Cardiff 1 Cayman Cardiff March 8, 2012 A.P.

English Language Erin Turner The Pursuit of Happiness Yes, everyone has one and no one can escape the tantalizing grasp they hold. They can only be obtained by the individual who has them, and no two are exactly the same. A dream, to be happy, to explore the world, to grow old and be rich, to have a wonderful family, whether grand or humble each dream is of the upmost importance to an individual. Only in America, it is said, can the dream of the poor be as mighty as the dream of the rich. Many, though, say that America has changed and that opportunities have been lost; but this statement cannot be true. Americans have changed their ways of thinking from that of long term happiness to one of instant gratification. People want to be happy right here and right now, but what Americans do not understand is that to be happy is up to them. In this world of doubt, disbelief, and despair, many hopeless individuals seem to believe that the concept of the American dream has died, but in actuality, the dream that a lowly and poor citizen can break from the bonds of poverty and climb the social ladder to wealth and fame is alive; even though many disclaim the idea, there are too many reasons proving the American dream such as the many successful rags-to-riches stories, the ethics behind the dream, and the point that everyone, no matter race, gender, or heritage has a chance at happiness. The proof is essentially in the pudding according to the ideas backing the American dream; there have been far too many success stories crediting the rags to riches belief, that the American dream is still alive and well. One individual, Bill Gates, has a particularly prosperous tale. Mr. Gates came from practically nothing and began a business in computers. This business

Cardiff 2 went on to be the biggest and most wealthy computer business today. Microsoft, Gates business, also has made him a trillionaire (Isaacson 433-370). If Bill Gates had not taken it upon himself to reach his goals and end up achieving his dream then in all probability he would not be at the same economic or social standpoint he is at today. The role of the individual, their will and determination, is the only factor that matters to achieving their goals in life. An older success story was that of Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie came from a poor background but at an early age he started a small business and saved up his money and began to take part in the stock game. Carnegie then began to invest in steel, and in a time when steel was the new thing and railroads were being built around the nation, he was made into a billionaire (Carnegie 300-03). Carnegies story is also one of self-dependence, if Carnegie had not used his own desire for wealth and power then he would be stuck in the same vicious cycle of poverty that his family did not have the strength to escape from. Carnegie and Gates stories do seem to have a flaw, they were both white. Many believe that a racial difference inhibits their chances of achieving their goals in life; but in actuality, it is not the race that got Gates and Carnegie to their social and economic standpoint, it was their strong ethics and firm beliefs. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the truth behind the American dream can be stated as such, In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. The ethical support of the American dream is hard work, self-reliance, and high moral standards. No amount of race or gender can stop a truly determined individual from reaching their goals or dreams. The American dream likewise follows suit. If a Hispanic individual dreams of becoming a star or an engineer, America will allow that to happen. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated in his writings, selfreliance, that an individual must be independent in order to reach their potential. If a person can take actions into their own hands then there is no need for another individual to help or hinder

Cardiff 3 them (Emerson 453-57). In a video entitled A Date with the Family, a social improvement movie filmed in the 1950s, it details the steps of a typical family as they get home from their various activities and prepare for their family dinner (A Date with Your Family). The video shows the family as happy and prosperous, inherently drawing a connection with ethics and values to wealth, prosperity, and happiness. The American Dream is highly dependent upon the morals and ethics that back the idea itself. If a person did not have a strong will and determination along with a knowledge to be honest as well, then that person would have no basis or grounds to get anywhere in life from a social or economic standpoint. The father of the family in the TV show, The American Dream, has everything he wanted: a family, a beautiful house with a yard, and wealth, but having financial success is not worth anything because he is not happy (American Dreams Season 1 Episode 1 Part 2). There is no point in achieving goals and living a dream if the person achieving their dream is not happy. The main premise behind the concept of a dream is to want something better, find a way to get that something, and then, having that something in turn brings happiness. The American Dream is not just an economic and social state of being, it is also a personal state of mind where the only way to achieve happiness is to be morally righteous. Over the years African Americans have been enslaved, forced to work, set free, then persecuted. Up until the 1970, those hates had not been resolved, but now, even though there are still some who discriminate or hate African Americans, the general population is just as friendly and supportive to blacks as to whites, Asians, or Hispanics. Some cultures and peoples of heritage other than Anglo-Saxon whites believe that their chance or opportunities of reaching their dream are inhibited or even have vanished, but this is not possible. In a letter written to his nephew, James Baldwin tells him to never give up, even though the ignorant whites may try to

Cardiff 4 stop him. Baldwins letter shows himself as an example of success, even though his life may not be a life of riches and fame that many perceive as the American Dream, it is still a happy, modest, and successful life. Baldwin wants his black nephew to know that regardless of his color, he is still destined for greatness (Baldwin 243-246). The idea behind the race and gender being a destroying factor to the American Dream is tied with the ethical beliefs and moral values that are instrumental to achieving the dream. Even if a person, male or female, black or white are told they cannot achieve a dream or goal, it is still up to themselves not the words of others that determines who can or cannot reach their dreams. If a person wants to believe the words of others then that is their fault, but the person who lets those words of hate or doubt drive their passion forward towards their goal is the man or woman who will ultimately come out on top. Hate, oppression, and doubt cannot be the reasoning for a person to give up. If a person is not self-strong then that person has a diminished chance at achieving their dreams and goals; that individual must take it upon themselves to find their own happiness and settle for a dream that they can actually achieve. It is not the social status of the person but their own perception of themselves that can bring them down. Neither Bill Gates nor Andrew Carnegie gave up in their pursuit for the American Dream, their Ethical values and beliefs made sure of that, but other success stories of say African Americans or Hispanics have been left unheard. There is no one in this country that has not had a chance sometime or another to make something of their lives. The great democracy of our constitution ensures that. If a child in a Public School per se sets his or her mind to it, he or she can become an astronaut, a movie star, an engineer, or a doctor, and in each of these fields there have been blacks, whites, Native Americans, and Asians. Many people of all races have had their chance to be great or respectable. It is up to the individual to make something of themselves

Cardiff 5 because it would not be worthwhile to have wealth simply thrust upon them; a deeper sense of gratitude and self-worth comes from earning a living on your own and independently as an individual or family. Many have sought after a worthwhile cause to find their dream and if it makes them happy, however lowly or simple, then that is enough. The American Dream is not the pursuit of money, or fame, or power, it is the pursuit of happiness.

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Works Cited Baldwin, James. My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew. American Dream: Readings for Writers. 2nd ed. Eds. Paul Clee and Violeta Radu-Clee. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, Co, 1999. 243-246. Print. Carnegie, Andrew. The Good Old Times Were Not. American Dream: Readings for Writers. 2nd ed. Eds. Paul Clee and Violeta Radu-Clee. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, Co, 1999. 300-303. Print. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance. American Dream: Readings for Writers. 2nd ed. Eds. Paul Clee and Violeta Radu-Clee. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, Co, 1999. 453-457. Print. Isaacson, Walter. In search of the Real bill Gates. American Dream: Readings for Writers. 2nd ed. Eds. Paul Clee and Violeta Radu-Clee. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, Co, 1999. 433-437. Print. MCML. A Date with Your Family. YouTube. Web. 16 March 2012 Universal Studios. American Dreams Season 1 Episode 1 Part 2. YouTube. Web. 16 March 2012.