What is the ‘American Dream’?

Answer

What is the ‘American Dream’? How does Wilhelm become a victim of it? 

The ‘American Dream’ is a concept rooted in the idea that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to achieve success, wealth, and happiness through hard work and determination. It is the belief that anyone can climb the social and economic ladder and reach a better life in America.

However, in “Seize the Day,” (1956) Saul Bellow (1915-2005) shows how this dream can also lead to disappointment, frustration, and even failure. Tommy Wilhelm becomes a victim of this ideal.

Wilhelm’s Ambitions and Early Failures: Tommy Wilhelm’s life reflects the struggle for the ‘American Dream’. From a young age, Wilhelm had ambitions to be rich and successful. He dropped out of college and pursued an acting career in Hollywood, hoping fame and fortune would follow. Tommy Wilhelm feels pressure to be financially successful. The narrator says:

Everyone was supposed to have money … They’d be ashamed not to have it.

However, he quickly realized that success was not so easy to achieve. His acting career failed, and he ended up working as a salesman. Wilhelm’s early failure represents how many people who chase the ‘American Dream’ often end up in jobs that do not match their aspirations. It leaves them feeling unfulfilled.

Risk and Its Consequences: Wilhelm’s belief in the ‘American Dream’ is partly what drives him to make risky decisions. He believes in the promise that if he works hard and makes bold moves, he can turn his life around. This hope leads him to trust Dr. Tamkin and invest his last savings in the stock market. Tamkin manipulates him with his mantra –

Only the present is real—the here-and-now. Seize the day.

Wilhelm wants to achieve financial success and solve all his problems quickly, but instead, he loses everything. It shows how chasing wealth without understanding can lead to disaster.

Wilhelm and His Father: Another way Wilhelm