The band MKTO once said, “Whatever happened to the American Dream?” It’s more like what happened after 2001. After 9/11, America came together. We tried to figure out why such a tragic thing had to happen and how we were going to recover. The standard for the American Dream had also changed because people wanted to do something different and help make a change.

After 9/11, the American Dream changed because a number of people decided to protect our country by going over seas. Our country needed the bravery and strength. We regained our country’s strength after a few years because we came realization that this could happen anywhere and no matter what, we have others to fall back on.
To regain strength as a country, we built the 9/11 memorial to show our support for the victims and families of those killed. The memorial shows the families that even though their loved ones are gone, they will never be forgotten. The American Flag is flown over the memorials to show that no matter what happens, we will be able to come together as a country, even in the hardest of times. 

In 2010, the American Dream changed once again. With Generation X wanting to not follow the standard set by past generations, they decided to live their lives the way they pleased. Young adults wanted to have a college education, but wanted to live life their way. The American Flag shows the country that we can live our lives the way we want. Living in the United States allows us to live our lives the way we please. The government allows us to have freedom in what we do and where we live.

The American Dream and American flag both represent America’s freedom. They both have had standards set, but none of them remained the same because each generation changes the standards of the American Dream. Our strength as a country is also shown in both because even in the most difficult times, we still have a dream and our freedom to fall back on.