A Streetcar Named Desire Materialism Essay

The American dream is an idea so inspirational that it brings hope to all those that hear it around the globe, it is a symbol of pride that built the western world’s greatest nation, and it is the fundamental foundation of the pillars that modern democracy was sculpted on. Yet, the idea is losing popularity among the younger generations over the past few decades. Some experts contribute to the lack of interest in the American dream to the fact that the image of the promised land of freedom that is the United States is outdated. However, the American interest in striving for freedom in the boundless Utopia portrayed in American literature and media is dead because of the cruelly nihilistic pursuit of materialistic wealth and social status. No

The tragic story follows the characters of Stella and Stanley, a couple who live in a small apartment in Louisiana, and Stella’s sister, Blanche DuBois who is a very egocentric woman who seems to care for money, jewelry, and status, but in reality, all the wealth and fame she possesses is all a sham that she made up to look good to others. Tennessee Williams expands upon the idea that materialism in the United States has destroyed the image of the American Dream through the character of Blanche. In one scene, Williams wrote, “‘I don't want realism. I want magic!’ [Mitch laughs] ‘Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people. I misrepresent things to them. I don't tell truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!--Don't turn the light on!’” (Williams 127). This quote shows how Blanche tries to justify her acts of manipulation and blatant lying. Blanche believes it is part of the American Dream to live a fancy life, but by faking her status and wealth, she does nothing but hurt herself and those around her. Her life is a lie and her money-driven American Dream led her to deep sorrows and she became a troubled and materialistic woman. Blanche DuBois is merely a husk of the idea that the American Dream tries to inspire people to become; she was

Immigrants from across oceans and empires yearn for nothing more than the freedom of the United States and the everlasting promise that they can be their true selves and do whatever their heart may desire as long as they put in all the effort necessary. The symbolism of the American Dream and its promise of equal chance and opportunity to all have influenced history for centuries. Empires have toppled, cities have risen, revolutions have occurred, leaders have preached, musicians have sung, and authors have written outstanding pieces of literature that will be remembered for millennia, all because of the American Dream. This idea of freedom has built the modern world and its society, and yet it seems to be less and less present in America’s culture every day. Modern materialism and the grotesque obsession with wealth in current society are killing the American Dream little by taking away the meaning of hope and happiness in the United States. Corporate machines are instilling industrialized propaganda that monetary gain and earthly possessions are the true meaning of the American Dream, which will only lead to the inevitable realization that the world we are living in is fundamentally unjust. Because of its decline in popularity, the American Dream is wilting away like a red rose in a cold winter and we will lose it entirely soon. If we continue on this materialistic path