Joel Barnett
Professor Jennifer Royal
English 1A
March 15 2015
Great Grandpa’s World
My notion of home has changed a lot since I was eight. but not so much because of my own home experiences. Rather, my concept of home has been shaped by my great grandparents’ interpretation of the American Dream.
Idealized by the immigrants who fled to the United States to escape oppressive governments or upset economies, the American Dream is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as, “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The clear underlying idea behind this traditional dream is that hard work lends success. This success is often portrayed in television shows such as the 1950’s Leave it to Beaver, many times considered the baseline of the idyllic American family.
Today, the dream is increasingly associated with endless upward mobility, open access to education, and most importantly, owning a home. While the dream remains, the means of attaining it have modernized. As the modern era shifts towards one of instant gratification, the once …show more content…
The characters are usually gainfully employed parents climbing the corporate ladder, two children enjoying the usual teen traumas of high school, and possibly a family pet. The house is nearly perfect. Inside, dad relaxes, catching up on the latest from ESPN while mom sends off a few emails from her office. Upstairs, the kids are in their respective bedrooms, studying schoolwork or playing on their game consoles. The contemporary kitchen is pristine, and the meals that presumably come from it are never actually shown being prepared in it. Instead, they magically appear as if from some gourmet takeout container. Together, these elements are inextricably linked with the modern American
Professor Jennifer Royal
English 1A
March 15 2015
Great Grandpa’s World
My notion of home has changed a lot since I was eight. but not so much because of my own home experiences. Rather, my concept of home has been shaped by my great grandparents’ interpretation of the American Dream.
Idealized by the immigrants who fled to the United States to escape oppressive governments or upset economies, the American Dream is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as, “The ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” The clear underlying idea behind this traditional dream is that hard work lends success. This success is often portrayed in television shows such as the 1950’s Leave it to Beaver, many times considered the baseline of the idyllic American family.
Today, the dream is increasingly associated with endless upward mobility, open access to education, and most importantly, owning a home. While the dream remains, the means of attaining it have modernized. As the modern era shifts towards one of instant gratification, the once …show more content…
The characters are usually gainfully employed parents climbing the corporate ladder, two children enjoying the usual teen traumas of high school, and possibly a family pet. The house is nearly perfect. Inside, dad relaxes, catching up on the latest from ESPN while mom sends off a few emails from her office. Upstairs, the kids are in their respective bedrooms, studying schoolwork or playing on their game consoles. The contemporary kitchen is pristine, and the meals that presumably come from it are never actually shown being prepared in it. Instead, they magically appear as if from some gourmet takeout container. Together, these elements are inextricably linked with the modern American