, it’s that I just don’t care.” (Office Space 1999) Why would anybody care? People work at

jobs they hate to earn income that will aid in the chase for the ever elusive American Dream.

Once Peter changes his outlook on employment, his life changes in a positive direction. At the

end of the film peter finds solace in a construction career free from office cubicle walls, and TPS

reports.(Office Space 1999)

The idea behind achieving the American dream has been drastically misconstrued. Our

goal as American’s should be to find a passion and pursue happiness through work and family.

However, somewhere along the line the beauty of this idea has been corrupted. Due to the

influence of money, adults have chosen to sacrifice happiness in hopes of the ability to

purchase the American dream. Truthfully, money cannot determine an individual’s success or

worth. If money ultimately determined your level of success, than why do people kill themselves

trying to attain more of what they already possess? There is never enough to keep us satisfied.

Satisfaction can only be attained through quality of life.

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Works Cited

Office Space. Dir. Mike Judge. Perf. Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston. 20th Century Fox,

1999. DVD.

Reeves, Richard. “The Joy of Work.” Composing a Life’s Work. New York: Longman, 2005. 44-

49. Print.

Terkel, Studs. “Introduction to Working,” Composing a Life’s Work. New York: Longman, 2005.

41-44. Print.