Because of its incredibly abundant natural resources, the United States appeared to be a “land of plenty” where millions could comc to seek thcir fortunes. Of course, most immigrants did not “get rich overnight,M and many of them suffered terribly, but the majority of them were eventually able to improve upon their former standard of living. Even if they were not able to achieve the economic success they wanted, they could be fairly certain that their children would have the opportunity for a better life. The phrase “going firom rags to riches” became a slogan for the great American dream. Because of the vast riches of the North American continent, the dream came true for many of the immigrants. They achieved material success; they became a value to the American people.

Placing a high value on material possessions is called “materialism’” but this is a word that most Americans find offensive. To say that a person is “materialistic” is an insult. To an American, this means that this person values material possessions above all else. Americans do not like to be called materialistic because they feel that this unfairly accuses them of loving only material things and of having no religious values. In fact, Americans do have other values and ideals. Nevertheless, acquiring and maintaining a large number of material possessions is of very great importance to most Americans. Why is this so?

Probably the main reason is that material wealth is the most widely accepted measure of social status in the United States. Because Americans rejected the European system of hereditary aristocracy and titles of nobility, they had to find a substitute for judging social status. The quality and quantity of an individual's material possessions became the accepted measure of success and social status. Moreover, the American Protestant work ethic associated material success with godliness.

Americans pay a price, however, for their material wealth: hard work. The North American continent was rich in natural resources when the first settlers arrived, but all these resources were undeveloped. Only by hard work could these natural resources be converted in-to material possessions and a comfortable standard of living. Hard work has been both necessary and rewarding for most Americans throughout their history. Because of this, they have come to see materia] possessions as the natural reward for their hard work. In some ways, material possessions are seen not only as tangible evidence of people’s work, but also of their abilities. In the late 1700s James Madison, the father of the American Constitution, stated that the difference in material possessions reflected a difference in personal abilities.

More recently, Barry Goidwater, a candidate for the presidency in 1964，said that most poor people are poor because they deserve to be. Most Americans would find this a harsh statement, but many mi^it think there was some truth in it Most Americans believe that if a person works hard, it is possible to have a good standard of living. In a study of teenagers conducted in 1981, researchers found that ^er 90 percent of young Americans u think they will achieve what they want in life, and almost ei^it out of ten think they can get what they want through hard work.” There is, however, considerable social pressure not only to maintain a good standard of living but to improve it Since people’s status in society is frequently measured by how much they own, Americans often feel pressured to buy more than they need. The saying that someone is “keeping up with the Joneses” egresses this Urge to buy possessions that are equal to or, better than what others have. If Mr. and Mrs. Jones buy a new car, their nei^ibors may begin to think about buying one too，even if they don’t really need a new car. They want to appear as prosperous as everyone else around them, and this means making a continuing effort to buy newer and better material goods.

In understanding the relationship between what Americans believe and how they live, it is important to distinguish between idealism and reality. American values such as equality of opportunity and self-reliance are ideals that may not necessarily describe the facts of American life. Equality of opportunity, for example, is an ideal that is not always put into practice. In reality, some people have a better chance for success than others. Those who are bom into rich families have more opportunities than those who are bom into poorer Emilies. Inheriting money docs give a person a decided advantage. Many black Americans have fewer opportunities than the average white American, in spite of laws designed to promote equality of opportunity for all races.

The fact that American ideals are only partly carried out in real life does not diminish their importance. Most Americans sdll believe in them and are strongly affected by them in their everyday lives. It is easier to understand what Americans are thinking and feeling if wc can understand what these basic American values are and they influence almost every facet of life in the United States.

The six basic values presented in this chapter 一 individual freedom, self-reliance, equality of poitunity, competition, material wealth and hard work 一 can help us understand some aspects of American character and how they affect life in the United States.