In a similar way, the American dream has been forced upon women. The American dream for women has changed drastically throughout recent history and has become exceedingly difficult to attain. Our society has expectations of females just as they do for males. The classic role of the woman in the American dream is also illustrated by the Cleavers. Ms. Cleaver was an excellent example of the goal of the American dream in the 1960s. During the time that this show was made, women were expected to be the “trophy wives” who supported and were subservient to their men. Women were expected to have a prefect house and family for which they cleaned, cooked, and cared. Women were expected to care for and love their husbands and take care of his needs before their own.

However, today in the year 2000, women are more liberated and independent then the housewife of the 1960s. Women are now given more equal rights. Women have entered the workforce and hold responsibilities equaling or exceeding the responsibilities of men. This is part of the new American dream for women. Women should have equal rights to everything and not be judged by stereotypes, but these rights are not always respected. Women in the workplace are not always treated the same as men because the stereotype of being weak and subservient may hold them down. Women who show the same aggression that men show are considered “the bitch” and if a woman doesn’t show enough aggression, she is considered too fragile for the job at hand. Jennings put it very well when he said, “Holding power means little if women have to become masculine ‘iron ladies’ to get it”. (644) This means that if a woman must portray characteristics of a man to get power, she is gaining no true equality for women. This is very true concerning the American dream. The American dream should not require that we change who we are in order to succeed in our lives. The cost of these expectations of women creates a problem in our society. In addition to being the modern workingwomen of the 90s, women are still held to the standards of the 1960s housewives. Women, now free to take charge of their own lives and live the way they want, are still expected to take care of the family and play the role of the housewife. Modern women are judged by society on both scales. Women who stay home and take care of their kids are considered “soccer moms” and are not looked down on by society but are considered somewhat lazy for not contributing much to our economy. Workingwomen are also jud

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