1、Mammonism-an important aspect of American cultureAnyone who has watched the movie Wall Street will be astonished at the undisguised desire for money. Gekko, one of the leading characters in the movie has a famous saying: Greed is good. Wall Street, a place that belongs to the elites of the world, is
2、 the perfect place for them to show their talents as well as their worship for money. In Wall Street, everything can be dust except for money since money never sleeps as the movie says. In confrontation with money, belief, love trust, everything will be the sacrifice for dollars. In reality, the Ame
3、ricans may not as greedy as what presents in the movie, but at least it expose an important aspect of modern American culture-mammonism.Everyone has a nature for money but the Americans are especially to be so. Why do Americans emphasize money so much? From the very beginning, America has a very inv
4、iting name: the land of opportunity. It indicates if you try hard and spare no effort you can get whatever you want and it encourages everyone to seek for material wealth on this land. On the one hand, “the land of plenty” provides people with abundant natural sources and people have long gotten use
5、d to material wealth. On the other hand, Americans believe everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Since they are not bound to social classes, everyone has the right to pursue wealth to improve their status. In a capitalism dominated society, Americans are deeply bear in mind that either you e
6、xploit others or you are exploited. In other words, be the wolf or be the sheep. American political system determines that the wealth is in the hands of the minority, and they will never care about where your next dinner is. When the financial crisis broke out, it was the poor who suffered most. Une
7、mployment rate rocketed, and millions of people got laid, the only thing they could do was waiting for the government relieve. Since the basic living is not assured, the Americans gradually know the better ways is to have the money in their own pockets. So, after so many times of disappointment, the
8、y finally realize that it will be much better to nab more money and be the master of the dollar.Can money buy happiness? Many Americans think so or at least they act like so. America is not a nation of classes, so the success-oriented Americans common measure of ones social estate is the ownership o
9、f material wealth. Americans believe in the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” But for many Americans now, it means pursuing of money. For that reason, keeping up with the Jonesses has become almost a full-time occupation.Mammonism has become one of the marks of the Americans and
10、 I believe it is not definitely detrimental to the society as long as the Americans keep it within a limit. Pursuit of money may be their nature but they can never let it be the master of their mind and come beyond their morality. In America, money never sleeps, and so do peoples morality and conscience.
