Bruno, 2019. What Really is the American Dream? 17
When one is able to sift through the contradictions, insularities, imperfections and
intentions of the experimental model called the United States; s/he will discover the framework of
what was intended. This intent or framework, as we have discussed, is the
‘spirit’ of the American
Dream. Seeing that the spirit is a progressive endeavor towards whatever the individual’s idea of
progress is, it is not perfect nor is the system which sets it up or any other system for that matter.
If the American person deviates from his/her honest ‘self-beliefs, there will be a contrite knocking
against the front door of the awareness mechanism which each person is endowed with; thus, the
true spirit is kept alive and may remain alive for an eternity – at least for as long as humanity exists
and the need for necessity directs the dream’s existence.
The bits and pieces which have been weaved together in this
research suggest that the
American Dream did not just arrive; it was worked at, and the same became self-evident. The bitter
struggles of the earliest settlers guaranteed the sweetness of the dream in the present generation.
For some, however, the dream remains bitter. If the dream is to remain true (biter of sweet), the
present generation must ensure that it is passed on in its purest form. This American Dream is not
laced in political warfare, nor is it maintained by special interests or a particular sector or strata.
In fact, when parasitic entities threaten to reframe the dream under
a simple and a collective
definition, the peoples’ rugged individualism will have the last recourse.
The new wave of ‘dreamers’ has given the American nation a new hope to dream in ways
that meets with the reality of the times. One of the more astute American pragmatist,
William
James (1842 – 1910) asserts that “the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a
technical matter: it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means.”
28
With
this radical retooling of the dream, the road to the future seems clear, and the dream may yet be
28 . Pragmatism, James, 1975, 10
Bruno, 2019. What Really is the American Dream? 18
here to stay. America is by no means a perfect nation, but her imperfections serve as a constant
reminder that the dream must be worked at and that the people cannot fall asleep at the wheel. The
blemishes and imperfections of the American society challenge the people to remain vigilant and
to create opportunities
for generations to come, so that they too can boast of an American Dream.
The dream is you and how best you relate to the dream. It is a sense of contentment in an
enabling environment. The American Dream has even transcended the landmass called America.
The several US interventions, not necessarily military, have made sure of that. Cultural exchanges,
academic opportunities, the media and other technological advancements are all vehicles of the
American Dream, and it would not be surprising if the dream is manifested in faraway lands with
the same veracity as occurs on the American homeland. It is incumbent that each individual keeps
the dream alive with the checks and balances contained in the Constitution of the United States of
America, though this document has had its
fair share of interrogation, examination, beliefs and
doubts, and – yes – contradictions and contrasting interpretations.
The spirit which was referenced throughout the discussion has been collapsed into the
dream. The dream, as had been affirmed, is tied to human pursuits and aspirations. Let us now
revisit the two working definition of the American Dream which were advanced by this essay.
They are,
‘An indigenous belief in the unbridled freedom and unique heritage of a people’ and
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