inks of the American Dream, thoughts of success come to mind. When one thinks of success, it not only refers to one's financial status, but also socially, and in health. Thoughts of freedom come to mind. As our Star Spangled Banner tells us, America is "...the land of the free and the home of the brave." Freedom is often associated with America. Also, happiness comes to mind when referring to the American Dream. With all of this success and freedom, how can you not be happy in America? All of these aspects of the American Dream are debatable. They do not all have to be present to fulfill the American Dream. One doesn't have to be financially well off to be successful. Having a happy, healthy family would definitely satisfy the requirements of the American Dream. If you don't have a family, being happy with how you run your life would satisfy the requirements for the American Dream, also. These aspects are all possible trade-offs, but they can all be present, too. The idea of the American Dream from a few generations ago is different from what it is today. All of the aspects of the American Dream were fulfilled before, but recently the main focal point is the number of possessions and how much money you have. The American Dream still lives, though it is very differently perceived now than it was before. It has been said that Americans no longer try to keep up with the Joneses. They instead look at celebrities and the characters some of them portray in films or television shows, and expect to have some of the same possessions that the celebrities and characters have. The fact is that you can't just go and buy a Mercedes because Puff Daddy drives one, and you want to be like him. It's not that easy, unless you have the money to do it. If you do have the money to do it, you are most likely someone whose possessions are looked at and admired by those who don't have the means to obtain them. With all of the efforts put forth to emulate celebrities and the characters they portray, the idea of keeping up with the Joneses has not died out. If you see your neighbor wheeling a brand new sixty - inch television in his or her house, it is doubtful that anyone would not want to have that sort of a possession. Not everyone will go out and buy a new television because of this, but the thought must run through their mind. My grandfather is the best example of someone who will always believe in keeping up with the Joneses. Three years ago, my father and uncle purchased new cars. My grandfather could not be shown up, so he decided to go out and purchase his own new car. Just recently, my mother, my aunt, and another one of my uncles purchased new cars. Two weeks ago, my grandfather decided that my grandmother's car was too old, and she needed a new car. My aunt and uncle recently purchased a thirty - inch screen television. My grandfather proceeded to purchase a thirty-five - inch screen television. It did not come as a surprise to any member of my family. Keeping up with the Joneses is definitely still a part of American society. This very same American society today is what tells us to be like everyone we see on television. Society tells us that we should be driving nice cars and wearing fancy clothes and jewelry. We allow ourselves to be influenced by this because of the desire to fit in socially with the rest of society. We believe that if we drive a 1984 Dodge Shadow, live in an apartment with three other people, and don't wear Abercrombie and Fitch, we are some sort of lower class people because that's

Some common words found in the essay are:
Tod Clifton, American Dream, Puff Daddy, Keeping Joneses, Pocket WWF, Fitch Armani, Tod Clifton's, Battle Royal, Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, american dream, celebrities characters, celebrities characters portray, keeping joneses, lots money, characters portray, tod clifton, happy family, success freedom, dancing sambo, society tells, clifton's dancing sambo, lots money rich, inch screen television, example doll imagery,
Approximate Word count = 2370
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)