The American Dream is not something easily charactarized by words. It is different for every individual, depending on the setting which they were born, rasied, and matured in. To say that the American Dream is one of wealth and prosperity, while considered true, tends to cast a shadow upon the thoughts of those less selfish. This is the key, realizing that the American Dream is not necessarily the dream of every American, but rather a set of ideals and goals passed down through generations ever since the pilgrims landed at Plymoth Rock.
I, along with most Americans and non-Americans alike, would like to be wealthy, as it presents an easier lifestyle. I would like to have a 'perfect' life, or at least perfect as viewed by those who first conjured this set of optimistic ideals and goals. Of course, i would not be completely happy living this lifestyle of working hard and earning your money and being wealthy. I personally would much rather be a guy with a day job getting by with little money to spare, but be in a semi-successful band or something of the same likeness.
There comes a time when everyone faces a certain harsh reality. We are all told that if you find something you love to do, you can make a living out of it. If you like to play music, perform. If you like to mess with cars, be an automechanic. Supposedly there is a job for everyone, but therein lies the problem: if there is a job for everyone, why do people not get that certain job they so longingly dream of? Because not everybody lives with the same opportunies and priveleges. There may be a wealthy white college boy who is offered a job at an music store even though he is not all that knowledgable in the subject, while there is a master of the jazz guitar sitting on the street corner begging for change enough to pay for his dinner while he pays a tribute to Les Paul that he wrote himself. The reality is that the dream job is there, but that doesn't mean that it is readily accessable.
