Thephrase"Americandream"generallyreferstothehopeshasforhisownwell-beinginAmerica.Itisnotnecessarilyaselfishnotion,becauseachievingthedreamisassumedtomakeAmericastrong.Becausethedreamisheldbyindividuals,therecanbeasmanydifferentdreamsastherearepeopletohavethem.Anewimmigrantmaydreamofmasteringthelanguage,holdingasteadyjob,andhavinghisownapartment.Asuccessfulindustrialistmaydreamofacquiringmorecompanies.
Inthepast,themosttypicalcomponentsoftheAmericandreamforordinaryareasfollows.Thefirstcomponentisapieceoflandwhereonecansustainhimselfandraiseafamily.Havingthelandhastogobeyondmeresubsistence.Itmustalsoprovideforaprofitandexpansion.Mostimportantly,itmusthelptogiveyourchildrenbetteropportuntiesthanyouhad.Afinalcomponentisfreedomofmovementwithinyourgeographicarea.Inouragriculruralage,freedomofmovementcamewithhorseandwagon.
Weremainemotionallytiedtoouragriculturalpast.WereplacetheworkingfarmoftheAmericandreamwithasuburbanhouseandanurbanjob.Thehorsethattookourancestorstotownonceamonthforsuppliesisreplacedbyacoupleofcarsthattakeusseveralplaceseveryday.
TheessenceoftheAmericandreamseemstometobegeographicspaceandphysicalfreedom.One'seffortsallowonetosucceedindependentlywhileprovidinganimprovedfutureforone'schildrenandmakingacontributiontotheworldthatonecanbeproudof.
Thedreamhasitsconstants,butisever-changingwiththepeopleandwiththetimes.Foryoungstudentstoday,thedreammightincludeaveryhigh-payingtechnologyjobfromwhichonecouldretireatanearlyageanddevoteoneselftohelpingothers.Formiddle-agedpeopletoday,thedreammayincludevoluntarysimplicity--aplannedreductioninconsump-tionwithapotentiallymoresatisfyinglifestyle.