America is “regarded” as a land of opportunity, promise, independence, hope and freedom. Anyone can become president of the United States, a member of Congress, or even become rich. This is possible because all of this requires hard work. But this is almost “just a dream” because equality does not exist among everyone. The poor have little or no chance of becoming richer, while the rich remain rich. As President Woodrow Wilson once said in his New Freedom campaign, “American enterprise is not free; the man with only a small capital finds it more and more difficult to enter the field, more and more impossible to compete with the big guy. Why? Because the laws of this country do not prevent the strong from crushing the weak." America is often considered the “best country” in the world, but behind this facade many people struggle daily to earn enough money to survive. These intriguing ideas are showcased in the “great American novel,” The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The novel is the “great American novel” because it describes the true nature of the American way of life; a rampant lifestyle with laissez-faire capitalism and constant struggle. The American way of life is defined as an expression that refers to the lifestyle of people living in the United States of America. It is an example of a behavioral modality, developed from the 17th century until today. It refers to a nationalist ethic that claims to adhere to the principles of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" according to Babylon.com. America has been associated with the idea of ​​a land of endless opportunity and freedom. To some extent this is true. For example, people being able to pursue their dreams of becoming an athlete, a doctor, a teacher, an actor… middle of paper… destroys lives. In conclusion, John Steinbeck's "great American novel". The Grapes of Wrath, illustrates the true nature of the American way of life; a lifestyle controlled by laissez-faire capitalism and constant struggle. The Joad family along with many other migrant workers had to face the arduous task of overcoming repression from multinational corporations. Despite all the difficulties such as owners burning their food and watching people starve to create supply and demand, the migrant workers they still dreamed that California would be the “land of opportunity” offering high wages, jobs, and the start of a new life. The American Dream is always on people's minds. A person can never truly know when the American Dream will be fully realized because once a person owns something, it causes a person to want more and more because of the ownership.