Rethinking the American Dream in Coney Island of the Mind, Why Wallace? and Goodbye, ColumbusWebster defines a dream as "something notable for its beauty, excellence, or pleasant quality." This seems, logically, to be something everyone wants to achieve. However, not everyone is the same so every dream is not the same. According to some literary works from the 1950s and 1960s, however, it seems that many people are rather disillusioned and believe that their dream is the only one and suitable for everyone. This American Dream consists of a nice job, a nice spouse, a nice house, nice kids, a nice car and all the money, money, money you can get your hands on. Anyone wishing otherwise is unacceptable. But what happens when people finally begin to realize, God forbid, that this dream is not a dream at all and is not the ultimate source of happiness? A rebellion takes place against this materialistic society. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in his poem "A Coney Island of the Mind", illustrates this dissatisfaction with American society: "...on a continent of concrete, interspersed with bland billboards illustrating imbecilic illusions of happiness, the scene shows less wheelbarrows but more maimed citizens in painted cars and have strange license plates and engines that devour America" ​​(Ferlinga, 131). America is supposed to be the great capitalist society, but Ferlinghetti sees it differently. Billboards present material goods in a style that shows their necessity for human happiness. By calling this happiness the billboards an illusion, Ferlinghetti speaks out against materialism. Apparently this materialism has also horribly disfigured America and its citizens. Citizens believe that the more material goods they have, the happier they will be. Ferlinghetti says these material possessions like cars and fancy license plates devour them and perhaps dictate their lives. Addressing the problem of a materialistic society is a common theme for many writers in the 1950s and 1960s. In their writings, Phillip Roth and Michael Novak both describe a family from this society. The parents in these writings have an "ideal" lifestyle and standard for their children, which gives their children every reason to want to rebel. They want to break away from the thoughts and standards of their parents and society. In Roth's novel, Goodbye, Columbus, the character of Mrs. Patimkin is very similar to the Andy Restek of "Why