AWOL - Assignment #3 DRAFT

American Way of Life – Draft 1
Melanie Dionisio
October 7, 2008

Is the American way of life fragile or sturdy? For most Americans and their way of life, Americans find their way of living non-negotiable. One can agree that their American way of life is to strive to be successful and make money; a positive way of living by benefiting one’s self. However, it is often that people negatively view the American way of life as well. Usually one complains about the government, like Anthony, a middle-class teen, explains the American way of life is to “stabilize America’s economy and the social issues concerning the war in Iraq.” American citizens go out of their way to not only survive in society, but to also clean up the government’s “dirty work”. In any given situation, “Americans try to help themselves, but by doing so, they are hurting other people in the process.”

Other than the government, a middle-class Asian argued that the American way of life "is relied on the media, and how it is sudden that hip-hop became a new ‘culture’”. He mentions how the way of living in the city alone is different, in comparison to those who live in the suburbs. “In the city, you have kids trying to have a fresh look, trying to impress others with labels and such, meanwhile in the suburbs, the way of living is more family oriented.” Geographically speaking, a person’s way of living is different in a certain household. And their way of living is the way he/her survives in American society.

The good aspects about the American way of living are the “opportunities one has when trying to pursue a career, or dream.” In comparison to those who live in third world countries, the American way of living would consider to be a ‘great’ way living, in terms of having a job and providing for him/her self. The Asian male added that he “feels lucky, in a way, to be able to walk outside freely.” With that being said, he added that “people sometimes abuse the American way of life by taking advantage of the materialistic things”. People do not realize how gifted they are in America, while others are actually struggling.