Ideal Life: Levin's Theory of the American Dream 'a home and from the founding of a family to the liberation of their family. personal debt (Levin). I'm of two minds about Levin's "American Dream" theory. On the one hand, I recognize that the “American dream” has changed over the years. On the other hand, I'm not sure the author is correct in implying that the change is as recent as he thinks. Most often, getting out of debt has been the “American dream” for several generations. When credit was first applied to the American way of life, it brought a sense of relief to those who needed it now and could pay later. Through this system, debt was created; this stabilized the banking system again and allowed people to buy houses and cars. The ability to use credit gave borrowers a trustworthy appearance that allowed them to support themselves and their families. What was then called the "American Dream" or, as some would call it, the ideal

Navigation