Marxist Analysis of the American Dream Essay

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Capitalism and its values revolve around material possessions and their acquisition. In this society, the poor man strives to be rich, and a powerless man to gain power. Many of these people however don't have access to these privileges, and so to be one of the few taking the limited seats of wealth and power they compete, most often times against each other. Such environments are not only often times promote conflict but confrontation as well, and many times the winners of these altercations are relishing in "The American Dream" While capitalism promotes the belief that this dream is achievable, it is more often than not, a literal dream, and leaves its pursuers poor, and weak. This keeps the working class powerless, and …show more content…
Figures like Bill Gates, and stars like Charlie Chaplin, throughout time have led people to believe that the American dream is far more achievable than it actually is. Something else that is often neglected in these situations is that very few people ever truly experience the American dream. It is an enigma that has eluded many and still lures more to it. Hundreds of patents are made everyday; hundreds of inventions, ideas, and items that will never see the eyes of consumers are created, and will never make their creators rich. As the government and personal employers strive to make the American dream seem more achievable it never becomes so. This false consciousness that is implanted into the poor and working class pushes them to work harder for people who only gain of it, and do little to return. For their efforts many get no more than money to live in comfort. This cycle repeats itself perpetually within a capitalistic society, suppressing the people it negatively affects, and keeps them that way. Ironically some of the people most negatively affected by these circumstances do not realize it, but instead are kept placated by methods of the above, and satisfied with the success they have, and not willing to loose it. Regardless of their position currently however, whether they succeed or not, all people in such a culture are kept on the capitalist regime by the thought of the
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