Andy Warhol, an American artist who painted post-World War II, once said, “Everybody has their own America, and then they have the pieces of a fantasy America that they think is out there but they can 't see” (“Sunbeams: Issue 447”). The American Dream incorporates this sense of imagination and hope: it creates motivation to fully commit one’s time and effort in order to accomplish his or her ambitions. Warhol, however, warns people that aspirations requiring hard work can evolve into shallowness and materialism. His paintings reflect the idea that the effort required to make the American Dream possible is now solely driven by the desire to obtain new items.
The American Dream is the ideal that with a combination hard work, determination, and opportunity, one can dictate his or her own destiny. This idea originated during the 16th century Protestant Reformation in Europe when religious leaders such as Martin Luther put great “emphasis on individual responsibility, hard work, thrift, providence, honesty, and deferred gratification” (Malanga). These new values encouraged Europeans to escape poverty, corruption, and religious persecution by traveling to America to pursue its “riches” and “freedom of worship” (Meacham). The land appeared to be full of potential with “the vastness of the …show more content…
The unfortunate reality is that Americans value modernization so much that they are often “unconscious of the present” (Kohls) and only work to create a better future of owning new and improved items. This holds true in today’s world as well; many people spend their time away from their families working in order to buy them new goods, like cell phones and flat screen televisions, to make up for their absence. However, perhaps this constant strive for more forms an infinite, unfillable void that makes achieving one’s end goal
The American Dream is the ideal that with a combination hard work, determination, and opportunity, one can dictate his or her own destiny. This idea originated during the 16th century Protestant Reformation in Europe when religious leaders such as Martin Luther put great “emphasis on individual responsibility, hard work, thrift, providence, honesty, and deferred gratification” (Malanga). These new values encouraged Europeans to escape poverty, corruption, and religious persecution by traveling to America to pursue its “riches” and “freedom of worship” (Meacham). The land appeared to be full of potential with “the vastness of the …show more content…
The unfortunate reality is that Americans value modernization so much that they are often “unconscious of the present” (Kohls) and only work to create a better future of owning new and improved items. This holds true in today’s world as well; many people spend their time away from their families working in order to buy them new goods, like cell phones and flat screen televisions, to make up for their absence. However, perhaps this constant strive for more forms an infinite, unfillable void that makes achieving one’s end goal