The American Dream In The 1920's

The American Dream, a dream that is fruitful to many and invisible to others. There have been many different views of this dream; some see it as a stream of rewards paying people back for their hard work, while others see as a tantalizing fantasy that gives false hope to many Americans. The dream has had many different identities throughout history. Changes in the culture, economy, and politics have contributed to the shift of the American Dream. The first half of the century had an abundance of different views toward the American Dream. In the twenties the dream was one of hope and materialism. Because WWI had just ended, the economy was in great shape and people were willing to spend. This spending led to a greedy society; everyone wanted to be wealthier than their

Throughout this period sports, music, and other forms of entertainment were very popular. These influences led to a more laid back population who wanted to have fun. The next decade proved to be very different from the twenties. In the thirties the economy plummeted. The stock market crash in 1929 and the Dust Bowl hit the entire population economically. People view of the world was very hopeless; they saw the American dream as nothing. When the stock market crashed, so did the lives of the American citizens. The dream was altered from being one about wealth and prosperity to simply surviving. Although the dream was very dismal during this period of time it would soon get better in the forties and fifties. In the forties and fifties the dream started as a driving force for hard work to help the war effort. Women had to take the men’s spot in the workforce and take care of the country. This need for women gave them a new outlook on the American Dream. Women now had a taste of equality and