The Automobile: A False Sense of Freedom

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From the promises of the automobile to the model-T no one could predict how the car would alter the world we live in. The dependency on the automobile is quickly shifting from not only an American problem, but a global one. As Rudi Volti describes the begging’s of the Automobile, we also see America’s curiosity in the new technology and how it could change our world for the better, (2006). Volti describes how the automobile wasn’t an American invention, but quickly became the American ideal; no one has developed and changed the automobile as much as America, (2006). From the begging the automobile promised freedom that we had never experienced before, it has greatly altered our landscape and our culture. Amy Best describes the Latino youth culture in San Jose, “For them, the car is a central means by which they participate in cultural and economic life, navigating their ways around today’s consumer culture”, (2006). It’s easy to see how this can happen to the youth of San Jose, when it’s something that affects every American. The automobile promises freedom, but at a cost. While that cost varies by person, place and time; there is no one that goes un-touched by the consequences of an auto dependent society. Amy Best continues in Fast Cars, Cool Rides, “Freedom, more often than not carries significant social and financial costs”, (2006). This concept of freedom at a cost is present everywhere in our society; it can be seen as a false promise or a blatant denial of freedom. I will look at how both are constantly present and leave no one untouched. The best examples of both are present in the American Vacation. What was once a privilege for the wealthy; the American vacation became a staple in our culture. In Are we there yet?: the...

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