What the American Dream is

At the center of the American dream is independence. Americans love more than anything else their freedom and independence, not having to be told what to do but choosing their own destinies. Since the founding of our country, American families have sought to be self sufficient and not reliant on anyone or anything. Americans began to move west to seek even more independence, in the west they could build their own towns and live for themselves. Americans need for independence is, essentially, what created our country, and it still carries over to modern times in our want to be our own boss and not be told where to work or what to do. Another fundamental of the American dream is the idea that this land is ours, and the pride you get when owning a home. Americans seek to live somewhere that they control, and owning a home gives you control over what goes into your home and how it looks, etc. In the past, Americans took pride in keeping a modest house where they could raise a family. Today, Americans still like to own their own houses, but this idea of the American dream has also carried over into the cars that Americans own. A car is another thing that Americans take pride in, and many enjoy keeping a nice car that they own and have control over. Finally, I believe that raising a family is another important part of the American dream. Family has always been the most important social unit in America, and Americans take pride in raising a happy, successful family. Having children is a dream many Americans share, and providing a nice house and nice things is also very important. Therefore, the American dream is owning a house that you can raise a family in, having a nice car and nice things, and being independent with all of our rights and freedoms that living in this country guarantees.

The Quintessential 21st Century American

To me, the most defining quality of the quintessential 21st century American is a dependence on technology. With the internet connecting us to the entire world and a vast amount of information, Americans have grown dependent on technology to access the internet. This technology includes computers, phones, and other devices, but whatever we use to access the internet, we have become dependent on it. Another quality of the quintessential 21st century American is that we are more informed and more critical of the world around us. Because we have access to so much information, average Americans can become more involved in government and other worldly affairs, allowing them to share more ideas and criticism. Nevertheless, because Americans can live their lives online now, the quintessential American is becoming less social than before, giving up a life that used to be lived with other people for a more closed life online. Finally, the quintessential 21st century American is becoming more materialistic than before. Again, with the advent of the internet, people began shopping online and gaining access to goods that they couldn't get before. Suddenly, Americans could log onto a web site such as Amazon and order something from another country and in a week or so it would be at the door. Also, with the readily available credit, Americans began spending much more than they had to buy all the products that they desired. So that is how I view the quintessential 21st century American, a technology dependent, materialistic, more informed individual.